Organ Mountain FFA students show off club achievement
The Organ Mountain High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) club is a student-run organization for high school students who want to learn about the diverse topics within agricultural education. Topics range from natural resources to livestock and food security.
As a local chapter of the national FFA organization, OMHS FFA gives students the chance to participate in community service learning, projects and extensive classroom instruction. The club ultimately prepares them for careers and higher education opportunities should they choose to pursue them.
Through hard work and determination, these Organ Mountain FFA students are shaping the future of agriculture, science, leadership and service within their communities.
The Sun-News had the chance to visit with the club on Sept. 21 to learn about some of the work these students have undertaken and how it that has helped garner a huge accomplishment — a national chapter award.
‘A very high standard of behavior’
“It's a sense of community. It's a lot of kids with similar interests and we also have a very high standard of behavior. Our kids know that they are exemplars, and they represent us in the community, I think that's a big thing,” said Julia Abrams, advisor to the program and a science teacher at OMHS.
Abrams, who left a previous career to teach and work with students, has been the advisor to this chapter since its inception last year. She has watched the program take shape and credits much of its success to the students who continue to have an interest in agricultural education. Being able to witness continued student interest has been “quite exceptional,” she says.
The program is based on a hands-on approach in which students can learn and apply scientific skills outside the classroom. They are tasked with leading service projects within the community.
“Primarily, I see FFA is a leadership and skills-based program. Our motto is living to serve, but it's like learning to do, and learning to do is that hands-on hardcore aspect, show me how this works type of thing and they love it,” Abrams said. “Everything that I design for my classroom has a hands-on component to it, even though we don't have a lot of resources.”
One of the projects the chapter undertook is a community garden on campus. Students use the learning space to understand planting and harvesting practices to educate others. The project was funded by a $1,000 national FFA grant. Students had to make do with the funds and spend the money accordingly. To no surprise, Abrams said they made it work.
Last year, chapter members completed nearly 200 hours of volunteer work and continue to help the school and the Las Cruces community with its events as needed.
“They've done a lot of community service, like work with Cowboys for Cancer... they've taught their peers about cyber safety, about using different web pages and apps...they've raised money for Casa de Peregrinos, and they have educated their peers about where their food comes from,” Abrams said. “They've also taught their peers about not only where the food comes from, but how to cultivate it.”
Students say FFA is their family
The OMHS FFA chapter has over 50 active members. When it first started in April 2022, it had 55 students and has grown to 76 in total today. Abrams said it shows how the program's success in its first year has translated to growing student interest.
“I think our biggest challenge has been that we [OMHS] may have the reputation as a city school or a suburban school, but to have 76 kids choose to take an agriculture class, that just speaks to the interest [of the program and the opportunity it provides for students],” Abrams said.
Club President Karime Gonzalez, a sophomore, and club Vice President Jonah Uranga, a junior, shared why they joined FFA. Both said the club has been a great opportunity for learning, leadership and a place for close-knit friendships.
“I joined my sophomore year, and I was kind of nervous at first because I've grown up with animals sure, but it seemed like I was outranked by everybody else because they seem to know a lot more,” Uranga said. “I realized it wasn't all just about that, we’ve gotten to make friends, and this is like my second family over here.”
Gonzalez, who says she has always had an interest in agriculture, explained that the program taught her a lot about cattle and livestock. One thing in particular that has stood out to her is learning about the different breeds and what is required to keep them alive. Like Uranga, she said her club experience has been invaluable.
“We are like a big family; we do a lot of close work like a lot of leadership work and it's very fun all in all,” Gonzalez said. “I've definitely started planning on my future like going to college for livestock. It's helped me in my decision about where I'm going to go with my future."
OMHS FFA nationally recognized
A year into its existence, the Organ Mountain High School FFA club was awarded a National Chapter 2 Star Award by the national FFA organization. Only two schools out of 91 chapters in New Mexico were awarded — making the accomplishment significant to these students.
“I think for our chapter to be recognized, it means we’re doing all the quality assurance measures and meeting all the quality assurance measures is phenomenal,” Abrams said. “Somebody asked me ‘how did you do that?’ And I said, 'I just asked them [the students], what do you think you can do? We have no budget, we have no money. What can you do? And they did it.'”
To qualify for the award, a chapter must actively implement the mission and vision of the FFA organization providing opportunities for members to grow as individuals. Strengthening agriculture, building communities and shaping leaders is among the few traits that this chapter had to demonstrate.
In the meantime, Gonzalez and Uranga said they look forward to what the club can accomplish this year and have no plans to stop the hard work from being put in. Abrams seconded that by saying the award truly reflects their efforts and work put into club.
“The primary growth that I see with these kids is their ability to learn responsibility and be leaders in their community, in their school,” Abrams said. “This is a student run organization, as you can see.”
The official award will be presented at the 96th annual FFA Convention & Expo scheduled for Nov. 1 through Nov. 4, 2023. Chapter leaders will be attending to represent OMHS.
Ernesto Cisneros is a reporting fellow with the UNM/NM Local News Fund program. He covers education for the Sun-News and can be reached at ECisneros@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter at @_ernestcisneros.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Organ Mountain High School FFA chapter nationally recognized