Dear Editor,
Gilroy is a very agricultural town, but our ag program at Gilroy
High School is not that big. If we live in a society where
everything around us is mostly fields and deals with feeding
America, shouldn’t our ag program in schools be one of the biggest
programs around?
Dear Editor,
Gilroy is a very agricultural town, but our ag program at Gilroy High School is not that big. If we live in a society where everything around us is mostly fields and deals with feeding America, shouldn’t our ag program in schools be one of the biggest programs around? Most people don’t know that there is a small program which trains the Future Farmers of America to gain knowledge in agriculture and food production.
If you want to be an FFA member you have to attend an ag class, which could be vet science, ornamental horticulture, Ag I or Ag II which emphasize leadership in FFA and includes animal and plant science. Throughout the year, FFA students participate in many community service and fundraisers. Two years ago the program almost disappeared because there were not enough members, and the program has also suffered because of budget cuts.
I interviewed a present member, Jiana Escobar, who is this year’s FFA president in the Gilroy Chapter. She has been an FFA member for three years and a member with 4-H since she was a little girl. She has been surrounded by agriculture her entire life. Escobar says “people in Gilroy don’t take agriculture very seriously when America’s economy is based on ag”. Because our food production and distribution system is so technological, skilled and talented people fill many jobs in this area.
Being involved in agriculture doesn’t mean that you have work on a farm or in the fields. There are other jobs in the agricultural path that involve complex tasks. Agriculture in California is a multibillion dollar industry. According to the National FFA Web site, there are 476,732 FFA members in 7,233 chapters over the 50 states. Escobar says – “It’s sad to see that Gilroy students don’t take agriculture seriously, and don’t know the good things that ag and FFA have to offer.” FFA has been around for 75 years and Gilroy was one of the first chapters to start in California.
If you are an FFA member, you get the opportunity to travel and meet other members from other chapters. FFA offers a lot of competitions. You can be a member of the floral team, livestock judging or competitions of public speaking and in leadership. During the year there are many activities that are fun and at the same time you learn about the importance of agriculture all over the world. I believe that agriculture is a very important issue in our community and you should not take it for granted.
Everything around you somehow or another is linked to agriculture. Why not have a strong ag program in our Gilroy schools, so kids today can appreciate more of what they have and be prepared as leaders of tomorrow.
Carla Navarro, Gilroy
