FFA members will display agriculture-related skills at MJC
FFA members from 100-plus California high schools will descend on Modesto to show what they know about judging dairy cattle, arranging flowers, interviewing for jobs and other career skills.
Modesto Junior College will hold its 63rd annual Future Farmers of America Field Day next Saturday on both of its campuses. The public is welcome.
More than 2,000 members of FFA, which is closely tied to high school agriculture classes, will compete before the judges. They are part of a thriving national organization that is helping to assure that qualified people will take on the job of producing food and fiber. The group also has plenty of city kids.
The 17 events at MJC will include fruit and vegetable production, farm record-keeping, veterinary science, farm engines and the fine art of judging milk.
“The MJC Field Day has a reputation for being one of the best FFA Field Days of the year,” said Don Borges, dean of the Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Division, in a news release.
He is the father of Mark Borges, who won a national title in the FFA job-interview contest last year and earlier was part of a Hughson High School team that topped the nation in poultry judging.
The Field Day will begin at 7:30 a.m. at various sites. An awards ceremony will be at 4 p.m. in the MJC East Campus gymnasium. For more information, contact 209-575-6200 or www.mjc.edu/instruction/agens.
On a related note, the Modesto Chamber of Commerce will hold a luncheon April 15 to raise money for the seven FFA chapters in Modesto City Schools.
The 21st annual Ag Aware event will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Agriculture Center for Education Pavilion on the MJC West Campus. About 500 people usually attend.
The $160,000-plus raised over the years has helped students buy project animals, purchase feed and equipment, and attend the FFA National Convention.
The $25 tickets can be reserved at 209-577-5757 or www.modchamber.org.
John Holland: 209-578-2385, jholland@modbee.com
This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 3:10 PM with the headline "FFA members will display agriculture-related skills at MJC."