More than 700 high school students from 120 schools visited the Iowa State Capitol Building in Des Moines on January 22nd for the 40th Annual Iowa FFA Legislative Symposium. The students visited with legislators, exhibited skills developed in the agriculture classroom, and learned the importance of citizenship.
During the morning, FFA members gathered at the Downtown Embassy Suites for a short program. The program provided opportunities for FFA members to hear from Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, about the importance of agriculture in Iowa and abroad. Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Vice President, Brian Feldpausch, then delivered a message about the importance young agriculturalists can play in the agriculture industry. Jake Swanson from High Yield Strategies then spoke about the importance of advocating for the agricultural industry.
ADM FFA members then traveled to the Capitol to visit with Representative Carter Nordman and Senator Sarah Trone Garriott about the role of agriculture education/FFA in schools and their impact on the community. Participating members were Reed Ausdemore, Jaxson Book, Kelsey Greenslade, Hayley Hick, Eliza Schmidt, Payton Taylor, London Warmuth, and advisor McKenzie Gettler.
The 40th Annual Iowa FFA Legislative Symposium and FFA Day at the Capitol was made possible with support from Iowa Farm Bureau Federation through the Iowa FFA Foundation.
