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Nebraska Governor Ricketts recognizes FFA Week

In a ceremony at the State Capitol Wednesday, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation declaring this FFA Week in Nebraska.

Ricketts said FFA is developing “the leaders of tomorrow”.

“And we’re not talking about just in agriculture,” Ricketts said. “The young people that go through FFA will go on to be the leaders on our school boards, part of our co-ops—and getting involved in our communities and country boards, and working in their churches and with their schools.”

State FFA president Jake Judge of Atkinson said Nebraska FFA membership continues to grow with new chapters being added around the state.

“You have a lot of rural programs that have chapters and we’re really diving into getting more chapters in the urban areas,” Judge said. “We have chapters popping up in North Platte next year, giving students in more of an urban area the opportunity to be passionate about agriculture.”

Judge says there are 8,500 FFA members in Nebraska, an increase of more than 500 in just the past year.

The following is an audio excerpt from the Governor’s news conference with comments from Governor Ricketts, ag director Steve Wellman, FFA president Jake Judge and Sarah Mullen of the Nebraska FFA Foundation.

AUDIO: Governor Ricketts FFFA Week news conference