On November 18th, the PA Friends of Agriculture Foundation, a charitable organization supported by the PA Farm Bureau (PFB), honored a hardworking and dedicated FFA chapter and teacher with the Partnership in Agricultural Literacy Award. Celebrating the Millville FFA Chapter with agriculture teacher Nicole Hall as the award winner, Foundation Chairman Chris Hoffman presented her with her awards and prizes.
The Partnership in Agricultural Literacy award celebrates the best in agricultural literacy efforts by recognizing individuals, organizations, programs, or events that embody innovation and advancement. It recognizes excellence in agricultural literacy partnerships, innovative solutions to challenges, and outstanding programs and events that increase agricultural literacy in its participants.
“This award winner goes above and beyond in their ag literacy efforts and their dedication to connect people to the story of agriculture,” says Chris Hoffman, the PA Farm Bureau President.
The Millville FFA Chapter began in 2021 as a collaborative effort utilizing the resources and programs of the AITC Program, PA Friends of Agriculture Foundation, and the Columbia County Farm Bureau. The chapter has made it a priority to integrate agricultural literacy for everyone but especially at the elementary level. Not only that, but the chapter also understands that it goes further than one activity, one exercise, or one program. They have continued to seek opportunities to integrate agricultural literacy in every way they can, going above and beyond in the work that they do.
Nicole Hall states, “I think one of the greatest things about our FFA Chapter is that we have 25% of the high school involved.” She says, “I think I have a really unique opportunity to share with these students about agriculture because even going to lunch they don’t think ‘I’m interacting with agriculture’ or when they are at their part time jobs at the ice cream shop, they don’t realize they are interacting with agriculture. I try to find those teach-able moments to highlight that to the students so that they can be more informed consumers.”
Starting with Ag Literacy Week, a program from the Foundation, Millville FFA has a shocking 100% participation rate in kindergarten through 2nd grade classrooms in the Millville Area School District. Members of the FFA Chapter read our chosen book of the year to all classrooms. In addition, the chapter has been able to sponsor three of the Foundations Ag Awareness Crates to the PreK through 6th grade classrooms in the school district to continue to share the importance of agriculture in their curriculum. The Millville FFA has also created a National FFA Week Coloring Contest to include early learners when it comes to helping share awareness of the programs available to them as they get older, like FFA or agriculture classes. Because the chapter plants the seed early in elementary level students, many of them go on to participate in the school’s robust agricultural program which includes courses like food science, horticulture, animal science, agriculture mechanics, or environmental science.
Millville FFA does not stop at those implementations, but they go the extra mile to instill their love for agriculture in young learners. In 2023, they started a Trunk-or-Treat at the Buckhorn Fire Company where FFA members handed out candy, each with a personalized note saying, “Don’t forget to thank your farmers for your pumpkins!”. They have a “Cows to Cones” event in June, dairy month, where they partner with a local dairy to coordinate a petting zoo and event. During the event, the public enjoys ice cream, learns about the milking process, and interacts with displays. Another big event that they participate in is a Junior Fair Board event. During this, they must create a display at the Montour-Delong Fair that coincides with a theme that is representative of the holiday season. The display must show an understanding of agriculture and how it is linked to the festive time of year.
And finally, the Millville FFA puts on an Ag Encounter Day as well as an Ag Awareness Day which invites the community to encounter and learn more about agriculture. It is incredible to see what the Millville FFA has accomplished with the support of their teacher Nicole Hall. It is nothing short of agricultural excellence. The chapter has impacted over 1,000,000 people at the Bloomsburg fair, over 160,000 people at the Colombia County Farm Bureau Piglet display, 500+ consumers at Ag Encounter Day, and the impacts continue on and on. Agriculture awareness and literacy is at the heart of what they do.
Nicole Hall and her FFA chapter received a plaque with a certificate for their efforts in agriculture.
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Contact: Macy Grove, (717) 731-3555, mlgrove@pfb.com
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION: Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation is a charitable organization supported by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. The Foundation has been educating the public and promoting agriculture, the largest of the Commonwealth’s industries since its inception in 1986. To learn more about foundation programs, go to www.pfbfriends.com