FFA Feeds the Farmers Who Feed the World
Farmers have a daunting task of growing and harvesting grain which is used domestically and around the world to feed people of many nationalities. After watching the crops grow and mature in the Spring and Summer, the farmers have been hitting the fields hard in the Fall to get their crops out while the weather is cooperating. So that they don't spend too much time away from the combines and tractors and wagons, many eat while they work away from their homes.
The MVAO Future Farmers of America acknowledge the service of these farmers and have made one of their annual projects into a service to the present farmers of America, or at least the present farmers of this area. In their fourth year, the FFA held their Feeding the Farmers project on October 7th.
"We started a few years ago with our Living to Serve initiative," explained FFA Advisor Jon Wimmer. "We wanted to start some new activities to serve our community better, and Feed the Farmer was one of them."
Wimmer said that the FFA members started packing up the meals consisting of pulled pork sandwiches, macaroni salad, chips, water, and a dessert at 10:30 a.m. The students divvied up the deliveries so that the harvesters may eat in a timely manner. Usually the deliveries are all done by 1:00 p.m.
"All reactions from farmers have been amazing," exclaimed Renee Oberreuter, president of the FFA. "Most are very thankful, some don't know that it's free and think they have to pay, and sometimes they have no idea it's coming because someone else signed the farmers up. That's my favorite because then it's a surprise!"
Oberreuter added that this project which included 173 meals this year is funded by the fundraising which the FFA holds throughout the year. The fundraisers include plant sales, fruit sales which is going on right now, and donations which the FFA receives that can be put into the Feed the Farmer project.
"I like supporting what the FFA does to do service projects," said farmer, former MVAO FFA member, and current FFA supporter Steve Ortner. "It's always a good meal and a change from the cold meat sandwich we eat every day for lunch."
This worthwhile project helps the FFA members, many who themselves spend time in the fields, give to those dedicated to the harvest a little energy to keep on their quest to empty the fields and prepare for the Winter.