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2021 Update: The winning name was "Sentinel Hall"!
Here is your chance to leave a mark on the Oswegatchie Educational Center and the New York FFA. The New York FFA Foundation is looking for your help in finding the right name for this amazing new building! It has been an incredible ride since the original funding of $2,000,000 was granted by New York State to start the project. There was another $1,600,000 of fundraising needed. A tremendous amount of design work was accomplished while working with Purcell Construction and Beardsley Architects. Lastly, a global pandemic shut down summer camp in the same month that we received the keys. Its been an unforgettable couple of years. 
This is your chance to suggest a name that will adorn this building for decades. When you think about the thousands of campers to pass through these doors, that name will be on the mind of everyone.
What makes a good name? Before you submit your selection, brainstorm a dozen names that all sound good, and then pick the 1 or 2 that you like the best. You may want to do a google search to make sure that name is not already in use. For example, "Long Pond Lodge" is actually used 6 other times in the Adirondacks. If the name is too common, it will not be a good fit. Not only should the name pay homage to the "sense of place" , but it needs to be useful for online searches. To submit your suggestion, please complete the form below. Please read the form thoroughly before submitting. Contest ends March 31st. If you are the winner, you will receive a two night stay for in the "Victoria L. Pinney Gregory Suite" aka the Long Pond Getaway. (lodging only, no meals; donated by Vicky Gregory) Excelsior, The New York FFA Foundation Board of Directors
One of my favorite New York FFA projects has been the making of these 2 videos. It was an honor to travel the state and see inside different classrooms, shops, greenhouses, and barns. You would be impressed by the diversity and skill being put to work at the local FFA chapter level. I am always impressed by the knowledge base FFA advisers and agricultural educators bring into the classroom.
These videos are some of the best FFA videos. Yes, I am biased since New York is the FFA I call home, but the people in this video are making a difference in the world everyday. The first video is an overview of agricultural education in New York State.
The second video is a snapshot of the New York FFA Association and the grassroots efforts happening statewide.
The New York FFA along with Cornell University worked with Cameron Gallagher of Black Mountain Visuals to make this project happen. Cameron is an accomplished videographer and a talent to watch. His creative process and editing skills make it all look good.
People who should be recognized in making this happen include Derek Hill, Shari Lighthall, Catie Rowe, and everyone else in the New York FFA's Team Ag Ed. Other important people to recognize are Dr. Steve A. Brown, National FFA Advisor and Commissioner Richard Ball from NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, who took time out of their busy schedules to help. Additionally, all the FFA advisors and members who put on a great presentations for recording. For more FFA videos, check out the National FFA's Video Center. Some of the other best FFA videos can be found at their online directory at www.ffa.org/ffa-video-center/ . Keep Growing, Seth Browe Granville FFA Alumni 2017 -2018 NYS FFA State Vice President 2018 - 2019 NationalPAS Vice President New York FFA Foundation Program Development Specialist  Byron-Bergen students celebrate agricultural traditions. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University’s Agriculture Education and Outreach program is excited to announce the 2017 “Agriculture Education Incentive Grant for New and Growing Programs.” This program will provide local school-based agricultural education programs with grant awards to secure necessary resources for a high-quality agricultural education program. These resources may include, but are not limited to: curriculum development, professional development, program development, resource acquisitions, and program coordination. Shari Lighthall, Director of the Agriculture Education and Outreach program stated, “The procurement of these funds will allow our programs to improve the technology available in their classroom, to purchase equipment that would otherwise be too expensive, and to offer students additional opportunities to experience leadership workshops and conferences across the state.” The application for the Agriculture Education Incentive Grant for New and Growing Programs is available under the “Teacher” section of the New York FFA Association website. Applications will be accepted throughout the fall of 2017 and awards will be announced in January 2018. For inquires and questions, interested schools should contact Kaylie Siddall, grant program manager, at [email protected] . The Agriculture Education Incentive Grant would not be possible without program supporters such as Cornell University, New York State Farm Bureau, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, and New York State Education Department. Agriculture education is a unique part of career and technical education that strives to enhance student education through the three-circle model of agricultural education. The three-circle model includes: Classroom Instruction, FFA, and Supervised Agricultural Experiences (work-based learning). Currently, there are 176 schools offering agricultural education programs to over 10,000 students across New York State. In addition to schools that are already offering agriculture education programs, there are over sixty additional school districts hoping to start an agricultural education program. For more information regarding New York Agriculture Education, please visit our website at www.nysffa.org . To apply as a New Program, click New Program application To apply as a Growing Program, click Growing Program application Sincerely, Kaylie Siddall Agricultural Education Specialist New York Agriculture Outreach and Education (AOE) 300 Kennedy Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 607.793.8123
NEW YORK ASSOCIATION OF FFA 300 KENNEDY HALL, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, NY 14853 Derek Hill, NY FFA Director [email protected] | www.nysffa.org (607) 254-2880 PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release For more information contact: New York FFA Phone: 607-254-2880 Email: [email protected] New York FFA State Convention Morrisville, NY | May 11-13, 2017 New York FFA announces our 92nd State Convention on the Morrisville State College campus. State Officer Taylor McNamara “can't wait to come together again in May as one big FFA family to recognize members for all their hard work throughout the year and celebrate New York FFA!” This “one big FFA family” will consist of nearly 1200 students and over 300 advisors and guests. Set in the heart of upstate New York, we are excited to return to Morrisville with new opportunities. FFA members will be participating in local community service-learning projects including a playground build. State Officer Katie Killenbeck shares “I'm most excited about our service project! It is for a great cause, our No Member Fights Alone campaign. Members will be able to join us in a nighttime glow run/ walk to show their support and raise awareness for the fight against childhood cancer! It's going to be Legendary!” Service projects will support cancer research for all of our citizens. Students and adults from across the state will participate in career and leadership development contests and engage with agricultural colleges, business and industry representatives. Seth Browe, State Officer notes, “I recommend that every FFA member goes to State Convention, not only will it be Legendary, there is something for everyone. From workshops, CDE's, talent and so much more.” Speakers include Ashley Willits, currently serving as a National FFA Officer and the Keynote Speakers will be the Peterson Brothers. For entertainment, we have an evening concert with country musician Jerrod Niemann, and an evening Fun Run followed by fireworks! With over 4300 members, New York FFA’s annual convention recognizes all of our members amazing accomplishments for the 2016-17 school year. Our programs support agricultural education in New York by incorporating leadership conferences, scholarship programs, career development and investment of time in our young leaders, which helps to develop confidence, skills and passion as our students move on to college and careers in agriculture. As noted by State President Camille Ledoux “Convention is a special time of year for FFA members to come together and celebrate all the work we have put in throughout the year. It is a gathering of great people, great minds and the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication.” The New York State FFA Association is a youth organization that provides premiere leadership, personal growth and career success opportunities to students enrolled in agricultural education. It is a part of the National FFA Organization, which boasts over a half of a million members nationally. New York agricultural education is found in public, private and BOCES schools throughout the state, offers instruction in courses ranging from small animal care to farm business management and from pre-veterinary science to natural resources management. For more information regarding New York FFA and this year’s convention, please visit our website: www.nysffa.org.  AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER COMMEMORATES 100 YEARS OF FORMAL AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN NEW YORK STATE2/14/2017
February Marks 100th Anniversary of National Agricultural Education System State Agriculture Commissioner Participates in Anniversary Celebration with New York Future Farmers of America
Governor Cuomo Proposes Record Funding for Agriculture Education in 2017-18 Executive Budget State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball commemorates 100 years of formal agricultural education in New York State in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act of 1917. As a result of this landmark federal legislation, a cohesive national system of career and technical education was developed and continues today. Commissioner Ball will join the New York Future Farmers of America (NY FFA) for an anniversary celebration tonight in Albany that will promote the value of agricultural education programs to both students and the industry and spotlight New York’s leadership in agricultural education. On behalf of Governor Cuomo, Commissioner Ball will present a citation during the celebration to commemorate the anniversary. “For years, agricultural education programs have encouraged millions of young people to pursue higher education and become strong leaders in their chosen fields. The Smith-Hughes Act was a major part of strengthening that effort across the country and I am thrilled to be part of the celebration of this historic milestone,” Commissioner Ball said. “Here in New York, we are proud be a national leader when it comes to agriculture education and I am grateful to be part of an administration that recognizes the importance of carrying that legacy forward.” The Smith-Hughes Act was named for Senator Hoke Smith and Representative Dudley Hughes, both of Georgia, who introduced the legislation in Congress. It was passed on February 17, 1917 and signed by President Woodrow Wilson on February 23. In celebration of this historic anniversary, the NY FFA is holding career development workshops this month to help more than 100 students better understand public policy and State government. The Smith-Hughes Act paved the way for youth leadership development organizations, such as FFA, whose members gain valuable workforce training and professional management skills that often lead to meaningful careers in agriculture and related fields. New York State has a rich history with the National FFA Organization being one of the oldest chapters in the country. Currently, Ashley Willits from Copenhagen, NY, is serving as the Eastern Region Vice President for the National FFA. She is the first female national officer from New York. Terry Hughes, Career Development Event Coordinator for NY FFA said, “As a product of Agricultural education myself, it is exciting to see that even after 100 years this dynamic school based program continues to prepare young people to fill the growing demand in the ever changing Agriculture, Food, Fiber, and Natural Resources Industry. Agricultural education is positioned well to continue to make a positive difference in the lives of students by recognizing the critical importance of developing premier leadership through the FFA as an integral part of career success and civic engagement.” Ashley Willits, National FFA Eastern Region Vice President, said, “New York FFA Association, along with FFA associations across the country and in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, give students opportunities to apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to relevant, real world experiences. With more than 235 careers in agriculture, FFA and agricultural education play an integral part in preparing students to be competitive in a global workforce.” Record Funding For New York Agricultural Education Agricultural education has long been a priority in New York with programs that pre-date the Smith-Hughes Act and the oldest urban agriculture program in the U.S. The State was also one of the first in the country to allow girls to pursue these curriculums and continues to set an example for the rest of the nation with cutting-edge programs that influence more than 10,000 students annually. To continue New York’s progressive leadership in this area, Governor Cuomo has proposed a record $1.3 million in his 2017-18 Executive Budget to support 100 new FFA chapters through start-up grants, expand the New York Agriculture in the Classroom program, which is administered by Cornell University, and to double the number of certified agricultural educators from 240 to 480. The Governor’s plan will enhance opportunities for students and educators and help meet the growing demand for agricultural programs across the State. The Governor has also proposed a state-of-the-art test kitchen and food science lab at the New York FFA Oswegatchie Educational Center in the North Country. This test kitchen will offer instruction in food safety, basic food preparation, and food processing to more than 6,000 annual visitors, including both students and veterans from nearby Fort Drum. Kathryn J. Boor, Dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences said, “I appreciate this important partnership commemoration as it recognizes the full spectrum of Cornell’s agricultural education, which begins in the primary schools with the New York Agriculture in the Classroom program, to the Cornell FFA program’s emphasis on developing high school students, and ends with our excellent undergraduate and graduate programs in agricultural and life sciences. The importance of agricultural education in today’s economy has never been greater, as we see ongoing needs to cultivate the next generation of New York’s farm families, food and business entrepreneurs, and plant and animal scientists to keep feeding a globally increasing population efficiently and sustainably in a changing climate. I am thrilled that the Governor recognizes the importance of building a reliable pipeline to Taste NY and New York Grown and Certified programs through supporting the future farm and food entrepreneurs in New York State.” Tina Miner, President of NY Association of Agricultural Educators, said “This is an exciting time for agricultural education in New York State. So many school districts are seeking to start agricultural education programs and our State leaders have demonstrated that they recognize the power of these programs to develop a strong workforce. We are thrilled to have this level of support and we look forward to our role in supporting one of New York’s most important industries.” ###  ITHACA, NY-Ashley Willits, a past New York State FFA President has been elected by the delegates at the 89th National FFA Convention to serve as the Eastern Region Vice President as a member of the 2016-17 National Officer team. Ashley is the first female member from New York to be elected as a National Officer and only the 13th member from New York to hold a national office.
Ashley Willits grew up in northern New York and is graduate of Lowville Academy Central School. Ashely attended Morrisville State College where she earned a degree in agricultural business and now attends Tarleton State University as an agricultural education major. She served as state FFA president during her senior year at Lowville in 2013-14, then that fall was one of 75 people nationwide selected to participate in a trip to South Africa organized through the organization’s International Leadership Seminar for State Officers. The process to be elected as a National Officer is extremely rigorous. Ashley has been preparing for this moment since she zipped up her first corduroy jacket. Her parents, Jennifer and Melvin Phelps, both agricultural educators have raised an astounding young lady that is such an inspiration for so many of our members. This quote from Seth Browe, 16-17 NYS FFA Vice President, is the perfect example of this, “Ashley said this to me in Getman Lodge on Wednesday of week 3 at camp, ‘whatever happens I'll be happy, but if I don't get elected I don't want people to say sorry, because I'll know that I did the best job I could do.’ It was at this moment I knew that New York would have a National Officer. Congratulations Ashley, you earned it!” There are multiple rounds to the selection process, from the application to delivering a speech, to facilitating a workshop with high school students. The nominating committee is made up of student members from around the country. The New York FFA State Executive Secretary, Derek Hill, had this to say, “This is the most extensive interview process that I have ever seen and will prepare these students not only for the year ahead but for their future careers”. National Officers are required to take a year off from College to serve the nearly 650,000 FFA members across the United States. Ashley will spend the next year traveling over 300 days and over 100,000 miles spreading the positive influence that FFA has on its members. The six officers will speak with “business and industry leaders, thousands of FFA members and teachers, corporate sponsors, government and education officials, state FFA leaders, the general public and more,” states a release from the organization. “The team will lead personal growth and leadership training conferences for FFA members throughout the country and help set policies that will guide the future of FFA and promote agricultural literacy.” Joining Willits on the 2016-17 National FFA Officer team are: President - David Townsend, University of Delaware; Secretary – Victoria Harris, University of Florida; Southern Region Vice President – DeShawn Blanding, North Carolina A&T State University; Western Region Vice President – Trey Elizondo, Texas A&M University; Central Region Vice President – Valerie Earley, University of Minnesota. The New York FFA Association and all of its members, educators, staff, friends and supporters are proud and excited that one of our members has reached such a monumental achievement. We wish her all the best as she focuses on the extraordinary journey ahead and we can’t wait to see the incredible impact that she will have on FFA members, agricultural education and the agricultural industry. For more information about this year’s National Officer Team, FFA or agricultural education please visit the following websites: www.ffa.org or www.nysffa.org Media Contacts: Taylor McNamara, 16-17 NYS FFA Reporter or Derek Hill, NYS FFA Executive Secretary, 607-254-2880 or [email protected] Full Disclosure: This app was fully developed by the NYS Agricultural Education and Outreach Program. Below please find URL links to a new New York FFA Convention App being tested at this week's event. Please be thorough in reading the instructions below. Additional links are available to help you overcome any trouble with apple devices. Please click the appropriate URL for your mobile device: Android Device: http://snappy.appypie.com/media/appfile/1c2a682f24cf.apk Iphone or Ipad: http://snappy.appypie.com/user/download-plist/appId/1c2a682f24cf If you are getting “Untrusted App Developer” message when trying to run Appy Pie’s test App on iPhone then follow instructions on this link.  WindowsMobile Device: http://snappy.appypie.com/media/appfile/1c2a682f24cf.xap Blackberry: http://snappy.appypie.com/media/appfile/1c2a682f24cf.bar Kindle: http://snappy.appypie.com/media/appfile/kindle_1c2a682f24cf.apk Sincerely, Shari Lighthall NYS Agricultural Education and Outreach Cornell University Phone: 315-346-1222 [email protected]  |
The New York FFA Foundation The NYSFFALTF, Inc., chartered in 1946 by the New York State Board of Regents, is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) charitable organization that provides businesses, associations, other foundations, and individuals the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of our New York youth. Our mission is to build and maintain a financial base that will allow the New York FFA to generate well-educated and career focused productive citizens. Email our Director at [email protected] . Archives
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The NYSFFALTF, Inc., chartered in 1946 by the New York State Board of Regents, is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) charitable organization that provides businesses, associations, other foundations, and individuals the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of our New York youth. Our mission is to build and maintain a financial base that will allow the New York FFA to generate well-educated and career focused productive citizens.
New York FFA Foundation 9340 Long Pond Road Croghan, NY 13327 |