Nearly one million dollars in agriculture and youth grants were awarded recently, making Jesse Brant and the Littlestown Area School District very happy. Last fall, he applied for a grant from the PA Department of Agriculture to purchase a new tractor for the Littlestown FFA. The group received a matching grant of $25,000. The other $28,000 was funded through the FFA.
“We use tractors here on school property to plant our sweet corn project and field corn for educational purposes and other fundraisers,” said the Littlestown High School agriculture teacher. The tractor was on display Monday night for viewing between school board meetings. FFA vice president Kaden Eyler was the first to drive the new John Deere 5075E tractor. The LHS junior is also a member of the tractor restoration team.
“No Littlestown tax money was used to make the purchase,” Brant added. The Littlestown FFA funded it by selling crops, a small tractor, and fundraisers. Brant has been the agricultural teacher at the high school for 19 years.
When Brant learned the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture was offering money for projects, he applied since the FFA needed a larger, more modern tractor. “You cannot win a competition you never enter, so that’s why I wrote the grant,” he said.
The LASD FFA members manage 10 acres of school property and a greenhouse for educational purposes, fundraising, and community service. They also restore tractors and enter area and state competitions. This year marked the 25th time the Littlestown FFA won the Adams County Envirothon.
Brant explained that the corn raised at school is used for educational purposes in numerous ways. “I document the growth stages of the crop each year online through the Littlestown FFA Facebook page and teach along the way about what is happening. Last year, I discovered “Tar Spot” (a fungal disease) in our sweet corn field. It was the first time it was seen in Adams County.
The plant Science class learns about disease and nutritional deficiencies, stand count, and corn yield estimation in the fall. “Each of the past three years, our FFA raised and harvested 2,000 dozen cobs of sweet corn to give out to the community. We do this as our Community Service project for the year,” Brant added.
The FFA students also teach elementary students lessons on the life cycle of corn, corn Biology, and corn products during “Sweet Corn Day” at school. The food service department cooks 80 dozen cobs of student-raised sweet corn and serves it to all students and staff for free at lunch.
FFA is an intra-curricular agricultural student leadership organization for ag students. It is a national organization from Hawaii to Maine and Alaska to the Virgin Islands. FFA started in 1928 and was known as the “Future Farmers of America.” Originally it was just for males. In 1969, females were able to join. The FFA changed its name to the “National FFA Organization” in 1988, embracing all agricultural pursuits, not just farming. It is also for students who want to be business managers, mechanics, crop consultants, veterinarians, foresters, food processors, or anyone else who feeds or clothes people across the globe.
Featured image caption: Littlestown High School junior Kaden Eyler smiles before driving away in the new LASD John Deere tractor, purchased with a matching fund grant from the PA Department of Agriculture and money earned through FFA fundraisers.
Judith Cameron Seniura is a freelance reporter. She began her journalism career in the early ‘70s and has written for newspapers, magazines, and other media in Ontario, Canada, Alaska, Michigan, Nebraska, San Antonio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.