FFA Inside the Emblem: Prairie du Chien

170 members
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Crawford County

Tell us about your chapter. Our chapter is gaining momentum and popularity within our school and community, which isn’t the case throughout FFA. From where our chapter was a few years ago to now, it is amazing to see the growth we have had. Our chapter is not full of farmers or even students whose relatives come from a farm background. We have a lot of students who grew up right here in Prairie du Chien and have never worked or lived on a farm. This is what makes us stand out in our area. We use different aspects of agriculture to help our students understand agriculture in their lives and the benefits that FFA can have for them, even if they don’t think agriculture is a part of their lives.

How does your chapter volunteer in the community throughout the year? We try to be very active within our community each year. We are always looking for community service projects to do. Last year, we were able to help with the Alice in Dairyland program, which was so much fun. We have helped out at the Crawford County dairy breakfast for the last few years as well.

What fundraisers does your chapter do throughout the year? Which is the most successful? Our chapter participates in two major fundraisers each year; the first is our FFA fruit sale through Alsum Farms and Produce. This is run annually during the fall and is usually our most successful fundraiser. Our other major fundraiser is the greenhouse plant sale we host in our greenhouse at the school every year. Students learn how to take plants from seeds and plugs and grow them into a product the community wants.

What are the biggest events of the year? Two of our biggest events we host every year are safety day and ag day. Safety day is for students at B.A. Kennedy Elementary School. These students learn about agricultural safety and do hands-on activities with members. Ag day is for students at Bluff View Intermediate School. These students travel to the high school for a day, learning about different agricultural topics taught by our members.

What is unique about your chapter? This year, we have a state officer from our school. This is the first time this has happened, and we could not be more excited. We have also gotten the opportunity to host different events and go to different conferences. We have had a busy year and are looking forward to what is still to come.

When was your chapter founded, and how has it evolved? Our chapter was founded in 1947; we actually have some secretary and treasurer’s books from that time. Since our chapter started, we have gone through some classroom changes, teacher changes and, of course, agricultural changes. Besides the basics, there is not much that has not evolved. In the last three years, we have changed and evolved so much. We have gone from 70 members to around 170 members. We have increased our activities and reach and have boosted our fundraisers. We continue to grow and change every year, and it helps when our members are so driven to grow.