| FFA Nation

Meet Tiffany Rogers, National FFA Eastern Region Vice President

05/02/2011 |

Growing up on a small farm in Niles, Mich., Tiffany Rogers developed quite an interest in livestock. She has raised sheep, swine, poultry and beef cattle each year for the fair, and, along with her parents and sister, raise Percheron draft horses. When Tiffany joined the Cassopolis FFA chapter in the seventh grade, her horse project quickly became
her supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program.

Why do you think horse production is such a good SAE for FFA members?

For me, horse production was different from any other potential SAE because it really let me get in touch with my family’s agricultural roots. My great grandfather owned draft horses and used them to plow the fields. It was so cool for me
to know that every time I worked with my horses, I was living out a tradition. I think the neatest part of this SAE is that it allows members to really appreciate one of the foundations of early American agriculture – a time when farm work was done from horseback or behind a horse-drawn plow.

You’ve been really involved in promoting agricultural awareness in elementary schools. What types of information did you include in your presentations?

The program I developed for this was called Agriculture M.A.T.T.E.R.S. (Agriculture Materials Attributed To Teaching Elementary students Rural Significance). It focused on teaching students the importance of agriculture and the role it plays in their everyday lives.

What suggestions do you have for FFA chapters interested in starting an ag awareness campaign with elementary school children?

Keep it active and fun! I found that elementary school students learn best when they are fully engaged, whether it’s with pictures, dancing, performing skits or doing crafts. Activities like these keep them interested and also make it more fun for you.

This issue focuses on sustainability. What are some ways you see FFA members incorporating this important topic into their FFA activities?

Members are learning what it means to be sustainable – being able to provide for the needs of the present without compromising that ability in the future. Students are really embracing this concept through their SAEs as they look into new paths of technologies, conservation practices, diversity of resources and how this will all come into play with
our world’s growing population.