COVINGTON – Members of the ECMS and SEMSFFA chapter attended the Georgia FFA Association’s Discovery Conference on Jan. 27-28 at the Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center near Covington.

The Discovery Conference is for middle school students and it allows them to meet other members and get excited about the opportunities the FFA has to offer.

At the conference, FFA members were challenged to expand their comfort zones, set goals, and realize the importance of agriculture in today’s world.

Members engaged in a personality test to determine their strengths and weaknesses, took part in an FFA quiz competition, and met with nearly 250 members from across the state of Georgia.

The Georgia state FFA officer team presented the conference and said they worked to show young agricultural education students the many benefits of being a member of the FFA.

“The Discovery Conference is an amazing opportunity for young FFA members,” State FFA Vice President Sadie Lackey said.

“The conference provides an engaging, interactive experience for students that attend, and we hope to encourage their exploration of the FFA and all it has to offer.”

The FFA members from Effingham County Middle School included: Colby Malphus, Cassie Sheppard, Shayne LaBonte, Deena Diaz, Kaitlyn Hadwin, Gage Jenkins, Sydney Freymuth, Taylor Lucas, Makenzie Cooler, Garrett Johnson, Ashton Smith, Dallas Smith, Ronald Girtman, Marshall Duncan, Shelby Aiken, Shayne Strickland and Matthew Ford.

The FFA members from South Effingham Middle School included: Angel Rhodes-Brown, Anna Dorch, Bri Bouchea, Carolyn Edwards Ethan Christmas, Harley Davis, Jacob Fripp, Kimmy Aguilar, Kyle Suchodolski, Liam Rickman, Macee Smith and Mitchell Strickland.

With more than 42,000 members, the Georgia FFA Association is the third largest state association in the nation. The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, changed its name in 1988 to reflect the growth and diversity of agriculture.

The mission of the FFA organization is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.