Jay County FFA a top program in state

PORTLAND, Ind. — The Jay County FFA Program recently received the high honor of being named a top program in the state by the Indiana Association of Agricultural Educators.

The success of the Jay County FFA Chapter and its agriculture program can be attributed to the agricultural teachers that dedicate their time to running the program.

The ag program is led by Melissa Wolters, Brittany Kloer, Cody Linville and Seth Swallow.

“Jay County was nominated for their efforts in inspiring future agriculture teachers to teach,” Kloer said, adding that the program currently has four Jay County High School graduates who are enrolled in the agriculture education program at Purdue University.

Kloer said that two former students of the Jay County FFA chapter, Colton Prescott and Shelbi Louck, continue to serve the state as agricultural educators.

“I’m extremely proud of what these two have accomplished for our community. I can’t wait to see what our next five will do for ag education and our state,” Kloer said.

Kloer noted that Dillon Muhlenkamp, who is currently serving as the 2019-2020 Indiana FFA state president, was a former student and member of the Jay County FFA.

“He has decided to attend Purdue University to major in agriculture education,” Kloer said.

Kloer said that a big part of the Jay County agriculture program is community service, which includes a community greenhouse, a children’s coat drive, a children’s book drive and several advocating for agriculture projects.

“The success of our program can be credited to the consecutive years of our partnership and friendship. We have shown our students what it is to take great pride in our community and in the process they have become stronger leaders. It is an honor to serve as a role model for my students and inspiring students to continue on to serve as an agriculture teacher,” Kloer said.