Hi Pirates! Welcome back to another wonderful school year, full of new opportunities and fun. Every year, our town and school grow and improve. This is why it is important to note all of Poteau’s achievements. Over the past year, our agriculture program has seen tremendous growth, bringing pride and accomplishment to our school.
Last year, the Poteau FFA chapter and its classes excelled in competitions like speech, livestock, meat judging, and ag mechanics. By utilizing the school farm and securing grants, the chapter improved its programs for students and the community. Now, they’re looking forward to another successful year. Recently, the chapter won a health and wellness grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield, designed to help teach students the importance of living healthily. The chapter is invested in the community and strives to show that agriculture isn’t just about stereotypical farmers and cowboys. “Everyone thinks agriculture is only about farmers, that only farmers need to be invested in agriculture, but it is really so much more, and we love to teach the community about the importance of agriculture. We want to influence others into becoming more involved, make them realize all the opportunities that come with ag,” Officers Lily Vaughn and Katlynn Figari commented. That is why the chapter has taken on more community service projects. “We’re looking into adopting a portion of the bypass. We also have a new blessing box on the way. It’s important for us to do these little things to help out.”
In addition to these new projects, the agricultural programs are hard at work preparing for competitions. This semester, teams are getting ready for Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Greenhand Quiz competitions, and more. “We have a lot of stuff to look forward to, and we can get really busy, but it is always fun, and we are ready to rock this school year,” they shared. With a strong commitment to growth and community impact, the ag program is set to make this year its best yet.