McKenzie FFA Honored At State Convention

Students Wade Chandler, Dylan Barton and Kellen Finley represented McKenzie High School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter at this year’s state convention. This year’s convention took place over McKenzie’s spring break, March 22-25, at the Gatlinburg Convention Center.

While McKenzie students did not compete in any competitions while at the convention, the chapter took home the State Superior Chapter Award and the Golden Plow Award.

The Superior Chapter Award is a high honor for an FFA chapter to receive. It is awarded to chapters that meet the National Quality Chapter Standards (NQCS) and complete the required activities to demonstrate strong leadership, personal growth and career success in agriculture.

McKenzie FFA also received the Golden Plow Award, which is named for FFA’s Passing Literacy OnWard (PLOW) initiative. The initiative challenges chapter members to do personal reading beyond regular academic requirements. The McKenzie FFA chapter accumulated between 60 and 74 hours of personal reading this year.

Agriculture teacher and McKenzie FFA advisor Lindsey Parham invites the community to stop by the school’s annual FFA Plant Sale, which began Friday, April 3, and ends Friday, April 10, to see FFA students’ work on display. The greenhouse is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the Plant Sale.