“So get excited for the first general session of the 91st Indiana FFA State Convention!”
With those words from Dillon Muhlenkamp, Indiana State FFA President from Jay County, the annual state convention was underway Tuesday. What was missing after those words was the usual applause inside Elliott Hall of Music on the Purdue campus, because this year it’s a virtual convention.
Muhlenkamp went on to introduce his predecessor, 2018-19 State President Sami DeLey. In tumultuous times, she challenged current Indiana FFA students.
“Support a small business, thank a farmer, do something for your community. Don’t just talk about diversity and inclusion but pursue it. Encourage someone who doesn’t look like you or who doesn’t do the same things as you to do FFA, or to do something that you love. That is just what we need in this world right now.”
In the second live streamed session of the day, Governor Eric Holcomb had a message from Indianapolis.
“As members of FFA you are part of a deeply rooted tradition here in the heart of the heartland,” he said. “For generations Indiana has been at the forefront of developing, inventing, innovating, and transforming the ag biosciences into the cutting edge industry it is today. You don’t just know your motto by heart, you’ve taken it to heart. Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live and living to serve. That’s a recipe for success if I’ve ever seen one.”
Wednesday and Thursday live streams will capture the rest of the convention, culminating with a new officer team taking over the gavel. The streaming schedule is here.