California FFA News Winter 2018 | Page 11

The State Officer team has had an action-packed summer; from learning about the agriculture industry to attending many officer leadership conferences, the team has been busy filling every day with unforgettable experiences. The state leaders started their year with the Regional Officer Leadership Conference, held in Tomales Bay, where they helped prepare leaders from across California for their year of service and they were able to try some oysters from the Hog Island Oyster Company while they were at it.  During the summer, they also had the opportunity to visit and learn about different sectors of the agriculture industry. This summer, the State Officers were able to tour The Foster Farms Turkey Operation, as well as a beekeeping facility and many other farms across the state, and even the nation. While they were in Virginia, these six leaders were exposed to how agriculture in that state is remarkably different from Californian agriculture. From cow/calf operations, to poultry production, to beekeeping, this officer team has learned about the diversity of the agriculture industry. But most of the team’s time has been devoted to traveling the state and attending Sectional Officer Leadership Conferences and Chapter Officer Leadership Conferences facilitating workshops about BELIEVING in ourselves, BELIEVING in others, and BELIEVING in agriculture! • Top Row, left to right: Argonaut FFA Chapter welcomed us to their school to help the officers prepare the workshops for the other chapters they will visit within the year; State Officers attended the State Officer Summit, held in Washington, D.C. where they learned how to effectively advocate for issues at the nation’s Capitol; We started the year with the Regional Officer Leadership Conference, where 55 leaders from across all six regions gathered to improve their leadership abilities to serve their members. Center Row, left to right: At the California State Fair, officers watched FFA members from across the state compete with their SAE Projects; After San Joaquin Sectional Officer Leadership Conference officers celebrated the conference over lunch; The Southern Regional Section Officer Leadership Conference dance theme was pajama party. Bottom Row, left to right: State Officers met with the Virginia FFA State Officer Team and have dinner while learning how different Virginian Agriculture is from what we know in California; The State Officers had the opportunity to tour a news broadcast station in Fresno, California, and were able to even have a few minutes of air time on set.; While in Virginia, the State Officer team had the opportunity to stay with the Arbogast family in a traditional farmhouse built in the 1800s. California FFANEWS • PAGE 11 • Winter 2018