MIDDLETOWN, Ohio – The 1,500-student Madison Local School district in Butler County is among the most rural in Ohio. So why, then, was there no FFA program all these years? For many years, students at Madison High have been asking this question. Students wanted to explore careers in agriculture and saw FFA as a perfect fit for their school’s rural roots.

In November, Madison High School’s chapter (officially named the Madison/Butler Tech FFA) became the state’s 342nd FFA chapter.

“I know the students always wanted an FFA program long before I arrived,” said Annell Prochnow, Madison High’s new agriculture instructor. “At first, I personally didn’t know how to get it all started, but thanks to Jason Jackson becoming principal at the high school, the ball started rolling. He played a big part as he was the push that this school needed. He brought FFA to life here.”

Just days after Prochnow agreed to take the adult advisory role (and following a few after-school announcements) 20 students signed up, four of those at the junior high level. Officials at Butler Tech are just as excited, stating that “the rural school district is well-suited for a farm career program.”

“This initial group of 20 has been very enthusiastic,” Prochnow said. “When I told them we could do the bare minimum several of them said ‘we want to go big or go home.’”

Madison students and now officers Lyla Comer (president), Alivia Comer (vice president), Lanie Rawlins (historian) and Hope Ritter (secretary) were among the first to raise their hands when the opportunity of a school FFA chapter arose.

“We’ve always heard about FFA at other schools,” Lyla Comer said. “When we found out agriculture was coming to Madison, we hoped we’d finally get the same opportunity.”

The new FFA students often walk the halls at the high school wearing their blue FFA jackets. An advertising tactic, if you will, as the students can entice other students to join.

“It’s been a bit of a rocky start getting the SAEs (supervised agriculture experience) started, trying to find each student’s interest and finding a project that’s a fit for them,” Prochnow said. “But most have found something and are off and running, whether it’s showing chickens at the fair, working with horses or working in their gardens. Their immediate dedications and hard work tell me I can see banners on the walls and plaques in their hands soon.”

While their early dedication is strong, so are their dreams. Plans are on the drawing board for an agricultural building, one with perhaps a greenhouse or mechanical workshop.

“Taking these kids outside of the classroom and into a laboratory space is what these kids really need,” Prochnow said.

Prochnow said the chapter is already seeing strong support from families and community leaders. An advisory board is forming to connect parents, local businesses and alumni who want to help the chapter grow.

“We need chaperones, mentors and supporters to help us get off the ground,” she said.

Prochnow said her after-school gatherings and classes will focus on local agricultural industries like farming, raising livestock and researching careers in farming-related industries. The new group plans to attend leadership events, meeting members from other local school chapters and host fundraisers and competitions. And of course, the annual FFA State Convention.

For Prochnow, the excitement isn’t just about agriculture – it’s also about students learning so-called “soft skills” to assist their maturation in the adult work world.

“FFA builds leadership, communication and responsibility,” she said. “Those are skills that serve students for life, whether they go into agriculture or any other career. This is a student-led organization and I want them to take it as far as they want to go.”

For Comer, the new chapter is a dream come true.

“It’s bittersweet,” she said. “I was afraid I wasn’t going to get the agricultural experience until this year, but it’s a dream come true. I’m going to absorb everything I can in my last year in school. More importantly, it’s an exciting feeling knowing that students coming down the road can get involved with this new FFA program.”

Prochnow (students call her Miss Jo) attended Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Ind., before her family moved to Wilmington, Ohio, during her sophomore year. There, Prochnow joined the Wilmington FFA Chapter, the same chapter her mother was a member of when she was in high school.