LEXINGTON, Ky. – There are more than 14,500 Kentucky FFA members in 164 chapters across the Bluegrass State and there’s no signs of slowing down. In just the past two years, six new FFA chapters emerged in Kentucky.

Helping to jumpstart these programs is the $5,000 Rising Sun Initiative, a grant awarded to new chapters from the Kentucky FFA Foundation. 

Last fall, Williamsburg High School in Williamsburg received the Rising Sun Initiative grant to get that school’s FFA program off and running.

“This grant will go toward establishing a strong foundation for the students of Williamsburg,” said Toraleah Shelley, the school’s first agriculture teacher. “It will allow our chapter to attend the Kentucky FFA Convention and FFA Camp this summer. We are so grateful for the investment that the Kentucky FFA Foundation has taken in our small school that is doing big things.”

During the 2021-2022 school year, other agriculture programs and FFA chapters were started in Kentucky schools after receiving a Rising Sun Grant. Those startup programs were located at Ashland Independent High School in Ashland, Rockcastle County Middle School in Mt. Vernon, Floyd County School of Innovation in Martin, and Carter G. Woodson Academy in Lexington.

These newly chartered programs will use the grants to help with start-up expenses like FFA jackets for their members, meeting paraphernalia, camps, classroom materials and laboratory supplies.

“Our main goal at the Kentucky FFA Foundation is to remove barriers for students and improve their access to agriculture classes and FFA,” said Sheldon McKinney, executive director of the Kentucky FFA Foundation. “Helping offset some of the start-up costs for new chapters does that. Our supporters believe agricultural education has the power to positively influence the lives of students, and these new programs are helping us make that happen.”

The Carter G. Woodson Academy, in the heart of Lexington, is for young men in grades 6-12.

“The funds from the Rising Sun Initiative were instrumental to launch our new FFA program,” said Jacob Ball, agriculture instructor and FFA adviser at the school. “As a teacher starting a program from scratch, having start-up funds were critical to our program’s growth. I underestimated all the costs of getting a program and chapter up and running. My scholars and I were grateful for this generous gift.”

Ball used the Rising Sun Initiative grant to help pay FFA affiliate dues, purchase FFA official dress, as well as classroom and meeting supplies. In addition, grant funds were used to help with the school’s awards banquet and for FFA camp registration.

“Yes, Woodson Academy in Lexington,” McKinney said. “But FFA is not just for students who reside in a rural setting. Our fastest growing programs in Kentucky are located in Fayette County and Jefferson County, and those encompass Lexington and Louisville respectively. Not exactly rural areas.”

Also in 2021, Murray High School FFA in Murray got its start thanks to the Rising Sun Initiative. The school’s first-ever FFA adviser, Clayton Morris, is very appreciative of the funding.

“The gift will assist us purchase curriculum, models, hands-on materials for the horticulture pathway, plus meeting room material, and FFA jackets for our new chapter,” Morris said.

Seth Carter, a Murray High alumnus who serves on the Murray FFA Advisory Board, appreciates the leg up on getting started.

“Starting anything is not easy,” Carter said, “and can be very expensive without any financial help. These funds will help kick-start a program that has been in need for a long time.”

All this brings a smile to the face of McKinney.

“School districts get to decide what to offer their students, but we would love for every school district in Kentucky to have an FFA program,” McKinney said. “FFA is in nearly all counties in Kentucky except four, and those are deep in the mountains.”