The N.C. FFA Association was recently recognized with the Larry Wooten Rural Leadership Award for its longtime commitment to young people. A special recognition was given to Bruce L. Miller for his 30-plus years of service with N.C. FFA as an agriculture teacher with the Rowan County School system, and the Southern Alamance High School FFA was also recognized for its strong and award-winning programs.
- I was honored recently to help present the Larry Wooten Rural Leadership Award to the N.C. FFA Association, including special recognitions for Rowan County School system agriculture teacher Bruce L. Miller and the Southern Alamance High School FFA.
- The event was held at the State Capitol, and I will tell you I am proud anytime we can recognize agriculture and those working in rural parts of our state in our state’s capitol. Agriculture is important to all of us and we need to be sure that message is heard here in Raleigh, too.
- Since 1929, NC FFA has helped guide and develop the next generation of leaders who have gone on to strengthen communities and agriculture in the state.
- That mission and work continues today across 370 North Carolina chapters. There are over 48,000 FFA members in the state and over 83,600 students enrolled in agriculture courses in the state.
- I would say the NC FFA Association is well-deserving of the recognition and I was happy to be part of it along with Governor Roy Cooper and Larry Wooten.
- We also recognized retired Rowan County agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Bruce L. Miller for his incredible legacy of service to the students, school and community for over 30 years.
- He continues to be difference-maker in his community serving on the Rowan County Zoning Board, Rowan County Soil and Water District, Rowan County United Way and the South Rowan YMCA board.
- It’s clear he has led by example.
- We also honored the Southern Alamance FFA Chapter at Southern Alamance High School in Graham.
- This is one of the largest and most active chapters in the state and it has been recognized nationally for many years in both Nursery Landscape and Floriculture.
- In fact, the chapter achieved back-to-back awards in Nursery Landscape in 2023 and 2024. In addition, students took home national awards in 2023 in both Nursery Landscape and Floriculture, marking only the third time a school had achieved this recognition.
- They have a lot to be proud of. And our state has a lot to be proud of with our FFA program.