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Local Honored With American FFA Degree

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Tuesday March 4, 2014

By Cookie Steponaitis

While most Americans are aware of the Girl Scout and Boy Scout Gold Award and realize the amount of work, determination and dedication it takes to earn the top honor, few even know of the American Degree of the FFA. Out of the current 503,000 Future Farmer of America members only 3500 receive this honor. Recently, an Addison County resident and FFA member Garth Buck earned this honor.
    To receive the American FFA degree a member must have first been recognized at the local chapter and state level by earning the Greenhand FFA Degree, the Chapter FFA Degree and the State FFA Degree. In addition, the FFA member must have been a part of FFA for a minimum of three years and have completed at least 540 hours of high school agriculture classes or 360 hours of college agriculture classes. While a member of the local chapter the member must have maintained details SAE records, which demonstrate outstanding planning, managerial and financial skills and have earned and productively invested at least $ 7,500 or have earned and invested $ 1,500 and worked 2,250 hours beyond scheduled school hours through their chapters.
    This year’s recipient Garth Buck served as President, Secretary and Sentinel for the Vergennes Union High School FFA. Buck served on numerous committees, went to the national competition for Parliamentary Procedure, and earned a silver medal in Agricultural Business. While at nationals Buck also participated in the National Creed Speaking Contest. Representing both VUHS and MUHS through elected state positions of Treasurer, secretary and his current position as Executive Chair, Buck sees this award as a part of his career plans and is currently at Clarkson University in the Mechanical Engineering program and plays varsity lacrosse.
    Attached not only to the land but to the lessons learned together, VUHS and MUHS FFA alumni have returned back to the area and helped in forming an Alumni Chapter. At present comprised of  Brittny Buck, Alex Korth, Peter McDurfee, Gary Grant, Garth Buck, Ari Smits to name a few. VUHS FFA Bill VandeWeert expressed it best when he concluded, “The American FFA Degree is the highest degree than an FFA member can earn. Less than one percent of FFA members reach this level of achievement. One qualification for earning the American FFA Degree is that recipients must earn at least $7500 or work at least 2250 hours in their Supervised Agricultural Experience. I am incredibly proud of Garth's accomplishment receiving this degree.”

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