Matthew Burnette, Staff Writer

Members of the Coffee County chapter of the Future Farmers of America recently participated in the organization’s PLOW initiative.

PLOW, or Passing Literacy OnWard, is a program designed to promote agricultural literacy by encouraging FFA members to read to elementary students and community members, fostering a love for reading while teaching about agriculture.

The local FFA members spent time reading books to students at Hillsboro, East Coffee, College Street and North Coffee elementaries during the month of January.

“We have a bunch of books that we read to the kids and we’re doing projects with them this year,” explained Coffee County FFA Sentinel Caroline Teal. “Most of them promote agriculture but also reading literacy in the same sense. We’ll read to the kids, and all of the books are about agriculture stuff.”

Some of the titles that are read are “Goodnight Farm,” set during a quiet night on a farm as the animals go to sleep, and First Pea to the Table, a book inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s garden-growing competitions at Monticello. Other books are themed around corn, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables.

“I think it’s really fun just to talk to the kids,” said Coffee County FFA President Sarah Cartwright. “Sometimes I’ll ask them questions after I read the books, and their answers are always funny, and it’s really fun to teach them about agriculture because it’s very important for young people.”

“I think it’s great that we’re getting out there, and you see the kids’ reactions to all of the stuff you’re doing,” added Coffee County FFA Reporter Sam Hockett. “They seem to enjoy it a lot.”

In addition to a fun experience for the kids, the initiative also offers exposure to the world of agriculture for some of them which they may not have gotten otherwise.

“I find that first and second graders are real curious about it mostly. It gets them curious which is the best thing,” said Teal.

“It helps introduce them to agriculture because some of them don’t have any background in it and reading them the books, it shows them a picture and teaches them,” added Cartwright.

“I would say it excites them a lot. Not all of them want to pursue it later but it’s just a curiosity to them,” Hockett added further.

In addition to reading to kids, this year the FFA members also visited MacArthur Manor to connect with the residents there and do other activities like playing chess and reading newspapers.

While Teal lives on a dairy and row crop farm that specializes in dairy cattle and growing corn, soybeans and wheat, Hockett and Cartwright came to the FFA in other ways.

Hockett says that he grew up with his grandfather who enjoyed quail hunting with bird dogs which got him interested in agriculture. Cartwright was actually introduced to 4H by Teal and got more involved with it and then transitioned into joining the FFA.

Regardless of how they came to the FFA, all three plan on pursuing agriculture related degrees after they graduate from CCCHS.

Hockett plans on studying Veterinary Science, Cartwright is planning going into Ag Education and Teal is torn between Wildlife Management and Veterinary Science.

The PLOW initiative lasts this year until Feb. 17, though the Coffee County FFA activities concluded on Jan. 27.