Kneeling from left to right are: John Knotts, Jack Hanna, Lindsey Stidom, Faith Galford, Kelsey McCutcheon, Danielle McCoy, Emily Lewis, Garrett Knotts, Trenton Morgan and Sarah Semper. Standing left to right are: Beth Stidom, Jeanie Wyatt, Woody Hanna, Alex Hanna, Joe Harvey, Evan Dodrill, Christine VanBuren, Levi Bush, Tamera Boone, Nathaniel Johnson, Vicki Suttle, Tiffany Loudermilk, Chris Burns, Ethan Brooks, John McCutcheon, Chelsea Ratliff, Stella Mrs. Eleanor Porterfield
and Alvin Porterfield.
WEST VIRGINIA FFA MEMBERS TOUR SUMTER COUNTY FARM
Among the agricultural education highlights in Sumter County this fall was a visit by thirty two FFA members and guests representing the East Greenbrier High School in Lewisburg, West Virginia. The group visited Triple J Farms near Dalzell, SC, according to John W. Parris, state director of public affairs with the SC FFA organization, who coordinated tour plans with East Greenbrier Agricultural Education instructor Woody Hanna. Triple J Farms is owned and operated by Whitt, William and Hastings James.
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Hampton James (left), co-owner of Triple J Farms, welcomes East Greenbriar School District Board member Jeanie Wyatt and East Greenbriar High School Agricultural Educator. |
The tour was planned by John Weathers, agricultural education instructor at the Sumter County Career Center, and led by Hastings James, co-owner of the farms, and Steve Sanderson, associate state director of agricultural education with Clemson University, Dalzell, SC. The students and guests had an opportunity to observe peanuts being harvested, cotton growing in the fields and ginning of cotton.
None of the students on the tour had ever observed this type of agricultural production, harvesting and processing, stated FFA advisor Woody Hanna. They were very impressed with the investment in modern technology required for the successful operation of a family-owned farm, he added.
West Virginia agricultural leaders who accompanied Mr. Hanna and the FFA members included retired agricultural educator Alvin Porterfield and wife, Eleanor; Greenbrier County school board member Jeanie Wyatt and Greenbrier County extension agent John McCutcheon.
“This was the fourth time in fifteen years that East Greenbrier FFA members and guests had visited a Sumter County farm,” Mr. Parris said. “We are honored they chose to study twenty-first century agricultural technology on a South Carolina farm.”
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| East Greenbriar FFA Advisor Woody Hanna (left) with School Board member Jeanie Wyatt, FFA members Emily Lewis, Faith Galford and Evan Dodrill and Greenbriar County Extension Agent John McCutcheon. |