“Living to Serve”: Oak Hill Middle Students Put the FFA Creed into Action During National FFA Week

Special Blog Post by Oak Hill Biotech Teacher and FFA Advisor Sharon Reeves

The FFA Creed begins with a simple but powerful belief: “I believe in the future of agriculture.”

At Oak Hill Middle School, that belief guided every moment of National FFA Week as students turned the words of the creed into real action through service, leadership, and hands-on learning.

Under the leadership of advisor Sharon Reeves and the school’s FFA officer team, Oak Hill’s 199-member chapter spent the week demonstrating how agricultural education prepares students not just to learn about the world around them, but to care for it and serve their community.

That spirit of service was clear in the chapter’s community food drive. After learning that many local families face limited access to nutritious food and that some neighborhoods in the area are considered food deserts, Oak Hill students stepped up to help. The chapter set a goal of collecting 500 canned and non-perishable items for local food banks. By the end of the week, students had gathered 649 donations, surpassing their goal and showing what can happen when young people rally around a cause that matters.

The creed also speaks to leadership and the responsibility of sharing knowledge with others. During Teach Ag Day, Oak Hill’s FFA officers led younger students through three hands-on learning stations designed to introduce key areas of agricultural education. Students created floral centerpieces, built mini greenhouses to start seeds indoors, and learned the basics of caring for animals such as chickens, quail, and rabbits. By the end of the day, 153 students had completed all three stations. Well beyond the chapter’s original goal.

The connection between agriculture and everyday life was on full display during Farm to Table Day. Students who had helped care for the school garden and chicken coop saw their work come full circle as they prepared and enjoyed scrambled eggs and toast using ingredients they had helped produce themselves. The experience reinforced lessons about responsibility, sustainability, and where our food truly comes from.

The week also offered a chance to recognize the people who make programs like Oak Hill Middle’s possible. During Stakeholder Appreciation Day, FFA officers welcomed teachers, staff, administrators, and community partners with garden-grown items and small gifts as a way of saying thank you for supporting agricultural education. The event reflected another value found throughout the creed: gratitude for the opportunities and people who help students grow.

Students closed out the celebration with FFA Blue Day, proudly wearing blue in honor of the iconic FFA jacket and everything it represents: unity, leadership, and pride in agriculture. Through friendly competitions and entrepreneurship activities, students were reminded that agriculture is not only about growing food, but also about innovation, responsibility, and preparing for the future.

Throughout the week, Oak Hill Middle School’s FFA members showed that the FFA Creed is more than a set of words. It is a promise to lead, to serve, and to believe in the future of agriculture and the role young people can play in shaping it.