The St. Johns FFA chapter has been awarded $4,974 as part of the Grants for Growing program. The nationwide program, sponsored by Tractor Supply Company, provides grant funds to local FFA chapters to support the development or improvement of agricultural education projects that enhance the classroom experiences for students through chapter engagement activities.
St. Johns FFA plans to use these funds to expand the school greenhouse and add benches, hydroponics systems and exhaust fans in an ongoing project to provide hands-on learning for students and their families. The goal is to provide life skills and food to the St. Johns area in a challenging climate that normally makes growing produce a summer-only endeavor. The use of a greenhouse and of hydroponics systems will allow for year-round growing of many foods. Funds from this grant, as well as grants from Salt River Project, Tucson Electric Power, Perkins cinders, the Diamondbacks Foundation, Navopache Electric and many other local and national donors, have already allowed students to learn about raising food, animal husbandry, food preservation, entrepreneurship and agricultural safety and literacy.
The program provided approximately $870,000 to FFA chapters in 42 states. Funding is provided through consumer donations made during checkout at a Tractor Supply Company store by purchasing a $1 FFA paper emblem. The fundraising period aligns with National FFA Week in February.
The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.