FFA Week is Feb. 19-26, 2022! Each year, FFA chapters around the country celebrate National FFA Week. It’s a time to share what FFA is and the impact it has on members every day. We're sharing the stories of two FFA members who worked on projects involving hemp!

Carly Keller and Danielle Clapper, Wyoming

Carly Keller and Danielle Clapper from Yoder, Wyoming, have been working on their air filtration project for four years. This project first started as a science project but soon became an FFA Agriscience project. These two girls have been working to create the best cab air filter for tractors. Two years into this project they began researching hemp and its qualities. This ended up being the perfect product for them to use, with its natural filtration and antimicrobial properties, and they began to create a new air filter with the hemp fibers. After many trails, they were able to conclude that the hemp filter was more efficient than the factory filter. With the support of the Southeast FFA Chapter, their advisor Jay Clapper, and their science teachers, the girls were able to proceed to the national FFA competition and receive second in the environmental and natural resources category.  They are working to continue their research and improve their product.

Amanda-Clearcreek FFA, Ohio

Starting in December of 2019 the Amanda-Clearcreek FFA chapter’s Ag Issues team starting crafting a presentation on industrial hemp production in the United States. We spent the next year and a half giving our presentation to related groups including the Midwest Hemp Council, the chair of the Ohio Senate Agriculture Committee, and the Executive Vice-President of Ohio Farm Bureau. The team spent countless hours studying industrial hemp, how it is grown, and the impacts it has on American agriculture. The team competed in April of 2021 and placed an outstanding second in the state. Although the contest is over, the team still has a deep passion for the hemp industry and is excited for its future!