Congratulating Students at National FFA Convention

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the students from Pennsylvania participating in this week's National Future Farmers of America, or FFA, convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

``I believe in the future of agriculture.'' Those are the first words from the FFA creed. The Pennsylvania group is among 60,000 FFA members at this week's convention, participating in a variety of competitions and stressing the importance of agriculture to our Nation.

Among Pennsylvania's State officers attending the convention is Tony Rice. Tony is a student at the Pennsylvania State University's main campus in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District, and Tony is one of 52 national officer candidates traveling to Louisville.

Each year, six student members are selected as national officers of the FFA. These young men and women travel as many as 100,000 miles per year, stressing the importance of agriculture, agriculture education, and the FFA. Candidates are judged upon their ability to be effective communicators and team players.

Over the past years, Tony Rice has met with more than 12,000 high school students to address the important role that agriculture plays in Pennsylvania's economy as Pennsylvania's number one industry.

Now, I not only commend Tony Rice for his dedication to the future of this industry but also his fellow FFA members and the educators who have helped these young people, who will be the agricultural leaders of tomorrow, succeed.

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