Phil Ward, Oregon FFA CEO.

REDMOND, Ore. — Watching the opening session of the 2022 Oregon FFA State Convention, Hayden Bush could feel tears welling in his eyes.

“I’m an emotional person,” said Bush, an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Tillamook High School. “There is something about being in that session hall and feeling that excitement that you can’t get virtually.” 

More than 2,500 Oregon FFA members and guests gathered starting March 17 for the first in-person convention since the start of the pandemic, bringing a rush of energy and unbridled enthusiasm to the Deschutes Fair & Expo Center in Redmond. The convention culminates Sunday in the election of state officers.

For Codie-Lee Haner, a freshman at Sherman County High School in Moro, it was her first live convention experience. She likened it to a rock concert, particularly in the main session hall where members crowded around the stage to dance with their friends. 

“So far, I’ve made a lot of friends along the way,” Haner said. “I’m not good at making friends, but I’ve opened up to a lot of people here.” 

It is precisely that element of togetherness that FFA members and advisors say can’t be duplicated online.

Two years ago, Oregon FFA members were  preparing for the annual state convention when the first COVID-19 restrictions were announced. All public gatherings were banned to prevent the spread of the virus, forcing the cancellation of the convention a week before it was scheduled to begin. 

Oregon FFA leaders moved quickly to pivot to a virtual convention in 2020, then again in 2021. While not ideal, the format still allowed members to compete in events, attend workshops and elect new officers.

Kendall Castrow, a senior at Redmond High School, said she is excited to be coming out of the pandemic and reuniting with her fellow FFA members from across the state.

“I feel like there’s been a lot of built-up energy,” Castrow said. “Everybody gets to kind of release that energy and just be themselves.” 

Bush, the Tillamook FFA advisor, said this year was his 15th state convention as both a teacher and student. It was at here, Bush said, that he met his best friend and the future best man at his wedding. It was also here that he decided he wanted to become an agriculture teacher in his hometown.

“The kids learn stuff here they can take home,” Bush said. “Perhaps most importantly, they learn who they are.” 

Gary Walls, a senior from Ione, met Saturday morning with Corrina Smith and Dakota Anderson, both sophomores from Elgin. Walls, who joined FFA in seventh grade, had just earned his State Degree, the highest award a state FFA association can bestow on its members.

The friends said they remember feeling disappointed when the state convention was canceled in 2020. Now it was time to celebrate.

“You can feel all the positivity and great emotions in-person,” Walls said. 

“I’m really a people person,” Anderson added. “I like to meet new people.” 

Phil Ward, Oregon FFA CEO, said this year they eclipsed 14,000 total members statewide — the most in the state organization’s history.

For the majority of these students, Ward said this was their first in-person state convention. “They’re seeing it for the first time with fresh eyes,” he said. “It’s been fun to watch.” 

Though Ward said he is proud of Oregon FFA for how it has responded to the pandemic, there is simply no substitute for being together in person.

“It just reminds me of what FFA is all about,” he said. “This is an organization that builds potential in young people.”