FFA fruit, meat fundraiser has become a tradition in Jackson

Food, relationships and agriculture are the focus of annual fundraisers by National FFA Organization groups nationwide.

Every year, FFA members sell fruit and meat to their friends, family and acquaintances to raise money for their local chapter. The Jackson FFA group has around 200 members.

The fundraiser has become a tradition for the members of Jackson High School's FFA, said Dan Burkemper, the group's adviser. He said that the group has been doing the fundraiser for 40 or 50 years and that the community has come to expect it every year.

"People call in about it if they haven't been in touch with a kid in FFA," he said.

Burkemper said the group does the fundraiser because the items are big-time agriculture products and it helps the group attend events such as the state convention.

"When we get to go, it's such an accomplishment and experience -- you get to meet a lot of people that love agriculture just as much as you do and meet some awesome people," said Micayla Gray, a senior and Jackson's FFA president.

Students also get to participate in community service projects throughout the school year.

According to Gray, another benefit of the fundraiser is the relationships students build with people that they don't get to talk to often. The students tell them about FFA and establish personal relationships, she said.

"I took to the club because it had to do with things that affected me and things that I like, and it's a good leadership opportunity," Gray said. She has been in FFA all four years of high school and said she has grown up around agriculture. That is what drew her to the club, she said.

To keep the members motivated to continue to sell as many products as they can throughout the fundraiser, Burkemper said there are incentive programs for each milestone reached.

"If we meet certain things they can get free pizza, or have a money-grab, so if they reach different benchmarks they can earn some of the money back, or whoever sells the most the first week gets $20," he said.

Burkemper said so far the fundraiser is going well, but that it is kind of hard to see what will happen until all the members' forms are returned.

The fundraiser ends Monday.