Students win essay contest
Published 12:18 pm Tuesday, November 8, 2016
- Prince Edward County High School student Malik Hurtt, second from right, is one of 17 winners of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s agriculture essay contest. Here, he receives his award from Farm Bureau Agent Guy Hargrave as, from left, Agriculture Chairperson Emily Camden and Career and Technical Educations, Adult and Continuing Education Coordinator Dr. Brad Bryant look on.
Malik Hurtt of Prince Edward County High School and Jeffrey Fariss of Fuqua School were two of 17 students chosen as winners of Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s (VFBF) essay contest focusing on the future of agriculture in light of population projections for 2050.
Hurtt and Fariss received cash prizes sponsored by Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. and received an opportunity to attend the Oct. 4 Vice Presidential Debate in Farmville.
The essay contest was the culmination of a Collegiate Farm-to-Table Dinner and Agriculture Education program held Sept. 15 at Longwood University. Following the event, students were asked to submit an essay based on ideas they gleaned from the panel discussion.
Prince Edward County Farm Bureau sponsored the cost of the dinner for students and teachers from their county.
Fuqua School student Jeffrey Fariss, second from left, is one of 17 winners of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s agriculture essay contest. Here, he receives his award certificate from Farm Bureau Agent Karen Newman as, from left, Fuqua Upper School Head Alex Haggard, AIT Instructor Carol Gillepsie and Head of School John Melton look on.
“The event brought students together with a panel of agricultural leaders to discuss the current state of agriculture as it relates to the future forecast,” VFBF Member Development Specialist Dee Cook said. “Since the world population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, farmland is lost every day and the average American farmer is approaching 60, our goal was to inspire students to think about solutions for providing a healthy, abundant food supply for future generations.”
