The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Local native, Brooklyn Plumb, has been awarded the highest degree achievable in the national Future Farmers of America organization, the American FFA Degree. Less than half of one percent of all FFA members attain it. She was recognized with the degree at the 96th National FFA Convention and Expo, with 70,000 members and guests in attendance, held Nov. 1-4 in Indianapolis, Ind.

"Receiving the degree was a full circle moment because it represents the closing out of my FFA career. It was very impactful," Plumb said. Reflecting further, she added, "Odds are it was the last time I would ever wear my official FFA dress uniform. It's really bittersweet, a definite honor, but also hard to know my time in FFA is ending."

To be eligible for the degree, FFA members must first receive a State FFA Degree and be approved by the member's State association. Other qualifications include holding active chapter membership for the past three years and completing secondary instruction in an agricultural education program. Applicants must have operated an outstanding supervised agricultural experience program through which the FFA member has exhibited comprehensive planning, managerial and financial expertise. The program experience must have records to substantiate earned productivity and investment of funds from the operation. Community service, leadership abilities and outstanding scholastic achievement are also required.

Adding to her long history of 4-H experiences from the age of eight, Plumb joined her Haxtun High School FFA chapter as a freshman. Along the way she held the offices of reporter, secretary and president. Attending State conferences and National conventions helped inspire her to higher leadership positions. She served as the district FFA secretary her junior and senior years.

Plumb was awarded the State FFA Degree in June 2021.

For her supervised agricultural experience, she showed pigs at the Colorado State Fair that were sold at junior livestock sales. She also managed a purebred Angus cow and calf operation from breeding to maintaining to selling for a profit.

She met the community service eligibility criteria for the American FFA Degree by volunteering service hours at numerous community organizations' activities and events.

Plumb graduated from Haxtun High School in 2022 with a GPA of 4.0. From June 2022 to June 2023, she served as the state FFA association's vice president. She describes that experience as "living and breathing FFA for a whole year." State officers are not allowed to be enrolled in college courses while serving that year because of the degree of responsibilities and the statewide travel to visit local FFA chapters.

Plumb is now taking online courses from Northeastern Junior College. She joined the NJC livestock judging team. She proved her skills in October by earning the High Individual scoring award at the Texas State Fair. Her skills had been honed during her years on the Phillips County 4-H livestock judging team including the team that competed in Scotland this past summer.

Regarding Plumb's future career interests, she represents the next generation of her family that maintains a passion for the agricultural-related industry. Her father, Jeff Plumb, supports area youth as the Ag teacher and FFA advisor at Haxtun High School. Her mother, Kindra Plumb, was the Phillips County CSU 4-H extension agent through August 2019.

Plumb intends to eventually transfer to a university to pursue a double major degree in Animal Science and Biology. She is pondering work pertaining to infectious diseases in livestock which she says, "could very well be my niche interest."