STEWARTVILLE, Minn. — Austin FFA members Braden Greibrok and Summer Davis joined more than 75 Region VIII FFA members gathered for the Region VIII Greenhand Camp at Ironwood Springs Christian Camp near Stewartville from Dec.1-3 to develop an understanding of the FFA and the many opportunities that are in this organization, as well as develop leadership skills for their home chapters.

The goal of Region Greenhand Camp was to teach students who are new to the FFA about the many opportunities in the FFA and how they can become leaders in their communities and chapters. These members came from the different chapters that make up Region VIII which is in the southeast portion of Minnesota, who all have been recognized as potential leaders in their chapters who are wanting to become more involved in the FFA.

During the camp, students covered many topics during sessions that focused mostly on the basics of FFA. Career development events, teamwork and supervised agricultural experiences were just a few of the topics.

Students were also given the opportunity to connect   with different students outside of session when they were doing fun activities such as swing dancing, hiking, participating in a service project which had students stacking wood for Ironwood Springs Christian Camp. Each night the region officers shared personal reflections with the campers, and the final day included a banquet to end the camp.

Region Greenhand Camp serves Region VIII by getting students more involved in the FFA and building young individuals who will go on and serve their chapter, region, and communities.