FFA alum comes back for more

By Stephen Milligan

LOGANVILLE — State Rep. Tom Kirby, R-Loganville, dropped by the FFA chapter at Loganville Middle School chapter to share his own experience with the organization and encourage the students to keep their focus on agriculture.

“A lot’s changed,” Kirby said to the more than 40 students at Thursday’s FFA meeting at the school. “We used to call FFA ‘Father’s Farming Alone,’ because we were too busy with club activities to help our dads at home.”

But Kirby credited his time with FFA – back when it was officially known as the Future Farmers of America – for building him as a person.

“It taught responsibility and self-confidence,” Kirby said. “You learn valuable things and develop leadership qualities.”

Kirby translated those qualities into his current position as the state representative for the Loganville area in the General Assembly, for which he’s part of the House agriculture committee. He remains dedicated to agriculture and exhorted the young pupils to remain focused on the field.

“We’re below 3 percent feeDing the world and the knowledge with that is eroding as well,” Kirby said. “But farmers create wealth. They put a seed in the ground and change grass into crops. That’s a foundation of our economy.”

Yet Kirby said the farming industry needs fresh blood - such as that inside the FFA classroom – to remain vital.

“We need more people like yourselves that understand this,” Kirby said. “We are leaving the farm and we don’t have as many people involved. The world is constantly changing.”

Brandon Walker, advisor for the LMS FFA chapter, said Kirby’s appearance was a great way to share his knowledge with the students.

“We’re glad to have Rep. Kirby with us,” Walker said. “It’s great to hear about his past with the FFA and his present work in the General Assembly.”

The students took the time to ask Kirby various questions about his work with agriculture, and he quizzed a few FFA members on what they plan to do in the agriculture fields after they leave LMS far behind.

But the question that drew the most attention was when one eighth-grade girl asked Kirby his stance on gun control.

The representative pulled out his pocket copy of the U.S. Constitution and told the students his feelings on the matter.

“I fully support the Second Amendment of the Constitution,” Kirby said, to near-rapturous applause. “I have a concealed carry permit and often carry my pistol when I’m not somewhere like a school.”

To further questions, Kirby revealed he carries a .38 Special Smith & Wesson with a 6-inch barrel, an answer which drew a lot of admiration from the crowd of young hunters.

But Kirby drew the conversation back to agriculture and again encouraged the students to stick with the field and teach others about it as well.

“We need education,” Kirby said. “You will take it to the next generation.”

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