Cumberland County High School’s Brylyn Bruce was one of 30 Tennessee FFA students to attend the prestigious Future Farmers Conference at Camp Clements.
Bruce said his selection was a big deal for him and the school’s FFA chapter. Bruce said he was able to meet with farm bureau agents about agriculture programs. Bruce said he had the chance to visit all kinds of farm operations, which was a great learning experience.
“I was able to like, take the different principles that they was talking about, how they ran their operations,” Bruce said. “I’m able to apply it to my farm and different things in life.
Bruce said the also learned a lot from the 29 other students who joined him for the conference. Bruce said the application process was rigorous, as it included an essay and required information about his agriculture experience.
Bruce is an officer in Cumberland County’s FFA chapter. Bruce said he already has lots of familiarity with agriculture from life away from school.
“I was born and raised on a farm, so it’s been there my whole life,” Bruce said. “And I really wanted to get into FFA and Ag classes to expand my knowledge both in the technical part of agriculture and farm management.”
One of Bruce’s agriculture instructors is Danny Wilson. Wilson said he is proud to see Bruce’s success.
“To be one of 30 individuals selected from all across the state is a great honor for him,” Wilson said. “To see somebody like Brylyn, someone who’s worked on a farm his entire life, be able to fulfil some of his dreams of furthering that farmer experience, it’s a really great thrill for me also.”
The Cumberland County FFA is very strong, as it was recently named a national Three-Star Chapter. Wilson said sending a student to the Future Farmers Conference further builds the program through the ability to spotlight Cumberland County students across the state.
Wilson said the conference experience is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Wilson said Bruce’s chance to explore different farms is invaluable to him, as are the experiences he can take home to his farm.
Bruce was selected to last week’s Future Farmers Conference by Ag instructors from across Tennessee.
