For Immediate Release
May 6, 2008
Contact:  Lisa Landis
Legislative Director
717-787-6709
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Senator Brubaker receives State FFA Honorary Membership Degree

Honor recognizes contribution to agriculture

LANCASTER – The Pennsylvania FFA Association recently awarded state Senator Mike Brubaker (R-36) an Honorary Membership Degree.

The award was presented at the Lancaster County FFA Banquet held at Lancaster Mennonite High School on May 1.

"I have a very deep appreciation for the work of our local FFA organizations and our statewide FFA Association," Brubaker said. "I am truly honored to be chosen as a recipient of an Honorary Membership Degree from this fine group."

Honorary Degrees are presented to individuals who have provided exceptional service to agriculture, agricultural education, or the FFA. Brubaker, who serves as chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, is an agronomist by trade and has worked closely on agricultural issues for decades.

Michael Brammer, Executive Manager of the Pennsylvania FFA, said this Honorary Degree was given to Brubaker as a way for the current FFA officers to say thank you for his recent work.

"Throughout this year, the Senator has been supportive of the FFA's efforts and everywhere the FFA officers went that he was in attendance, he made them feel a part of the event," Brammer said. "The current state officers nominated Senator Brubaker for that support and cooperation and because he was an important part of their year."

FFA organizations are an intra-curricular part of Agriculture Education in high schools across the United States. The three-part model of education comprises classroom instruction, which is applied to hands-on supervised agricultural experience programs (SAEs), further strengthened through curriculum-enhancing activities and programs. Students learn by doing, polishing the characteristics and skills they will need for future success.

Pennsylvania FFA has 142 Chapters with nearly 8,000 members. FFA's national youth organization has a membership of more than 500,000 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture, with 7,308 local chapters in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.