The last time a Bridgeport High School student had claimed - or even competed for - a regional title in Future Farmers of America Creed speaking was 50 years ago.

 

But that changed April 7 when Ashton Hughes, a BHS junior, nabbed that title at the West Virginia FFA competition held at Taylor County High School. She will now advance to state competition to be held July 8-9 in Cedar Lakes.

 

“We haven’t had anyone compete in a career development event or any type of event like that since 1971,” said BHS agriculture teacher Emily Parent. “It’s kind of a big deal for our FFA.”

 

The FFA creed expresses writer E.M. Tiffany’s strong belief in the agriculture industry and the values of citizenship and patriotism. It has been taught to agriculture students since it was adopted by the FFA in 1930.

 

“It’s five paragraphs basically stating the FFA’s goals and passions for agriculture,” said Parent, who pegged Hughes a competitive candidate earlier in the school year.

 

Hughes, her parents Amber and Derek, and siblings live on a farm just outside Bridgeport city limits. She already possessed a deep passion for agriculture. That passion, the hard work she demonstrated in school and her manner of speaking stood out and when Parent suggested she compete on a regional level, Hughes didn’t hesitate.

 

“When she approached me, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity; a fun little hobby for me,” Hughes said.  “But I knew it would take time to prepare.”

 

For weeks, she practiced after school, knowing she would be judged on her recitation, eye contact, hand gestures, body language and her overall knowledge of the creed and agriculture in general.

 

One of the questions she was asked at the April 7 competition was why she believed in the future of agriculture, to which Hughes responded:

 

“In the year 2050, there will be around 7.9 billion people on the planet, and they will need more than ever to sustain. We’re losing roughly 3,000 acres of farmland a day and we need that to keep agriculture going.”

 

She was also asked about the joys and discomforts of farm life. In short, Hughes said the former outweighs the latter.

 

“There’s the long hours and hard work you have to put in, but you get to see new life, enjoy time with the animals and see your crops come up,” she said.

 

Parent, who was a teacher in residence during the 2019-2020 school year, is in her first official year of teaching agriculture at BHS. She said she sees a lot of herself in Hughes. Raised on a farm in Raleigh County near Beckley, Parent was the 2015 State Rodeo Queen when she was a junior at Shady Springs High School.

 

“We had to give a prepared speech and were asked impromptu questions, did a personal interview and were judged on sportsmanship outfits,” she said.

 

It’s all really about passing on the passion for farming and raising their own food, Parent said.

 

“Throughout the pandemic, people are really trying to figure out where their food is coming from. There are shortages in stores, and they don’t know how to grow things. It’s really important they understand and know how to do this if they are put in a position that they need to.”

 

Her students put that all into practice in class. Their greenhouse is full of lush vegetables and they have been hatching chicken and quail eggs. Parent hopes to continue to grow her agriculture program in the coming years. She also hopes to raise another FFA Creed champion.

 

Hughes has set the bar high, she said.

 

Read about the BHS FFA's May 1-2 plant sale HERE.