CAMBRIDGE, Ill — Cambridge students and the local community are celebrating after Cambridge FFA members took home a national prize from the organization's national convention.
"We wanted to find a way to incorporate Spanish into agriculture," Cambridge FFA member Ellie Doubet said.
And so, they did, using books. The group took their annual agriculture literacy day and spun it on its head with a program called "Dia De La Agricultura."
"This year, we just wanted to mix it up a little bit and show the diversity of it and bring a new concept to the elementary students," Cambridge FFA Chapter President Jolene Blackert said.
The program combines both the agriculture and Spanish Departments and has participants reading agriculture books to kids.
"The activity in general really focused on students appreciating diverse cultures that are within our communities," Chapter Advisor Trent Taber said.
Building up their skill in Spanish can be useful for aspiring farmers, who said the skill is becoming increasingly relevant within the agriculture community.
"It's just awesome to be able to not only participate but also teach those younger generations about ag and what the different opportunities are," FFA member Adrianna Jewett.
Following the program's success, Cambridge FFA received the Premier Chapter, Growing Leaders title at the national convention. The chapter has been nominated for five national chapter awards previously and also won in 2022.
"I think that it doesn't just impact the students here. It impacts our entire community," Jewett said.
That impact comes from one engine, one plant and one Spanish book at a time.
"What the plaques truly don't show is the hard work and dedication that the students give to our community 365 days of the year," Taber said.