Tester meets with Montana FFA leaders

Senator, students discuss importance of agricultural education for Montana’s economy

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester this week sat down with Caitlin Creighton of Missoula and Gwynn Simeniuk of Opheim, president and vice president of Montana’s chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA).

“I always look forward to talking with FFA kids,” said Tester, the Senate’s only working farmer. “Agriculture is Montana’s number one industry, making it important to hear from folks who support one of our greatest traditions.”

In Tester’s Washington, D.C. office, Creighton and Simeniuk told the senator about their future plans and roles as leaders in the organization. They also emphasized the need for more high school agriculture teachers and asked him to continue supporting funding for farming education.

Creighton and Simeniuk are visiting the nation’s capital as part of the FFA State President’s Conference, an annual leadership program that brings together FFA leaders from all 50 states.

Tester often meets with members of FFA, which is the largest career and technical student organization in the United States.

Tester, who still farms the land homesteaded by his grandparents in 1912, is a strong voice for responsible agriculture policy. He recently backed the Senate’s bipartisan, five-year farm bill that cuts spending while preserving a strong safety net for farmers.