Five members of the Camden FFA Chapter had the privilege of attending the 2025 New York State FFA Convention from Wednesday, May 7th, to Friday, May 9th. This year’s event was held at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. It was a very special occasion to be part of, as the New York State FFA Association celebrated its 100th convention.
Over three days, members Autumn Porter, Kayla Winn, Mary Hall, Patrick Eveleth, and Reese Bates attended workshops and participated in a variety of structured immersive experiences pertaining to the world of agriculture. They had the opportunity to build their personal networks by making friends from across the state, chatting with industry leaders, and learning more about prospective college opportunities.
General session was held each evening, where the students saw multiple keynote addresses including Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets Richard Ball, and Governor Kathy Hochul. They also heard the retiring addresses from the current slate of New York State officers, including treasurer Andrew Curtis Szalach, brother of CHS agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Erin Curtis.
The event also includes lots of awards. Camden High School sophomore Reese Bates received her own FFA Jacket as a “Jacket Award” recipient.
The students also had some opportunities unique to this convention alone, such as the groundbreaking ceremony for the brand new FFA building being constructed for the fair.
Advisors Erin Curtis and Karly Marshman were happy that the students got the opportunity to experience a state convention to its fullest extent.
“We are so lucky to have a wonderful group of students who fully immersed themselves into the opportunities available to them,” they said.
The next New York State FFA Convention will be held from May 14th to May 16th, 2026 in Buffalo.
