It was pretty awesome for me to witness the sea of blue jackets. Thousands of teens from throughout the country descended on Louisville, Kentucky last fall for the 72^nd annual FFA convention. I was struck by the poise and the maturity these young people displayed—proving that FFA is successful in teaching, not just farming, but leadership as well.

Hundreds of delegates came from California, including Rick Bocanegra from Ponderosa High School in Placerville. "This is a pretty cool thing to do. You get to travel and meet new people," Bocanegra said.

One of the highlights of the convention for me was getting to interview actor Danny Glover, who was the keynote speaker for the opening ceremonies. Glover is not only known for his role in the "Lethal Weapon" movies, but for gentle, farm-related films like "Places in the Heart."

While he was born and raised in San Francisco, Glover has fond memories of picking cotton on his grandparents’ Georgia farm. He also recalled spending one summer picking grapes in Salinas.

"I think city people often take the farm for granted. We must respect what farms do to preserve the land and grow our food," Glover said.

This year’s FFA convention is set for October 25 –28, 2000.

For more information on the FFA, visit www.ffa.org.