The Honorary FFA Degree is the highest grade that you can bestow on anybody in the Oklahoma FFA Association and goes to individuals with outstanding service toward the advancement of the youth in FFA programs. Haltom brags on the youth program and explained MCN is one of the few tribally funded programs and the only tribe in Oklahoma with a program that initially assists in the purchase of a show animal.
“We’re the only tribe to help them in the beginning to help them get started,” Haltom said. “A lot of our kids come from and not all of them but from lower social economic backgrounds and it’s expensive. My theory is you can pay for your kids now when they’re young when we have the ability to have influence on them. They take part in a program and it’s family oriented.”
Carly Hotvedt, MCN Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said with the help of Haltom, the MCN Ag Youth Program has grown tremendously.
“Billy has worked tirelessly to support the Ag Youth Program and participating students,” Hotvedt said. “We have seen tremendous growth and popularity of this program and its events.”
Haltom said the biggest success the program has had is the Muscogee (Creek) Livestock Show, which finished up its fifth year holding the event.
“I am accepting the award for the Creek Nation,” Haltom said. “It was not me that earned this. This was a conglomeration of putting this together."
The Honorary State FFA Degree and VIP Banquet will be held Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 5 p.m. at the Cox Convention Center.
