The National FFA Organization works to increase science and agriculture education opportunities for students across the country. The Texas FFA Association and Texas FFA Foundation are the largest governmental organizations in the country.
In this episode of the Growing Our Future podcast, Aaron Alejandro introduces John Howley, Montana State University Extension’s Director of Communications. Howley was born and raised in Texas. His experience as a county extension agent and farm-to-school specialist in Utah, Indiana and Montana gives him a unique perspective on agriculture and communications.
Listen to the full episode with host Aaron Alejandro and John Howley here.
Extension: forge connections
Montana State University Extension communications director John Howley is grateful for the teamwork, especially during a turbulent first month on the job. Although challenges arise — Howley says, for example, “a message comes out that doesn’t quite represent the expansion as we want it to be” — the incredible impact of the expansion on communities outweighs any potential negativity.
Looking beyond Texas has given Howley a new perspective and opportunity. Before he got the job at Montana State University, Howley worked with “farmers, agriculturists and teachers” as a County Extension Agent and Farm to School Specialist at Purdue University Extension in Indiana. Alejandro admires Howley’s drive. “Everywhere there is an opportunity to learn something,” he says.
FFA support
Unlike many of his peers, Howley had no direct access to farming as a child. But he recalls being fascinated by it from a young age. Howley’s Little League field happened to be next to the local high school’s FFA facilities, which Howley remembers as his first contact with the organization. “I would walk over from the ball fields and watch the kids shear their sheep,” he says. Howley was eventually able to join his high school’s FFA chapter, where he heard of great…
