By Micaela DePauli

SANTA FE– Around 250 students from around the state converged on Santa Fe Feb. 5 to advocate for the agricultural industry and career and technical education.

Seven state leaders from the Future Farmers of America met with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and one of the issues they came prepared to speak about was immigration.

“One of the challenges that’s facing farmers is being able to pick specialty crops, such as chiles,” State Vice president MiKayla Klinger of Tucumcari said in an interview before their meeting. Workers on H2A and H2B visas are essential because New Mexico doesn’t have enough workers to pick the state’s most iconic crop.

FFA is a national leadership and career training program designed to prepare young people for success in agricultural careers. The Capitol buzzed with energy as a sea of FFA members in their signature blue corduroy jackets students filled the halls.

For many of the students, who came from as far as Shiprock and Texaco, it was their first visit to Santa Fe and their first opportunity to see the legislative process in action.

FFA has about 3,500 members in New Mexico but State Vice President Jayda Goodman of Texico said the group wants to double the size of the program.