Many join youth agriculture organizations with encouragement of family or an FFA adviser. Former Plainview FFA member Gary Sloan is no exception. His parents were strong supporters of the FFA and his siblings were also involved. When he joined the organization, Sloan’s brother shared lasting words of wisdom: you only get out what you put into the FFA. “That has stuck with me forever,” says Sloan. “I’ve gotten so much more out of FFA than I could have ever put in including friendships, contacts and the learning experiences were tremendous.”