Left to Right: Alina singing; Alina & family members; Alina & Tammy Pearson,
Chrysalis House founder

WILD HORSE SALOON - NASHVILLE STAR CONTEST
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
    
Left: Alina poses with Cowboy Troy;  Alina with Casey Rivers

ALINA TATUM SINGS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. & NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Top Row: 1 & 2 - Alina singing " God Bless America" and "True Americans" in front of the United States Capitol Building on March 16, 2006.  March 16 is National Agriculture Day.  Alina also attended the 2006 National FFA Rally. 
3 - Ryan Peterson, National FFA Eastern Region Vice President; Scott Hill, American Star Farmer; Trent Willmon, Country Music Star and former FFA Chapter President; Alina Tatum, FFA Chapter President; Stuart Joy, National FFA Western Region Vice President.
4 - Alina posing with Trent Willmon.  Trent Willmon was a special guest from Sony Music. Alina and Trent performed on the national television show, "FFA Today!" which aired of RFD Television March 13, 2006.
5 -  Alina and Colleen Kelly, National FFA Communications Specialist, pose on the ground of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. March 16, 2006.

Second Row: 1 - Alina posing with Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns
2 - Alina posing with Travis Jett, National FFA President

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National Agriculture Week

The National Agriculture Week kickoff celebration in Washington D.C. had a strong FFA presence at an FFA Rally on the Capitol Hill grounds March 16th. National FFA President Travis Jett hosted the rally and spoke about how agricultural education and FFA are helping to prepare the next generation of agriculturalists.
Travis Jett stated, "Today in the FFA, here in the United States, we would like to thank this blue and gold jacket."

Congressman Bob Goodlatte, chair of the House Agriculture Committee, addressed the rally audience. Live music was provided by singer/songwriter Alina Tatum, president of the Sulphur Springs FFA Chapter in Texas. FFA members from the surrounding states were on hand and attended the National Agriculture Day luncheon held at the National Press Club. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns greeted the group while veteran agriculture broadcaster and former FFA member Orion Samuelson served as moderator.

Representatives from sponsors Archer Daniels Midland Company and John Deere spoke to the group.

The following week the six national FFA officers visited members of Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and key agency leaders and organizations. Each of them had a chance to job shadow an agricultural professional. They gained important insights to the operation of government agencies and shared updates about agricultural education and FFA with key audiences.

Three FFA members are in the national television spotlight this spring on the Outdoor Life Network’s Kickin’ video series Wesley Belcher, of Madison, Georgia; Scott Hill of Miller, Missouri; and Ashley Hughes of Cambridge, Idaho; are being featured in video profiles.
Belcher’s show aired first on April 4th and 5th. Belcher operates a Christmas tree farm that helped him pay his way through college. The 21-year-old regularly gives back to his community, donating a portion of the sale of each tree sold to his local FFA chapter as well as donating trees to needy families and non-profit organizations. The show Kickin’ took a look at Belcher’s life, from working on the tree farm to having fun with his friends. Last summer, Belcher—a member of the Morgan County FFA Chapter in Madison, Georgia—was named one of four finalists for the American Star in Agribusiness award, one of the top honors presented by the National FFA Organization.

Scott Hill was named the American Star Farmer in October at the 2005 National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. Hill’s show on Kickin’ will air April 18th and 19th. Hill is a member of the Miller FFA, raises and trains 40 horses, has 140 cow/calf pairs, and owns 414 acres. He continues to live out his dream of farming and leases an additional 300 acres for hay and owns 100 head of roping cattle that he leases out.

Ashley Hughes, a member of the Cambridge FFA Chapter in Idaho, won the Outdoor Recreation and Proficiency Award in 2005. Her show on Kickin’ will air April 25th and 26th. Working for her family’s river expedition company, Hughes escorts clients on four different rivers in Idaho and Oregon. She started out in the business cleaning and organizing supplies. She later progressed to be a “swamper” and now plans the expeditions.

Show times for Kickin’ can be seen by going to www.olntv.com and searching under "Vortec" for a full schedule of listing.

State FFA conventions are in full swing around the country and will continue from now through the middle of the summer. These gatherings provide a time to recognize top state achievers and FFA supporters, as well as elect new state FFA officers. Very similar to the national FFA convention, state conventions are a time for fun and excitement and a chance to meet fellow FFA members and check out agricultural careers for the future. The first state convention was held in Michigan in March, and the last will occur in West Virginia in mid-July.

The state of Texas recently experienced the largest wildfire disaster in its history as
1,200 square miles of pasture land, homesteads, livestock, animals and humans were destroyed or perished.

Many people are volunteering their time to collect and distribute hay, cattle feed, and donated fencing materials. It’s not too late to help! There is an ongoing need for many types of support. FFA chapters wishing to assist should contact the Texas Department of Agriculture at www.agr.state.tx.us and www.tpdrf.com/ to reach the Texas Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund.

ALINA TATUM WINS
STATE FFA TALENT CONTEST
by: Bobby McDonald
Article from : FrontPorchNews.com

Her rendition of Marty Robbins' "Don't Worry About Me" brought the house down and her Swiss Yodeling number "A Little Bit of Swiss and Country," rang across the Convention Center, in a polished and poised fashion, to take the lead in the competition. Tatum bested nine other regional winners that represented other area FFA contests. She had won the Area VI Contest in February to advance to the state competition in Lubbock.

An elated Michelle Tatum, mother of Alina, rang in the call, shortly after 10:30 p.m., when the results were tabulated and announced. "We're so excited and Alina is just on Cloud #9," she expressed. "She had hoped the song selection and everything would go just right, but really hasn't had time to really let it 'sink in' that she's won!"

However, word was that Alina had headed with other FFA members to the Annual Farewell Dance, where more than likely the busy teenager would be asked to sing for the crowd, that had elevated her to the top position in the contest!

Tatum was accompanied to the contest in Lubbock by her mother Michelle, her grandparents, Sam and Linda Tatum, and the delegation from Sulphur Springs FFA that comprised Candace Vanwinkle, Kattie Foster, Sam Dolan, and Sulphur Springs Vocational Agriculture Teacher, Dan Froneberger.