Domino’s Celebrates FFA 2023-24 SAE Grant Recipients for National FFA Week

Happy National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Week! FFA is a dynamic, intracurricular youth organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. Domino’s has proudly supported FFA students since 2016 by funding the development of sustainable agriculture curriculum, collegiate scholarships, service projects and supervised agriculture experiences (SAEs).

SAEs empower FFA students to explore career paths within the agricultural, food and natural resources industry, and gain financial independence and management skills through real-world, hands-on experiences. These students have the ability to make positive impacts on the agriculture industry through their hard work and innovation. Since the beginning of its partnership with FFA, Domino’s has funded more than 130 grants for SAEs, including 19 this school year in 10 states across the nation. In Alabama, two students – Tanner Truesdale (from Billingsley, Alabama) and Hannah Grace McHugh (from Maplesville, Alabama) – will use their Domino’s-sponsored SAE grants for their unique projects.

Tanner’s project involves exhibiting and marketing Boer goats. Tanner plans to use his grant to improve the quality and efficiency of his goat production and establish a brand for himself. When it comes to goat production, Tanner is a champion, as he earned the first place Goat Production Proficiency award and was the third overall Intermediate Goat Showman at the Alabama National Fair.

Hannah trains her Australian Kelpie to work as a herding dog. The SAE grant Domino’s granted Hannah allows her to advance her project by introducing her dog to a herd of sheep. In addition to working with her herding dog, Hannah’s project involves researching and implementing sustainable land management practices. She hopes to use the skills she gains from her project to volunteer in her community to help local farmers run their farms during the busy seasons.

“I am honored that the FFA SAE grant program, as well as Domino’s stakeholders, felt that my project was a worthy investment,” said Hannah. “The support makes a positive impact on the success of projects for many students, like myself, who are not able to cover the entire cost of project expenses. Being immersed in agriscience education at school as an FFA member has played a tremendous role in my life and I truly value the learning experiences I have gained each year.”

Emily Lucak of Grahamsville, New York, received a Domino’s-sponsored SAE grant for her project that works to eliminate food waste. Emily witnessed the large amount of discarded uneaten fruit in her school’s cafeteria and was inspired to launch an SAE to combat the problem. Through her SAE, Emily freeze-dries leftover fruit, resulting in reduced food waste and a new healthy snack for the community. Outside of FFA, Emily volunteers for the local food bank and at her school’s community garden.

These FFA students, and many like them, are impacting the future of agriculture by creating innovative solutions. Domino’s is grateful to them and to all farmers – without them, we wouldn’t have pizza!

To learn more about Domino’s support of agriculture, visit https://biz.dominos.com/stewardship/agriculture.