Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Pocahontas County High School senior Charity Morrison was born a farmer. She was raised on her family farm in Slaty Fork, where she quickly learned how to work with cattle, raise chickens and make hay.
By the time she was a freshman in high school and an official member of the FFA chapter, Morrison was an old pro at farming.
So it’s no surprise that this past July, Morrison was awarded the FFA State Degree at the annual convention in Cedar Lakes.
“Before you can get it, you have to get your Greenhand and Chapter Degrees through your local chapter,” Morrison explained. “You have to make fifteen hundred dollars through your Supervised Agriculture Experience, have twenty-five hours of community service and participate in at least two competitions.”
For each of the criteria, Morrison went above and beyond. In competitions – her freshman year, she did Creed speaking. Sophomore year, she was on the horse judging team which went on to compete on the national level her junior year. Her senior year, she participated in meats evaluation.
Although Morrison only needed one SAE, she had four.
“I have the beef entrepreneurship,” she said. “I have the cattle, and I run a cow/calf operation. I keep my cows and sell the calves off in the fall or spring. Then I have my poultry entrepreneurship. That’s where I raise the chickens, and I sell their eggs at the Ham, Bacon and Egg Show and Sale, and to a lot of the teachers at school and to other people I know. Then I have forage production placement, and that’s where I get paid to help make the hay. We help a family friend.”
Morrison’s fourth SAE was diversified livestock.
Morrison also took a leadership role in the club as sentinel her sophomore and junior years, and was president her senior year.
If she had to choose one thing about farming that is her favorite, it would have to be working with the livestock, which has led to her plans for college and a career.
“Working with animals – I just really love them,” she said. “I’m going to go to Potomac State College and major in animal science. I think I want to be a livestock grader. It’s the person who goes to stockyards and grades the livestock that’s being sold there.”
Along with FFA, Morrison is a member of the Citizens Club, National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society and the Pocahontas County 4-H Livestock Club. She is also a completer in both agriculture and forestry.
Morrison is the daughter of David and Susan Morrison, of Marlinton.