Visiting students, advisers from FFA tour PCF facilities

Friday, November 9, 2012
Putnamville Correctional Facility superintendent Stanley Knight (standing) presents information about the facility's green initiatives to Future Farmers of America representatives from around the United States. (Courtesy photo)

PUTNAMVILLE -- Future Farmers of America (FFA) from across the United States recently toured Prison Enterprise Network industry and biomass boiler operations at the Putnamville Correctional Facility.

FFA coaches, advisers and students converged on Indiana to participate in an annual forestry competition sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

During the competition, team members set up stations where they were questioned or required to perform forestry tasks in the field.

Coaches and advisers were not permitted to assist the students in the competition, so they were given the opportunity to tour Indiana, including Cook's Lumber Yard at Reelsville, the Putnamville Correctional Facility (PCF) and the Indiana Division of Forestry's fire headquarters.

Coordinated by DNR employee Jeff Settle, the visiting FFA representatives spent the day with Putnamville Supervisor Mary Ann Jobe, Physical Plant Director Mike Riley and Steam Plant Supervisor Roger Boillard.

They led the visitors through their respective work areas, explaining operations and facilitating observation of the offenders at work refurbishing pallets, making park and patio furniture and processing wood for conversion to heat for the facility and the facility's water supply.

Concluding the tour, PCF Superintendent Stanley Knight gave guests from Delaware, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Minnesota, Kentucky, Montana and Georgia an overview of facility re-entry and green initiatives.

"Thank you for hosting us," Settle told Knight. "I've heard nothing but positive feedback about your programs and the hospitality extended to us."

More than 50,000 FFA members from across the country recently completed their annual convention at Indianapolis.

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