FFA leader thankful for roots

 Elisa Russ has been to every corner of Iowa. She’s traveled to conventions in Indiana and Michigan. She’s visited Washington, D.C.And she jetted off to South Africa, too ... all because of FFA.Her message, though, to the crowd gathered for the annual New Hampton FFA Banquet Sunday afternoon, though, stayed close to home.“Because of this jacket,” she said as she touched the blue corduroy that FFA is known for, “I’ve been able to go to so many places, but those places would not have been possible without this place.”Soon — too soon, in some ways — Russ will put away the blue corduroy for the last time; the 2014 New Hampton High School graduate’s term as Iowa FFA president comes to an end on April 11.— For more on this story, see the March 28 Tribune