“What’s nice,” said Belcher, “is that food will stay in the community it’s collected in. It can be given to local food pantries or chapters can work with churches in the area to distribute it.”
Bill Nachreiner, advisor of Norte Vista FFA Chapter in California and an agriscience
teacher for nearly three decades, has taken part in many food drives that have benefited both chapter members and the community.
“The members can see the positive side of serving others and avoid the narcissism that can come at that age,” said Nachreiner. “What’s great is that we knew where the food was going to and could see the benefit in the community.”
This isn’t the first time that the National FFA Alumni has gotten into the game of collecting non-perishable food items for the less-fortunate. From 2007 to 2009, the organization partnered with Toyota to hold the Million Can Challenge. At 12 locations across the nation, Toyota
dealerships and FFA alumni chapters partnered to nearly reach their stated goal, collecting 700,000 cans.
The pilot programs will come to an end on February 26, 2010, the final day of National FFA Week.
Attitude, Character, Vision—Andrew McCrea Helps FFA Members Find the Tools to Success
By Dorothy Spencer
“Better your best everyday and you will better the rest on a lot of days,” is the advice Andrew McCrea, a farmer-rancher, national radio broadcaster and motivational speaker, shared with FFA members during the closing session of the 2009 National FFA Convention.
McCrea, a Missouri native and former national FFA officer, has learned a lot of lessons over the years. Having a positive attitude that reflects positive inner character and applying that attitude to a vision is what McCrea urges FFA members to do. His message to FFA members is to first start with a positive attitude. “A good attitude doesn’t mean that we don’t deal with the difficult; it means we have an attitude that helps us overcome,” said McCrea.
Then, according to McCrea, FFA members need to apply that positive attitude to a vision. An example of vision McCrea gave during his speech was that of his sister, Jo McCrea. As a high school student, Jo worked hard to become an excellent basketball player—even though many believed she could never be the star of the team. Having met her goals on the high school basketball court, Jo then became a walk-on on a college team—even though many people laughed. Eventually, Jo followed her vision and went on to become an outstanding basketball coach and lead her team to a state championship. Sharing this story with FFA members, McCrea hopes to inspire them to follow their vision.
McCrea also encourages FFA members to keep the little things in mind. Whether it was
interviewing World War II veterans, working on his family’s ranch, or speaking with a group of young adults, McCrea has learned that doing little things, even those that may seem insignificant, are what makes the difference. “Do little things every day. The things we think are insignificant make a difference in someone’s life,” said McCrea.
Giving his time to help youth see that there are people out there who have made tough or unpopular decisions yet everything still turned out okay is why McCrea continues to speak to groups such as the National FFA Organization. McCrea wants to share his experiences and let others know that someone else has been there too.
As a broadcaster McCrea is the host of the national radio show American Countryside. He has traveled all over the world in search of telling people’s stories. From the launch pad of Cape Canaveral to being body-slammed by professional wrestlers and talking to the rooster-crowing champion, McCrea has interviewed some pretty interesting people. “Don’t ever ask a professional wrestler if it is fake,” said McCrea.
Overall for McCrea, it is the interviews with the people who demonstrate a great attitude and strong vision that are the most meaningful. Those that serve others, truly see the needs of others and then fulfill them to make everyone’s lives better are truly those who are most inspirational. McCrea encourages everyone to ask themselves, “Am I truly seeing the needs of others? Am I helping others?”
As a freshmen member of FFA, McCrea never dreamed that he would learn the skills of public speaking, teamwork, and leadership that have served him his entire life. Today, he still enjoys serving the national FFA and helping out wherever needed. He wants FFA members to know that the organization can have the same impact on their lives that it has had on his own life. McCrea said, “My faith, my family and FFA have made the most profound difference in my life.”
‘We’re All Farmers’: Organic Agriculturalists Educate FFA Students at the 2009 National FFA Convention
By Kelliann Blazek
Old MacDonald had a farm… but was it organic?
Two young organic farmers representing Organic Valley presented a workshop entitled, “An
Introduction to Organic Farming and Gardening,” at the 2009 National FFA Convention. About 300 FFA members and guests attended the first of two workshops presented by Organic Valley, a
farmer-owned organic cooperative based in Wisconsin.
This marks the fourth year that Organic Valley representatives attended National FFA Convention and the second year Organic Valley has presented a workshop. Joe Pedretti, Organic Valley Farm Outreach Manager, said the relationship between National FFA and Organic Valley is an important one to garner interest in younger generations.
“One of the big misconceptions is that organic is trying to promote itself as better than other types of agriculture. But really what we want to show folks is that’s an alternative… it’s another option,”
Pedretti said.
Preston Green and Sarah Holm, both college students in Wisconsin, presented the workshop, citing their farms as examples of organic success stories.
“I can honestly say if it weren’t for Organic Valley, my family wouldn’t be farming today,” Green said. “My dad can tell me honestly that he wants me to farm. He knows there’s a future in organic agriculture and he knows there’s a future in agriculture for me.”
Green is a student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a former Wisconsin state FFA officer. Rebel Ridge Farm, his family’s farm, is a 300-head organic beef operation in southwestern Wis. Green’s family started the transition to organic agriculture in 1992, he said.
“We [organic farmers] don’t use anything synthetic. We work as close with nature as possible to produce the best food we can,” Green said.
But just because organic agriculture is different, doesn’t mean it’s not agriculture, Green said.
“I want to see the stereotype broken that organic is against conventional. We’re all farmers. We can all farm together,” Green said. “I hope that FFA members can see that agriculture is agriculture.”
Holm, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, echoed Green.
“It’s kind of like we’re taking the best of what our grandparents and great-grandparents had and then applying some modern technology to do a completely new thing, but it is based a lot on traditional farming,” Holm said.
Holm is one of seven children that work on her family’s 35-cow Jersey farm in Eau Claire, Wis.
Her family moved to Wisconsin from California in 2001 and switched to an organic operation in 2005.
“I was a city girl before we moved to the farm. We had Olympic-sized swimming pools by our apartment,” Holm said. “But my dad was from Wisconsin, and he always dreamed of having a family business where the family could work together.”
Holm’s family found that business opportunity in dairy production. Holm Girls Farm is home to more than cows, though. Holm called the farm a “wildlife sanctuary” that encourages biodiversity.
“We enjoy knowing that pasturing [the cows] encourages wildlife,” Holm said.
Amanda Hannon, 16, from the Mason County FFA Chapter in West Virginia raises beef cattle and was skeptical of the practicality of organic agriculture in her operation.
“I think it’s feasible for larger scale farming… but with a small cow herd, I don’t think it would be doable for me to spend that much and wait three years,” Hannon said.
Fellow Mason County FFA Chapter member Wesley Davis, 15, also attended the workshop. Davis raises 170 hen layers and would like to expand his operation. A grant he received from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service to develop a plan to compost poultry manure sparked his interest in organic agriculture.
“I think it’s great for niche marketing; it’s especially good for the farmers… to serve that market that people really want,” Davis said.
For Green, organic agriculture is a lifestyle choice that provided his family with the opportunity to continue farming.
"I'm a farmer through and through… that's my blood type. That's what I'm going to do when I grow up. I can feel it.”
Rodeo Announcer is Walking Proof of FFA Success
By Geoffrey Miller
Nearly 300 times a year, former FFA member Roger Mooney is a comedian, cheerleader, play-by- play man, preacher and just about whatever else his job demands him to be.
Mooney, the 1983-84 Georgia FFA Association Vice President, incorporated all of those roles into crowd-pleasing entertainment as the announcer for the three Bulls and Broncs rodeos Thursday and Friday at the 82nd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind.
“FFA gave me everything I needed,” Mooney told the crowd with a slight southern drawl during Friday’s matinee performance, just prior to the final round of the bull, saddle bronc, bareback and bull riding at the Indiana State Fairgrounds’ Pepsi Coliseum.
Naturally, the nod to the folks in the blue jackets garnished a hearty cheer from the afternoon
crowd, but Mooney wasn’t simply pandering to his audience. He’s a product of what FFA can offer students in agricultural education.
“In the eighth grade, giving book reports made me sick,” Mooney said, detailing what his confidence was like before FFA.
Then, Mooney said after the performance, he started to get involved with and excelled at the public speaking and extemporaneous speaking contests as a member of the Gilmer County FFA Chapter in Georgia. He then progressed through the officer ranks of his chapter by holding the positions of reporter, vice president and chapter president.
His path into a career as a rodeo announcer, though, didn’t have a logical procession.
“I was on a rodeo team in college,” said Mooney. “One weekend, the announcer that was scheduled to be there had a heart attack and the guy running it came behind the chutes looking for someone to do it.”
Mooney was known to be the “biggest ham” on his rodeo team, he said, and there was no question that he was the best man for the job at the moment. Next thing he knew he was calling the event.
“That same day, a guy from a rodeo in Alabama came up and said he needed an announcer for a rodeo the next weekend and I took it,” said Mooney. “By the end of my first year, I had done 45 rodeos.”
Now Mooney – once the eighth grader afraid to stand in front of a class to give a book report – is averaging a yearly run of 45 cities and 300 performances a year. It’s a grinding schedule that is evident in his hoarse voice off microphone, but when he’s handling the pre-performance invocation, calling ride scores or serving as the butt of a joke for the rodeo clown – Mooney sends his share of jokes right back – you’d never know it.
“Without FFA, I don’t know what I’d be doing,” said Mooney minutes after finishing the afternoon performance and already preparing for the final evening go-round. “This kind of started as a fluke but all of the stars lined up and here I am.
“I remember hearing a motto for the FFA at one point that talked about preparing for success, and I’d say that’s how it worked out for me.”
Souping Up America: One Barn at a Time
By Dustin Petty
With Campbell Soup Company and the National FFA Alumni, you can help paint an old barn red again.
And no, you don’t have to use tomato soup.
In September 2008, these partners kicked off the “Help Grow Your Soup” campaign. The campaign aims to promote agriculture and FFA throughout the nation by helping to restore barns that could potentially be revitalized and given a second life. Tyler Tenbarge, then the National FFA Eastern Region Vice President, helped kick-off the program by appearing with New York FFA members on the Martha Stewart Show.
The process is an easy one. Ten barns have been nominated to be restored and of those, five will be chosen. Those wishing to vote for a specific barn can visit HelpGrowYourSoup.com and cast their ballot once-a-day for the barn they wish to be renovated. Campbell will donate $1 for every vote cast, with up to $250,000 being donated to the restoration projects. As an incentive, those who vote can sign up to receive a free packet of Campbell’s tomato seeds.
Voting began on Oct. 1 and will run through Jan. 5, 2010. As of press time, just over
$100,000 had been earned by voters.
On the website, each barn has their own story, usually told by the local agriscience instructor and FFA advisor. Amy Kidd of the Providence Grove High School FFA Chapter in Climax, N.C., is the teller of one such story.
“Our students need a facility in which they can learn the hands-on skills taught in the animal science classes,” said Kidd. “By providing a renovated barn, we will continue to provide to the area third graders and hold workshops to the area farms on animal, goat, and crop care and
maintenance."
Providence is currently tied for first place among the votes cast.
Much of the actual restoration of the barns is done by FFA members and alumni in the area.
Five barns in Illinois, Kansas, Tennessee, Oregon and New York have already been renovated through the partnership between Campbell Soup and the FFA alumni. In each case, stakeholders came together to work under one umbrella: community.
“Our big push as an association is the community involvement,” said Frank Saldana,
National FFA Alumni Executive Secretary in a 2008 interview. “To bring the past FFA alumni, the students and teachers together to perform a community service – the restoration of the barns, which is major.”
FFA’s Shooting Stars
By: Andrew Walker
Each year four individuals are named as the top students in the National FFA Organization. These individuals are the Stars Over America.
The prestigious star award is the outcome of years of hard work. Only an FFA member who has shown the utmost dedication in furthering his or her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) would be eligible to apply for the award. Each candidate must have earned the American FFA Degree and be nominated by his or her state association. The national finalists are interviewed by a panel of judges to determine a winner.
The Stars over America were announced at the 82nd National FFA Convention, in Indianapolis, on Saturday, Oct. 24. The winners were featured with a brief video about themselves.
An Oklahoma student has been named the American Star Farmer for 2009. Slade Don Nightengale was honored with the award for work with his cattle operation. As a business entrepreneur, he began his own stocker cattle operation with money he earned from tractor driving.
“I borrowed more money and had help from my dad to buy more land for my operation,” said Nightengale.
Starting with a small operation, he was able to grow and expand this in order to make it into a thriving project. Nightengale hopes to continue to grow this venture and plans to continue farming.
Farming to agribusiness, FFA shines bright from coast to coast.
Benjamin Alsum garnered the Star in Agribusiness Saturday. A native of Randolph, Wisconsin, he began a project of raising and selling produce at local roadside stands in middle school. Currently he owns 25 percent of the Alsum Sweet Corn business. He hopes to soon own 40 percent.
Because of his continued hard work and experience he has been able to be produce a variety of produce and crops. His plans for the future are to continue expanding business opportunities.
“Hopefully I can get bigger, expanding the sweet corn portion and picking up more hay clients. I want to continue this job forever.”
Some members find working in the agricultural industry very rewarding, rather than directly being a business person.
Wisconsin native, Tony Crescio was named Star in Agricultural Placement. His position at Jack’s Pride farms, Inc. has helped propel him into his field of experience. As a 21 year old, he has gained an extreme amount of knowledge on all types of crops, including peppermint, onion, carrots and many more.
Crescio recognizes the help that his parents and friends have given him.
“I can’t say enough about my parents, they’ve been huge in my success,” he said.
Science is an important part of the organization and represented by numerous members.
Star in Agriscience was presented to Minnesota FFA member Amy Lynn Robak. Among her passions are conservation and agronomy. While working at Benton County Soil and Water
Conservation Office, she worked with farmers about environmental and natural resources issues.
Currently at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, she is majoring in agronomy and conservation.
Robak recognized the importance of her research and what impact it can have on people.
“My research needs to have good credibility. If I do this I gain relationships with farmers that I work with and they trust me,” she said.
Although only four of the over 500,000 members can be recognized as stars in the organization, all members can looks to these individuals as examples to aspire to.