Beyond November Thankfulness

As November is coming to an end and Thanksgiving is closely approaching, I’m reminded of the things I’m thankful for. I’m thankful for my family who shows me love and support from miles away, my friends who add excitement to life, FFA members for being passionate about agriculture and serving others, and for my faith in Christ. I’m thankful for so many things; the list could go on and on.

As I think about the things I’m thankful for I have to ask myself: how can I show that I’m grateful for these things? 

In one of my classes this week we were talking about the concept of people taking shortcuts or going the second mile. Some of you may recognize this idea as it is from the Habitudes series written by Tim Elmore. Most of us tend to do what is most comfortable and convenient for us. We always try to get somewhere using the fastest route or we work together on a homework assignment to get it done quicker. Growing up, we have been taught to look for these shortcuts.

Among the shortcuts we can get lost within speed, convenience, and efficiency. We can easily lose sight of what is truly meaningful in life. That being the things we are thankful for like the people we love and the moments we could enjoy. If we slowed down enough to truly appreciate it, we could offer something to the world in order to leave it a better place. “There are some things in life we can’t reach by shortcut.” – Tim Elmore.

Those that go the extra mile usually have to put extra time in and may work a little harder, but they have experienced things no one else has because of their service. Those that go the second mile are devoted to serving others whereas those that take shortcuts do so with their own interest in mind.

As we head forth into this holiday of being thankful, let's show others how grateful we are. Avoid the shortcuts and go the extra mile. Pitch in when it comes to cleaning the house, offer to watch your siblings so your mom can get her work done, or go spend time with the elderly in your community. There are so many ways we can show others we are thankful for them. Let's take action and celebrate the season of thankfulness by showing others now and past the holiday season that we appreciate them.

Stationed by the Ear of Corn,

Brooke Wente 

So I've Been Thinking...

The other day I was talking with a friend about a classmate. We both agreed that she had amazing speaking abilities and such composure, and that we wish we possessed it as well. I envied her natural leadership and authenticity. I was jealous of this individual.

But I wasn’t being fair to myself, and I’ve been thinking..

So often we find ourselves wishing for the things we don’t have. We want “his” car, and “her” shoes. We wish we could sing like “her”, and act like “him”. We hope to get grades like “they” do, and win competitions and earn recognition like “they” can. We envy our friends possessions, the bodies of models and actors, and the prowess of successful businessmen and women everywhere. And so it goes day in and day out, nearly every time we look around us that we are recognizing and wishing for the things that others possess. Always pushing and working to have more and go further; and we call it ambition.

Why is it though, that when we look up the word ambition in the thesaurus we see contentment as an antonym? Why shouldn’t we be content? Why can’t one be content- feeling fulfillment and gratification from what they do, and remain ambitious?

We don’t grasp the things about ourselves that deserve so much appreciation. We don’t recognize the things that make each of us so incredibly special, and unique. We are smart, we are handsome and beautiful. And people love things about us that we have never even considered. These things others see in us everyday, and many covet themselves.

My little sister has a mirror in her bedroom nearly covered with quotes, bible verses, and encouraging notes to herself. She gets it. We don’t need to look to others for the compliments and reassurance that habit and human nature require us to hear. There is fortitude in each of us, a strength that we have all nurtured to carry us through times of hardship, and often times the only cheer squad we need, is our own. No one knows you better than yourself, and no one should be able to believe in you more than you already do. Your opinion matters more than anyone else’s.

I know it’s hard, and believe me- I am the worst when it comes to self-reflection. I have empty journals everywhere, but I have come to know that there is no one-way, no right way to exercise introspection- and we can start by knowing that we have a purpose. And we were created in this image, and we are exactly the people we need to be in order to fulfill these things that only we can.

For if we spend all of our time, and if we are so busy trying to be someone else, then who is busy being us?

So I will vow to love my bad handwriting. I will love, and learn to use my creative and philosophical mind to balance my shortcomings in analogy and numbers. I vow to tell myself that I love all the quirks I have, everyday. I will be content with who I am, so that I am able to be ambitious and reach the goals I have for myself.

I vow to bring my best self forward in every situation, because the world needs me. It needs my friend, and it needs the classmate we were envious of. The world needs my sister. But most importantly- the world needs you. Exactly the way you are.

How to be an #FFAchat Guru

On October 23rd, Minnesota FFA launched the first ever #FFAchat on Twitter. This means that anybody who clicked on #FFAchat on Twitter could see a conversation between any users who decide to participate in that "hashtag." Minnesota FFA's Twitter account asked questions to spark the conversation for an hour and a half, and FFA members, teachers, and supporters answered. #FFAchat became the #1 non-promoted trending hashtag on Twitter for nearly an hour, and millions of Twitter users online at that time were able to see the trending conversation.

"Tweets" answered questions ranging from the role agricultural education programs play in their community to what FFA members and supporters can do to support South Dakota FFA members and agriculturalists that lost a piece of their life in the devastating storm.

Never been on Twitter before?

On Twitter, but barely know how to tweet?

Posting updates from Twitter, but not really sure what #FFAchat is?

No problem.

To register for Twitter, you first must visit http://www.twitter.com and sign up for account. Once you are registered as a user on Twitter, you are able to follow people and start tweeting! Be sure to search for the Minnesota FFA Association by searching @MNFFA, and clicking the follow button.

In order to start participating in #FFAchat, you just have to watch your home feed for tweets from @MNFFA about the event on the specified date and time. The Minnesota FFA Association Twitter account will ask a question once the conversation time starts. For example, a tweet may look like this: “Q2: What is your favorite FFA activity? #FFAchat”

The “Q2” is the portion of the tweet that stands for the question number of the conversation. After the question is posted, you are able to post your answer to the question by answering in the following format: “Q2: My favorite FFA activity is always the local FFA corn drive! #FFAchat”

Notice how both tweets included “#FFAchat” at the end of their tweets. By clicking on this word or hashtag on Twitter, you are able to track ALL of the people who are answering to the questions. The page will likely automatically link you to the “top tweets” of #FFAchat, but you can see even more of the conversation by switching the option to “all tweets.”

When clicking on #FFAchat, this is how you can tell the magnitude and size of the conversation. The more people are posting, the bigger the conversation is. If you are in need of additional help, you can message me on Facebook or Twitter.

The very first time #FFAchat occurred, it trended. That is the goal of the conversation every night it is happening from now on, we want to keep this trend on a global scale!

Stationed by the Flag,
Brandon

FFA Member of the Week: FFA Chapter Worker & Classroom Woodworker

Casey McCollum from the Ulen-Hitterdal FFA chapter is the most recent FFA member of the week. He has contributed to agricultural education and FFA by participating in several events at the local, regional, and state levels. Read below how Casey answered some common questions you might be wondering about him.

Name: Casey McCollum

Chapter: Ulen-Hitterdal

Year in School: Senior
Favorite Color: Blue
Fun Fact: I enjoy woodworking.

How did you get started in FFA?

My older brother helped me get started in FFA when he encouraged me to join the Ag Sales CDE. From there he continued to promote the program and provide advice through his personal experiences.

What drew you to the organization?

I was drawn to FFA because of its opportunities and skills it could provide for me like leadership and personal growth. I was also interested in the program because it looked like fun and coming from a small agriculture based town, it was an organization most people were involved in.

What have you been involved in so far as an FFA member? 
As an FFA member I have been involved in the Ag Sales CDE competitions, regional and chapter offices, the chapter community garden, SLCCL, state convention and national convention.

What is your favorite part of FFA? My favorite part of FFA is the people. There are so many positive people involved in FFA that all have a passion for agriculture and the organization.

How has FFA benefited you so far? 
FFA has benefited me the most by making some of my great qualities stand out. It has developed my public speaking skills and confidence, and it has helped develop a positive image of myself and even contribute to academic successes.

What have you done to benefit your chapter?
I have benefited my chapter by my dedication to FFA. I have always encouraged young and inc oming members while providing a fun and positive image for the FFA. I attend community garden maintenance and harvesting sessions. I also actively participate in chapter fundraising activities.

What is your SAE? 
My Supervised Agricultural Experience program involves operating a lawn care service for three years in my hometown of Ulen. My lawn care service has grown to nearly 20 lawn care accounts.

What is your favorite ag class? 
My favorite ag class is Woods because it is a hands-on class and provides me with life long knowledge and skills to develop my woodworking hobby.

What are two specific examples of how you have helped your chapter grow? (events, newsletters, service projects, recruitment, community awareness, etc)

I have encouraged younger and incoming FFA members to join the organization by promoting CDE competitions, agricultural leadership activities like Fall Rally, and noting the opportunities available within the organization. It is important to promote FFA to young members as they are the future of the chapter and the organization.

I also actively participate in the chapter community garden. The community garden produces a variety of fruits and vegetables that are harvested and given to local food shelves. Our FFA chapter is one of twenty chapters in the nation involved.

What kind of career/college plans are you thinking about? 
I plan to attend NDSU next year and pursue an agriculture-related major.

FFA Member of the Week: Unlocking Potential

Name: Kayla Overland

FFA Chapter: Albert Lea

Year in School: Sophomore

Favorite Color: TealFun Fact: Kayla has been shooting bow and arrow since she was just five years old! In her second year of firearms hunting season, she shot her first deer which was an eight-point buck.

This Albert Lea FFA member first got started in FFA because of her her father and two older brothers - they were in FFA and always talked about how much fun the organization was. She has stuck with FFA from the get-go because she knows it will make her grow into a greater person each day as a result of all of the different opportunities she has. 

Kayla’s is in her second year of high school FFA activities after attending state convention last year to compete in Creed Speaking and participating in State Greenhand Leadership Conference this summer. She’s also been involved in a lot of chapter activities including working at their county fair food stand and showing at state fair.

This Albert Lea social butterfly’s favorite part of FFA is by far getting to meet so many new people, traveling, and seeing people from all over the country knowing that every person has a common connection, they are all FFA members.

Kayla credits FFA with shaping her into a leader and unlocking potential that she didn’t realize she had. Kayla now realizes that there are endless possibilities with the opportunities in FFA, even after FFA. She holds onto the skills she learns in FFA because Kayla knows they will come in handy later in life. 

Kayla gives back to FFA by volunteering at the chapter level. She helps out in anyway possible with the FFA advisor or chapter officers if they need any volunteers to help plan or work at different activities. Kayla made a difference in agricultural education this past spring when some of the members in her chapter and her took animals to the Albert Lea elementary area schools. They taught the students about animals on the farm as well as animals used for other purposes. The Albert Lea FFA members and Kayla brought in a lizard, a calf, some puppies, chicks, and a kitten - Kayla enjoyed seeing the elementary students light up with the knowledge they gained that day in school.

Even though Kayla’s just a sophomore, she has an idea of what she wants to do later in her life. Kayla would like to go to Minnesota State University or Iowa State University. She is really interested in agriculture - specifically veterinary science and animal genetics. Kayla has a bright future ahead of her as an FFA member. Congratulations Kayla on FFA member of the week, keep staying involved with the Albert Lea FFA chapter!

FFA Member of the Week: Cat Facts and Ryan Facts

Name: Ryan Peterson

FFA Chapter: Hutchinson

Year in School: Junior

Favorite Color: Green

Fun Fact: I love to hunt and fish.

Favorite Cat Fact: Cats have a self-righting reflex, this is why they land on their feet.

Ryan first got started into agricultural education by first taking a companion animals class in 9th grade, then he decided to try the poultry evaluation career development events. Ryan was drawn to the organization by a personal drive to learn more about FFA, the different aspects of agriculture, and also gain friendships that are typically developed within FFA.

As a member of the Hutchinson FFA chapter, Ryan has been involved with both the poultry evaluation and parliamentary procedure CDE teams. He’s also been an active participant in many chapter activities such as the Hutchinson FFA Fall Color 5K Run, Farm Products and Safety Day, and a petting zoo for younger elementary students.

Ryan’s favorite part of FFA so far has definitely been meeting people who have the same passion for agriculture, and then also meeting new people who he know will become his lifelong friends. A fun fact about Ryan is that he loves to make new friends by informing them about cat facts! He’s had the opportunity to attend both state and national FFA conventions, meet tons of people by attending these conventions, and this year he will have the privilege to serve his FFA chapter as president!

To make an impact on the community through agricultural education, Ryan participates in every event that FFA offers to the community. One of his passions is educating students and community members in Hutchinson about agriculture through outreach activities and programs that the chapter performs.

Besides just the community being up to date on what the FFA chapter is up to, Ryan also helps the local alumni understand what activities are happening with Hutchinson’s agricultural education department.

Growing is important for individuals and chapters in FFA, and Ryan has encouraged growth for his chapter by bringing back the chapter’s corn drive and Farmer Appreciation Day at a local cooperative in which all proceeds benefitted Camp Courage.

Not only has Ryan helped shape his chapter tremendously by investing time into many of the local activities and promoting what FFA is doing, but he also credits the organization with shaping him too, “FFA has helped me developed many of my leadership skills as well as many lifelong skills that will help me as I work towards my future career.” A future career is one of the ultimate goals of our organization, and Ryan is attesting to that statement.

When thinking about future plans down the road, Ryan would like to set off on two different paths or both paths at the same time - being the next generation to help run the family farm and/or becoming a veterinarian. Good luck to Ryan on his future endeavors as a very involved FFA chapter member, and congratulations on being selected as FFA member of the week!

FFA Member of the Week: One Year Later...

Name: Abbey Weninger 
FFA Chapter: Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted (HLWW) 
Year in School: 11th Grade
 Favorite Color: Teal
 Fun Fact: I sold $5,500 worth of fruit last year for fruit sales for our chapter.


Just this past year, Abbey transferred to Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted after witnessing her dad teach the local agricultural education program for the last 30 years, finally giving her the opportunity to be an FFA member.

The HLWW FFA chapter is well known for being well known not only at the state level in Career Development Events, but also at the national level - Abbey wanted to be a part of that experience. The three factors that drew Abbey into the organization the most was 1. the fun and excitement everyone was having in FFA, 2. the leadership roles, and 3. the endless amount of opportunities available to FFA members.

Last year, Abbey was able to compete at the National FFA Convention in both novice parliamentary procedure and agriculture communications.  A little known fact about this is that Abbey replaced a team member that couldn’t make it to convention just weeks before the competition, and she ended up placing 4th as an individual! In the fall, Abbey looks forward to competing again at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, but this time in parliamentary procedure.

Abbey’s favorite part of FFA thus far is all of the memories she has gained and will continue to make. She loves all of the people she meets in FFA, and she met a lot of friends this year while attending the State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders in July.

When talking about the things she’s gained from FFA, Abbey told us, “There is nothing close to the experiences you have in FFA. I have gained a new circle of friends, confidence, work ethic, and leadership skills. There is no way I could list all of the things I have gained from FFA because they are never ending. FFA has helped created the person I am today.”

Although Abbey has gained some exceptional skills from FFA, her local chapter has benefitted greatly from her organizational skills as the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted FFA secretary, and it will continue to benefit during this school year as she plays out her role as a chapter FFA officer.

Now Abbey is giving back to her community too. Last year, she was given the privilege to manage the school’s one-acre garden. She quickly developed a contract to sell CSA shares to members of the community. CSA shares are also known as community-supported agriculture shares which people can buy at the start of the growing season and then receive a portion of the harvest back as it comes in. Community members can buy a share for just $200, and they are guaranteed 14 weeks of produce, and they can also buy eggs or delivery for an additional cost! Abbey helped manage 20 CSA shares for the garden with the help of other members in her chapter throughout the entire summer.

In her chapter, Abbey has helped to start a mentor program this year that will hopefully engage more member participation. Additionally, Abbey will work to compile and publish her chapter’s newsletter written by the chapter officer team every month.

In her FFA future, Abbey can definitely picture herself running again for chapter office and even trying to obtain a region officer position this year. In her career future, Abbey thinks she may end up giving back and joining the National Guard, and attending college for an agriculture-related major. 

After just one year with FFA, Abbey is doing a phenomenal job in her agricultural education program. Thank you Abbey for all of the hard work you put into your FFA chapter, and good luck with all of the activities you will be a part of this year!