Just One Spark...

In July of 1776, the Continental Congress declared the 13 American colonies as one free nation, the United States of America, no longer a part of the British Empire. Ever since then, July 4th has been recognized as one huge party to celebrate our declaration of independence - full of barbecues, family gatherings, parades, and of course, fireworks. For me, fireworks are probably the most exciting part of my family’s celebration that day. After a long day of lounging around the boat on Pokegama Lake, or exploring the town of Grand Marais, like I did today, fireworks are hands down the best sort of entertainment to close out a rather important holiday.

I remember watching my first fireworks show as a child in Fraser, Colorado. My family of three would drive our Subaru into a huge, open field and park, waiting patiently (or however patiently a 4-year-old could wait) for the show to start. Then suddenly, color would light up the sky, flashing in bright hues of blue, green, yellow, red, and then my personal favorite, purple. These colors lit up the sky accompanied by a big boom, and sometimes a short fizzle as it faded into the night. I was amazed by the beauty just one firework could have and the impact the light had to the darkness around it.

When I was a freshman, I was always waiting for something extraordinary to happen. At this point, I had lived a rather adventurous life, full of hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, walking across the glaciers of northwest Montana, and exploring the switch-backed trails of Colorado. As I entered high school, I only wanted to continue these adventures and satisfy my hunger for more. When I walked into the agricultural education room for the first time, I never would have guessed a new adventure would just be beginning. I was approached by a rather intimidating man, who introduced himself as Mr. Linder, who asked if I liked horses. Hesitantly (and rather terrified), I answered with a short ‘yes,’ to which he sat me down and started pulling up various judging classes, rattling along as he went. A few hours passed and I became more and more comfortable, realizing this teacher was getting more and more excited with every answer I gave. 

A few weeks later, Mr. Linder registered me to participate in my first ever region Career Development Event – horse judging. I was terrified walking in. I remember my freshman year of regions as a jumble of horses, anxious advisors, multicolored cards, and long sets of oral reasons. However, once we finished, I came out qualified for State, and a little surprised of myself.

Now, many years later, I can compare my freshman self, and all of us as FFA members, to those fireworks.

Fireworks need just one spark to set them off into a frenzy of color, light, and awestruck beauty. FFA members are the exact same way. Every member needs just one spark, maybe from an advisor, chapter officer, fellow member, or even you, to set themselves into an incredible leadership frenzy, lighting up the world around them with their unique styles and colorful qualities. When we spark other leaders, the world around us can change as we know it, and even spark others to do the same.

What was your spark?

Who needs that spark ignited in your life? How can you spark others?

Today, I watch fireworks light up the sky, and I smile because I know FFA members can do the same.

Stationed by the flag,

Eleora DeMuth 

Which Window?

After finishing up chores one night last week, my brother Michael and I headed on our ride home from the farm where we keep our goats.  We passed corn fields, houses, and rolling hills on our way home with the windows open.  When we took a bend in County Road 9, we came across an especially scenic part of our route.  

Michael glanced over at me, breathed out, "Emily, look at that view," and stared through the windshield of the Lumina.  I checked the rear view mirror, glanced out the open window, and put my eyes back on the road.  

"Michael," I asked, "Isn't it prettier when you look out the open window?"  The windshield of my beloved car had spots of squished bugs and residue from the wipers, and the rear view mirror made this beautiful view tiny, but when we looked straight out to the place we were in that moment, there wasn't anything obstructing the view.

After comparing them, Michael chose to stare out the open window, where he could experience the view of County Road 9 in brighter color without unclear spots.  

When we think about the routes we take in our lives, where are we choosing to look? Do we look towards the future, at a beautiful view that may not be quite clear for us, either because we aren't there yet or because like my poor Lumina, we really need a car wash.  That front view is important to keep us on track, but it's a little smeary.

What about that rear view mirror? It may be beautiful to ride away from the setting sun, but all we really see is a tiny fragment.  The little picture in our mirrors might contain some amazing memories, but if we focus on looking back, we won't see the beauty of where we are now until it fades into a tiny memory too.

When we look straight out our open windows and focus on the here and now, all of a sudden those obstacles disappear.  Whether we're spending our summer moments working, training livestock to show at the fair, attending leadership conferences, or connecting with our friends, we need to be present.   

Last week, my teammates and I headed down to Iowa for the National Leadership Conference for State Officers.  I knew from the start we'd be heading straight from this conference up to our State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders.  Now, I'd been excited for SLCCL and reconnecting with amazing leaders from all over the state for a long time, but I wasn't sure what NLCSO would look like.  On the ride down, I kept my thoughts on SLCCL.  Who would be there? How would my cabin interact? What really cool people was I going to meet?  I walked into Iowa's FFA center with the acronym SLCCL still on the tip of my tongue, until I remembered words one of my mentors had told me a week before.  

Be where your feet are.  

My feet were on a tile floor in Ankeny, Iowa, and the rest of my body was too, but I realized my mind wasn't.  Starting then, I chose to be present and go all in as we spent five days growing.  When I did make that choice, I was able to keep the exciting next step at the back of my mind so I could be a better officer when I got there.  That focus out the open window, on the here and now, allowed me to dig deep with my teammates and advance our ability to facilitate information to Minnesota's chapter leaders.  I had an amazing experience because my focus wasn't on where I was going next anymore.

Instead of looking back on our favorite memories or towards the agonizing wait until our next big events, let's keep our minds where our feet are.  When we keep our thoughts on the people around us and the tasks at hand, we give ourselves the opportunity to create moments worth celebrating.  Wherever we are, let's be all there.

This week, my feet are in Hackensack, Minnesota, at SLCCL.  And you know what?  My mind is here too.

Where are you?

Stationed by the plow,

Emily Pliscott

State Vice President

Just Jump In

After nine months of school and a seemingly endless winter, I am so glad summer has finally arrived! I love to get outside with friends and enjoy the great Minnesota lakes and woods. One of my favorite summer adventures happened last year as school ended. Along with a group of friends, I embarked on a journey to Lake Superior so we could spend a few days together before we would head our separate ways as our summers became filled with work, camps, and activities.

The six of us began our trip by hiking at Gooseberry Falls and rolling up our pants to wade in the icy river. We continued on our road trip until we reached our destination for the week: Honeyrock, a unique cabin set right on the rocky Superior shore. We spent the next few days exploring boulders on the beaches, hiking on the cliffs looking out hundreds of feet above the lake, singing every song we knew together, and watching the shooting stars at night. I was content with how our week was going, but my friend Noah wasn't quite satisfied. He was looking for more thrills and more daring adventures. Noah decided we should take the plunge and jump into the frigid waters of Lake Superior. Because we were fearless explorers, we agreed hesitantly to his request. 

After much persuasion, we stood in our swimsuits huddled on the rocks as the icy waves rolled into the bay. I was less than thrilled about the idea of jumping into the arctic waters, but after lots of encouragement, I stood out on the edge of the boulders in the chilly wind. I didn't know what to expect jumping in. How cold would it really be? Would I be able to get out again before I turned into a popsicle? As I paused at the edge of the rock seriously considering heading back to the shore, a chorus of “Go!” “Just jump” and “Do it for the adventure!” rang out from my friends on shore. So I just jumped in. The water was colder than I thought water could be without freezing, and I raced out of the lake to the shore. Though it wasn't necessarily a comfortable experience, I smiled and laughed with my friends after it was over. We were glad we had tried something new and hadn't settled for the usual adventures.

In the same way, we often forget that we have new, incredible opportunities around us all the time. As summer starts and we go on to our own adventures, whether it be showing animals at the fair, going to camp, or hanging out with friends, we need to remember to seek out new things and to really plunge into new opportunities. Sometimes we need to leave our comfort zones, and sometimes the water will be cold, but in the end we only have one life to live. So just jump in and try something new this summer. Find something that you have always wanted to do and give it a whirl! When is the last time you did something for the first time?

Stationed by the rising sun,

Katie

Ashby creates garden of opportunity and experience

Ashby creates garden of opportunity and experience

By Katherine Gathje

Guest blogger and Eden Valley-Watkins FFA Member

Ashby School District agriculture instructor and FFA advisor had an idea a few years ago to make his instruction more hands on. His vivid idea is now a garden which doubles as a food source and instruction tool for the students in the PreK-12 school. Dustin Steenblock is the agriculture instructor at Ashby High School, his love of agriculture started young. The upbringing on his parent’s farm helped him get where he is and wants to give students some of those same opportunities.

The Ashby School garden complex is comprised of a 100 foot x 100 foot garden, a 30 foot x 36 foot high tunnel, and eight raised garden beds for community use. There are also composting systems and storage, prairie garden raised beds, and a 24 tree apple and plum orchard. To top it off, there is an outdoor classroom consisting of raised vegetable garden beds, rain collection system, and a 10 foot  x 20 foot indoor grow/starter room. All of this is managed by the students and Steenblock.

“We give the kids the opportunity to help them find what they are going to succeed in life,” said Steenblock.

The majority of the work done with the gardens is by the sustainable agriculture class offered to the students. The class curriculum was developed and added to the high school schedule for the 2011-2012 school year in a trial, semester-long course. The class has been popular and has continued to be offered by the district ever since. Instruction includes multiple forms of learning and settings. Units of the course were very encompassing and included skills for small scale production and processing of goods, with a heavy concentration on vegetables, as

well as focusing on creating and the benefits of a fresh, local, and healthy food supply.

Steenblock said the classes work to provide as much of the produce to the students and staff as possible. Some of the plants like their tomatoes will not start growing until the late summer and fall that way more students can help with the harvesting and preserving. Other produce is planted in the spring, and what cannot be preserved for the next school year is sold at local farmers markets and brought to the food shelf.

The school is able to maintain their hands on learning by having all the students PreK-12 in one building. There are about 20 students per grade keeping the teacher student ratio low. As for FFA, their successful program includes about 50 members from grades 8-12.

Over 260 Students, 40 staff, and eight community garden families are directly impacted by the program and gardens. Students and staff create a sustainable, local food supply on school grounds by taking ownership in the entire process of growing the food. One of Steenblock’s favorite aspects of gardening is seeing the tiny seed planted eight weeks ago bloom into something that will eventually provide nourishment for others. This produce, partially processed by students, creates a healthy supplement to meals and snacks served at school.

The garden site also supplements instruction in every grade of the school. A large portion of that is for K-2 and 11-12. This instruction focuses on aspects of vegetable planting, growth, maintenance, insect relationships, processing, and consumption with the greatest benefits coming from the hands-on experiences.

Pakou Hang + Hmong Farmers

Pakou Hang + Hmong Farmers

Written by guest blogger, Erin Larson

Minnesota has one of the largest Hmong-American populations in the United States.

By 1980, Hmong farmers moved to the metro areas of Minnesota, revitalizing the urban farmers markets. Hmong refugees settled from Laos and Thailand to Minnesota following the Vietnam War.

Pakou Hang speaking at the Minnesota FFA Convention

“Wherever [Hmongs] have gone, Hmong people have farmed,” said Pakou Hang, executive director and co-founder of Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA).

Pakou spoke at the second general session of the 2017 Minnesota FFA Convention. In her keynote address, Pakou spoke on behalf of Hmong farmers and their role in Minnesota agriculture.  

“It is great to work in agriculture, a field that encourages people to grow, produce and provide food for others,” said Pakou.

Pakou has worked for more than 12 years as a community organizer and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2008 with a Masters in Political Science. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1999.

Pakou works closely with Minnesota Hmong farmers, particularly on the HAFA farm.

The farm is a 155-acre research and incubator farm, just 15 miles south of St. Paul, near Minnesota Highway 52. HAFA sub-leases the land to its members while maintaining research and demonstration plots to provide continuing education in sustainable agricultural practices to its member-farmers.

“We grow traditional crops found in Minnesota in addition to Oriental crops,” said Pakou.

The HAFA Farm began in 2013. Since it’s start, HAFA has begun implementing sustainable agricultural practices such as composting, succession planting, installing grass roadways and laying of erosion blankets. The HAFA farm has a plan for bees, supplying a whole farm pollinator.

In 2011, HAFA implemented numerous bicultural and bilingual trainings, to become better land stewards. Hmong farmers are committed to building healthy farms that takes into consideration of soil and water quality, biodiversity, farmer and consumer health and economic sustainability.

According to a recent study, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Hmong American farmers make up over half of all producers at farmers markets in the Twin Cities’ metropolitan area. Nearly 40 percent of the food produced at the HAFA farm go to a the farmers markets. The remaining 60 percent remain within the Twin Cities, donated to more than 120 schools and community groups.

“We farm for the same purpose as the large-scale farmer,” said Pakou . “We value the importance to feed people.”

To learn more about HAFA, visit their page on Facebook – Hmong American Farmers Association.

Mr. Charles Funk, retired agricultural education teacher

Mr. Charles Funk, retired agricultural education teacher

written by guest blogger, Erin Larson

The average Minnesota FFA member attends two state FFA conventions during their time in FFA. Charles Funk has attended 53 state FFA conventions -- consecutively.

Charles Funk, a retired agricultural educator, grew up in Sebeka where he attended school and got involved with the FFA chapter. At the age of 16, Charles was planning to quit school. That fall, he attended the National FFA Convention in Kansas City, Mo.

“At the time, National FFA had a quota on the number of students that were able to attend,” said Charles. “It was either the 10 percent of membership or six students, whichever was greater.”

Charles’ friend, Tom, who later became Minnesota FFA State President, encouraged him to go to the National FFA Convention.

Charles said, at first he couldn’t put his experience into words.

“It was undoubtedly the best students who attended convention because of the quota restriction,” said Charles.

Charles graduated with an agricultural education degree from the University of Minnesota in 1971. His teaching experiences span from 1970 to 2011.

“I taught at Motley High School, before they merged with Staples for 16 years,” said Charles. “After Staples, I taught at Sebeka for 20 years.”

Following his time at Sebeka, Charles taught an independent class for five years at the Menahga High School.

“I was teaching when many of these [current] ag teachers were students,” said Charles . “As they’ve grown up, we’ve become co-equals. It adds a competitive side to it, too.

Charles has witnessed the transformation of state convention and Minnesota FFA over the years.

“I’m an FFA junkie,” said Charles.

From solely being on the St. Paul campus to expanding to the Minneapolis side, Charles navigates through the University of Minnesota every April.

“[Minnesota FFA] has more students involved, resulting in a need to expand beyond the St. Paul campus,” said Charles. “There was usually a catered banquet to the awards ceremony. The general sessions were in the gymnasium, and the talent show was in the North Star Ballroom.”

The growth excites Charles. There are more opportunities for students to be involved with proficiencies, Career Development Events and leadership workshops.

“Because of FFA, I went from a kid who was going to quit school to a life-long learner,” said Charles..

Through his involvement in FFA and service, Charles received the Honorary American FFA Degree. He was awarded the degree when the first female National FFA President, Jan Eberly, served.

Although Charles is retired, he still remains involved and connected with the local FFA chapters. This past year, Charles helped with the Staples-Motley FFA Chapter officer interviews. He played a role to nominate the Sebeka school superintendent to serve on the Minnesota FFA Association adult board.

Charles is married to Cheryl Funk and father to Edric, Aaron, Sarah, Stephen, Maria and Paul. Edric and Stephen served as Minnesota state FFA officers. His son-in-law, Miles was awarded the Stars Over America in Ag Placement when he was a member. Stephen and Maria are agricultural education teachers in Mountain Lake and Menahga, respectively.