FFA Week

This week marks one of the biggest times of the year in the FFA world. It is National FFA week which spans from February 21st-28^th this year. Throughout this week many states, chapters, and members are participating in different activities to show their pride for the organization. These activities can range from Ag Olympics, FFA Trivia, Teacher Appreciation, Dress Up Days, and FFA Advocating.

One of my favorite FFA week activities I participated in  was our teacher breakfast and our teacher pie day. These activities where not only my favorite because we got some delicious food afterwards, but we received an amazing opportunity to show the staff in our school how much we appreciate them. As FFA members we are constantly going to an event or preparing for the next, so it is always important we have the support of the rest of our school staff so we can stay on top of the number one focus, academics. Our teachers have a great deal of patience and understanding, so it is vital they don’t go unrecognized for the support they give to our chapters to let us do out of school activities. This concept can be taken far beyond FFA. We know how great it feels to know you are appreciated, so we can’t let that appreciation stop at us. Every day use this principle to show how much you appreciate the support of your parents, friends, co-workers and other people in your life.

This Thursday many FFA members from across the state have a unique opportunity to travel to the Minnesota State Capitol and speak with legislators about the importance of agriculture, agricultural education, and FFA. Advocating and expressing our passion for the FFA is a major part of FFA week, whether this is in our own school, community, or at the government level. This is crucial because all three groups of people give us a substantial amount of support, and if we don’t advocate for the FFA and agriculture, it may not be there for future generations. Like appreciation this skill goes far beyond the blue jacket; advocating is something we will always use, whether it be for our personal beliefs, our children, or our careers. Just like FFA we need to show our passion and advocate for the things we love, so it is there for the future. 

As FFA week progresses we should take advantage of all the opportunities it provides and find ways to use the skills we learn beyond the jacket. Use the spirt of appreciation during FFA week and spread it around the rest of our life all year long. Never give up a change to advocate for our great organization. Minnesota FFA has great ways to do this on Instagram with this week’s photo challenge, on Twitter with our monthly #FFAChat and on all social media with #ForeverBlue.

HAPPY FFA WEEK!

Stationed by the Emblem of Washington

Brady Wulf

True Opportunity

Last week, I had the opportunity to spend two days at the Capitol and attended a meeting where I was able to spend a little over an hour hearing from the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. These experiences were valuable because they helped me connect, learn and get involved with the people and issues in policy!

No matter where you may be, there are always opportunities to connect with the people around you. When I was a sophomore in high school, I attended Ag Policy Bootcamp, now called the Ag Policy Experience Program, and met representatives and people involved with agricultural policy. Although I thought meeting these people was a great experience, I did not realize the value of the initial connections I made until I continued to see them again and again. Whether it was an FFA event or not, I continued to develop a stronger connection with these people that helped me to experience and learn more.

No matter who I was with, I began to see that when I engaged myself and asked questions, I was able to learn more and understand at a deeper level. This learning started with having a sincere interest in the topic being discussed and finding how it connected to my life. There is always a way we can learn more, connect the topic to our daily lives, and get involved.

Time after time throughout middle and high school I can remember teachers telling me to “get involved,” and “engage myself,” but I did not fully understand what they meant. Getting involved is not just about doing but rather about doing with purpose. When we are able to really get involved and become interested in what we are doing, we will learn and connect at a deeper level.

Whether we are connecting with Legislators at the upcoming FFA Day at the Capitol on Thursday, February 26 or getting involved with a school organization, these opportunities are exactly what we make of them. It is easy to go with the flow and do things just as others have, but it is much more beneficial when we take the time to truly connect, learn and get involved. 

What is AFA?

Have you ever heard about AFA? If not, you are sure missing out! Do not worry, this blog is going to give you a brief overview of what Agriculture Future of America is all about!

"AFA's mission is to create partnerships that identify, encourage and support outstanding college men and women preparing for careers in the agriculture and food industry."

Agriculture Future of America is an organization that is committed to developing young leaders into professionals in the agriculture industry. AFA offers career-development training and community and national scholarships for students interested in the future of agriculture. The AFA Leader Development Model perfectly depicts how AFA uses students' passion, commitment, and talent to further develop leaders' abilities. 

This past November, my teammate Dalton, and I had the amazing opportunity to attend AFA's Annual Leaders' Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. We got to take an awesome road trip down to KC with the other attendees that are from South Dakota State University only to meet other students from all over the country who share our passion of agriculture! AFA Leaders' Conference is a four-track program that is designed for college students at different professional and personal development levels. This year, Dalton and I attended track one. During this track, we learned about resume, career fair, and interview skills, professional etiquette in dining, discovering career paths in agriculture, dressing for success, Five Choices of Extraordinary Productivity, attended an opportunity fair, heard amazing speakers, and SO MUCH MORE. The Opportunity Fair allowed us to put what we learned into action by speaking with different companies in the agriculture industry about potential internships or other opportunities. This conference helped me grow exponentially in my leadership and professional development skills. It was also great for networking with people all over the country and making friends that will last a lifetime. I cannot wait to apply again for track two!

SENIORS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS - AFA offers community based and national scholarships for students pursuing a degree in the field of agriculture. Do you know what is awesome about this scholarship though? You get money for school AND a trip to AFA Leaders' Conference! Scholarship applications can be found at www.agfuture.org and are due MARCH 20! When? MARCH 20! Please do not miss out on some awesome opportunities and being a part of such a great organization!

Stationed by the Plow,

The Power of Positive Thinking

Something that can immediately brighten my day is when I receive a heartfelt compliment. Knowing that someone took the time to acknowledge my hard work or appreciate a skill of mine and then went out of their way to tell me goes a long way. Too often do I not give myself enough credit or take the time to pat myself on the back. I am one that always looks at what I could have done better. While it is good to constantly look for ways to improve, not taking the time to recognize the great things that have been accomplished can be a slippery slope to a lack in self-worth.

Reflecting back on my first semester of college there were times where I wasn’t happy with my performance. Instead of looking for a way to positively improve myself I would just focus on all the negative parts of myself and rarely if ever looked at the good I was accomplishing. This led me to be even more upset because I wasn’t improving since I just sulked around all day. This cycle continued on for longer than I’d like to admit.

Finally I got to the point where I was sick of being mopey and not happy so I really evaluated where I was and what I was doing and come to a novel realization. If I want to be happy then just focus on the parts of life that make me happy. I knew that I am capable of being a merry person and that it had more to do with my mindset than my circumstance. However, this is not a new idea. Abraham Lincoln has had this figured out for a while, “People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Ever since I’ve truly taken this mentality to heart I have seen improvements. Keep in mind it wasn’t that I flipped a switch and everything was better. I have to consciously remind myself of this multiple times a day, but every day I see myself doing it less and less. It isn’t always easy but so far it has been worth it. Having the right mindset also helps when it comes to changing circumstances as well. With a positive outlook being the first step many other parts of my life followed suit in making themselves better.

The reason why everything comes to work together is because all of those pieces are working to achieve one common goal, improving the overall quality of one’s life. At its core positive thinking is meant to boost the enjoyment of life and with that happiness is a side effect. With that, go and enjoy life simply because you think you should!

Stationed by the Rising Sun,

Jack Roessler 

Giving

Recently during my Global Food Systems class, my entire class was reading a book all about world food shortages and hunger.  In the very first chapter, the author talked about his trip to Columbia.  During his trip, he was trying to help the people there become more sustainable so they could better feed their families as well as have a surplus to send to market.  One of the people who wanted his help the most was a man named Julio.  He worked with Julio and his wife, Imelda, to make their land more profitable.  His help made the family prosper and in turn, gave him the opportunity to buy two piglets to raise and sell or eat.  When the author returned a few months later, one pig was already sold, and he asked what Julio would do with the other.  Julio told him about a widowed neighbor woman who had two children, one of which was sick.  He was selling raffle tickets for the pig in order to raise as much money as he could in order to get the woman’s garden started and fix a leaky roof.  While I was reading all of this, it made me think about the sacrifice Julio was making.  He could have sold or ate the pig, and it would have made a difference because even though he was doing a lot better, he and his family were still well below the poverty line.  I wondered if I could have made the same sacrifice if I were in his shoes.

   After our class discussion about that story and topic, I thought about my time in South Africa only a few weeks ago.  I thought about two young boys that were in a very poor part of the town of Soweto named Kliptown.  When we arrived, we saw how little these people had.  We got the chance to play with the children there for a while, and I played football with the two boys.  To be honest, the reason I was teaching them football and not playing soccer was because I fell twice when trying to play soccer.  Nevertheless, we were playing football with a ball the FFA had brought, but our time in Kliptown ended faster than any of us wanted.  I hugged the boys and as I was walking away, they ran after me, giving me the ball back.  They could have easily taken it without any trouble.  I was amazed by what the boys had done, but the ball was supposed to be given to them.  When I told them it was theirs, their faces lit up with joy, they hugged me, and they proceeded to play the game I had just taught them.  They had shown almost the same giving desire as Julio but in a different way.  They wanted to give whatever they could to their neighbors and even the people they just met.  In this case, what they gave me was a combination of happiness and pride in the youth of the world.

            One final story I think you should look at is this video.  I think there is no need for any description. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUBTAdI7zuY

            All three of these stories involved people with little or no money.  However, these people didn’t let circumstances dictate who they were and the person they wanted to be.  Each one showed true compassion toward other people through giving.  I even question myself if I would do the same in their shoes.  Would you do the same?  If a camera followed you around, would people be moved by your actions?

Stationed by the door,

Dalton

Oh! The Places You Will Go!

Climb in an airplane. Fly 16 hours. Land in another country. Repeat. Although that was basically the process, it was much more than that the past 2 weeks in South Africa.

If you had told me 7, or even 2 years ago, that I would go to South Africa, I would have laughed. There would be only a little piece of me that believed in the crazy idea. I am happy to say that I did go to South Africa and less than a week ago I was standing on the top of one of the Natural Wonders of the World reflecting on my adventures that I have had through FFA.

Region leadership events, school Ag Olympics, National Convention; adventures have been spread throughout my time spent with FFA and continue to build. As a freshman in high school, I often fell behind the shadow of my two older sisters only wanting to do what Sara and Jill did. Through encouragement of my advisor and 4-H and FFA friends, I began to explore other options in FFA, specifically leadership activities. Having the privilege to serve as a chapter, region, and now a state officer, I can ensure you, my friend, that adventures are bound to happen. What adventures will you uncover?

“You have BRAINS in your HEAD. You have FEET in your SHOES. You can STEER yourself in any DIRECTION you CHOOSE.” –Dr. Seuss

The common Dr. Seuss quote describes my philosophy on adventures. YOU have it in you to take on adventures… and you don’t have to sit in a plane for 16 hours to make it count. I look at Dr. Seuss’ book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” as inspiration. We are the ones in control of where we want to go in life. We are able to choose our own adventures.

And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains!

 

You’re off to great places. Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way!

 

My Grandpa

My Grandpa, Leonard Wulf, has always been one of my biggest role models. Although I was only seven years old at the time he passed away, he left behind a legacy that has helped guide me through many situations and is one of my biggest inspirations. I hear from family, friends, the community, and members of the beef industry about how he was a man of integrity, trust, and humbleness. Grandpa Leonard used a series of his own quotes throughout his lifetime, so after his passing our family compiled a list of his most popular quotes. This list of quotes has served me well through life and I kept the list in my FFA jacket pocket all through State Officer interviews. I would like to share a few of my favorite quotes. Being seven at the time, there is not much I can remember about Grandpa but the little that I do remember, and the many stories from the ones he inspired, have taught me many lessons.

“It takes a lifetime to build a reputation, and one mistake to lose it.”

Celebrities all over the world prove this quote true time and time again. A prime example would be Lance Armstrong; he won many awards and was very well respected but with one dishonest mistake, he lost it all. When thinking of him today, people remember only the mistake rather than all the things he has achieved. Every choice we make affects our reputation, and one bad choice can take many years of good choices to overcome. My father makes sure this saying rings through my head every day, and it serves as a good reminder!

“Keep your dealings honest and your words true.”

If every person in the world lived by this quote, it would be a much better place. Lies and broken promises never have a positive outcome.

“A job ain’t worth doing if it ain’t done right”

This is my favorite saying I have from my grandpa; I use it with every little task I do. It says a lot about commitment and how if we are given a job or accept a responsibility, we need to do the best we can and put our whole heart in it!

“Three things that are difficult to do in life- climb a fence leaning toward you, kiss a women leaning away from you, and help someone who doesn’t want help.”

Along with my grandpa’s wisdom, he had a good sense of humor! Although this saying isn’t much on the serious side, there is a lot of truth to it. Not only do we have to remember that we can’t help ones who don’t want help, we always have to have the humbleness to accept help from others. With only an 8^th grade education my grandpa was always willing to accept help because the more help he received, the more he could learn to help him be successful.

Grandparents are a great role model in our lives. I never had the opportunity to connect with either of my grandpas at a mature age level. So if you have a grandparent with you today, give him a hug and never take him for granted.

Stationed by the Emblem of Washington,

Brady Wulf