What FFA Means

Once again, I am a day late and a dollar behind. OK, so I am way more than a dollar behind and probably a couple of weeks late. Make that at least one week late in this case. Yes, in my planning columns and writing them I often don’t factor in what the next week might be. I guess it is because often I am in survival mode and can’t think past a day or two ahead. In any case, I missed writing about FFA week.

Does that mean FFA is not important to me, absolutely not. FFA has played a huge role in my life and I have seen it become very important in the life of my kids. I know official dress is really uncomfortable because the coat is too warm on some occasions and not nearly warm enough to be called a coat on others. However, I think it is one of the most recognizable and inspiring uniform a high school student can wear. There is just something about the blue and gold that make you feel important and give a sense of pride.

I admit it, when it was decided that FFA no longer stood for Future Farmers of America it bothered me. After all, what is the foundation of the organization and what does that make the letters stand for? Well, over the years I have come to understand the wisdom behind the move. The practical side of it says that the clear majority of the youth going through FFA will never be involved in production agriculture. We know how those numbers are shrinking and they will only continue to get smaller. We also know that agriculture is much more than the production side.

If you look at the rosters of any of our agricultural businesses, you will see FFA alumni after FFA alumni including those in the top positions. The skills and leadership our FFA members are learning and developing make them the best source of corporate and industry leadership available. I don’t know how many employers I have had tell me over the years that they look for the former FFA and 4-H members first and that they have an edge over all other applicants because of the skills they have gained through their experience.

While the need for young people going into production agriculture maybe limited (those opportunities are still there and will always be there) there is a huge demand for skilled and trained professionals in ag related jobs. In changing the name and going away from the label farmers the organization is recognizing and appreciating the need for and the contributions made by all professionals in all levels of agriculture. We are all in this together.

Even beyond farming and beyond agriculture, FFA has so much to offer. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that I have spent most of my life working with FFA and 4-H and know very little about other similar organizations that high school youth can participate in. I know, without a doubt, that FFA gives youth the skills that will serve them well in the working world and lets them develop and practice those skills.

Skills like public speaking, record keeping, decision making, and all the technical knowledge in any given area of agriculture. However, in my humble opinion, the best and most important skill that is taught and practiced in FFA is leadership. That is the one special skill that makes FFA members stand out in a crowd. You can first see it in college. FFA members have the confidence and drive that send them to the front of the class. Again, look at the leadership of most of the student organizations in the college of agriculture and the leaders will often be 4-H and FFA alumni. Even beyond that a great percentage of the student body presidents at Kansas State have been former members. I promise it is no coincidence.

FFA has been such an important part of my life that during FFA week I reflect on those experiences and my wish is that every youth could have a similar experience. Each year I marvel how many vocational ag programs are added to our high schools. While it is encouraging that we are adding it still highlights how many high schools do not offer such a great opportunity for their students. Oh, I understand budgets and funding but I will ask just one question of those districts. Do you still have sports?

Again, don’t get me wrong, I am a believer in sports and the lessons that students learn in them also, but I am a bigger believer in FFA and the lifelong skills those students acquire. FFA is something everyone can participate in and excel. It is my hope that more districts will explore adding the programs and that those of us who have benefitted from the program will continue to advocate for it. We need more blue and gold corduroy.

Ike's Last Fair, 14 years in a Flash

It is the night before the fair and all is calm. OK, all is not calm and we are in the final, furious push to tie up the loose ends (i.e. iron shirts, pack clothes, prepare stalls, etc….). One of the last things we have to do is to trim Isaac’s steer this morning. With all of the rush and excitement we have not had time to think about the fact that this is his last county fair as an exhibitor. The past twelve years seem to have passed just as quickly as the last two days.

Isaac actually has been exhibiting at the fair for fourteen years. He started his showing career with a bucket calf at the age of five. When Dad is the county agent and you spend every hour at the fair, it is only natural to start early. My kids have spent every hour of every fair at the fairgrounds and exhibiting a bucket calf at a tender age was the best way to keep them out of Dad’s hair.

Jethro was Isaac’s first bucket calf. He got the name from the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Pageant. The cowboys were hanging the cattle rustler Jethro (just a dummy) and for some reason Isaac decided to name his bucket calf after the dummy. I really don’t remember how Jethro did and that probably is a good lesson for all of us going into the fair. The ribbon Jethro earned was not nearly as memorable as the calf and the cute little boy with big ears showing him.

I remember thinking during that fair that we would be 4-H parents forever and it was going to be a long time before we were done with that gig. Now I am on the eve of Isaac’s last fair with the realization that Tatum only has this and two more fairs left, wondering where the time has went. Many times I have told newly minted 4-H parents that they will blink and wonder what has happened to all of the time.

I really don’t remember too many of the trophies and ribbons Isaac has won. I do remember the experiences. I remember Vicious, the heifer, who, in the beginning lived up to her name, and ended up being a really calm, tame heifer. Then there was T-Bone, the steer, and Twinkle Toes, the Suffolk ewe, to name just a few of the many, many show animals that comprised Isaac’s show career.  Isaac has been pretty creative with his animal names over the years but this year’s may be the best. His final steer is named, fittingly, Tuition.

This year Isaac decided to stick with just livestock and has put to rest the tradition of last minute finishes to his other projects. I do not miss putting the decals on a rocket the night before the fair (OK in all fairness that was probably more Grandma Drake than me) or wondering if the paint would dry on the woodworking project. There were many late nights trying to get the exhibiter cards filled out and plans printed. Maybe he learned something about waiting until the last minute to finish projects. Sadly I think he learned he could wait that long and still get it done.

I do miss the conference judging and the wonderful judges we have met over the years. Again, I am not sure if I remember any of the ribbons he received on any of his projects but I do remember the conversations and the friendly tips and encouragement from each judge. Often it was not easy being the Extension Agent’s kid.

This year has been so hectic that I am not sure we have really had much time to realize that we were in the final sprint for the finish line (or more accurately staggering across the finish line of a marathon). I am sure it will sink in at some point this fair or in the days following it. Sure there have been some hard times when it wasn’t much fun, but for the most part, the fair has yielded more great memories and even a few life lessons along the way.

Most importantly, I realized something I have always said is true. Over the past fourteen years Isaac has won a few shows and contests at the Pottawatomie County Fair but I can’t name them or remember which years they were. I can remember the animals, the projects, the friends, leaders, judges and the great stories and they are what is truly most important. Ribbons fade, trophies gather dust and buckles tarnish but the memories and life lessons from the county fair live forever.

Peace and County Fairs

The other night I was returning home late from a meeting and I was driving down main street of my home town and I noticed a young person (probably late teens maybe early twenties) walking down the street with his phone held up in front of his face. It seemed like kind of an odd thing to be doing so I quizzed the teenagers in my household about it.

It seems as though there is this game called Pokemon Go where you wander around places watching through the camera on your phone waiting for different characters to pop up. I really do not understand this game, nor do I want to understand it. I guess I have reached “old geezer” status. But it did leave me with a couple of thoughts. First, I guess at least they have to be outside and exercise a little bit. Second, how sad it is that the only way to get some kids (and adults) off of the couch is with some game on their phone.

I also think it is another disturbing sign of how our society has become more and more dependent on our cell phones. I have heard the addiction to your cell phone is somewhere close to addiction to drugs and I would believe it. I am example A for this. Often I find the urge to check my phone overpowering and often I allow it to divert too much of my attention.

Recently, we have seen news stories and incidents where cell phone video has sparked protests and created controversy. We are too quick to judge people and their actions based only on a few seconds of video versus waiting for the entire story to be told. All of this rush to judgment (on either side) has serious repercussions. It adds to our stress and allows us to become bogged down with worry.

I don’t know about you but I really crave a break from the current news cycle and I want a reminder of all that is right in this world because I still believe there is a lot that is good and right. Thank goodness it is county fair time. If you want a snap shot of how the world should be go to your local county fair and look around. Often it reminds me of a time before we had all of this technology at our finger tips and maybe the world was a simpler, less stressful place.

Often I like to just sit in the bleachers or on a bench at the county fair and just watch what is going on around me. You will see neighbors and old friends engaging in conversations and catching up on what has happened since the last county fair. It is a place where kids play and meet new friends, many times the old friends catching up nearby started out as those kids playing at that very same county fair.

It is a place that will renew your faith in the next generation. You can see the hard work and skills they have acquired over the past year on display through the projects that line the barns and exhibit buildings. If you want to know more about what they have learned or how passionate they are about their projects, just ask them and you will be amazed at the answers you get in return. This is where our future community leaders are being trained.

I love the sights, smells and sounds of a county fair. Oh sure, the advances in technology have come to the county fair too. I know our fair and many others tout free wifi for those of us sufficiently addicted to our phones. At first I lamented the addition of an on ramp to the internet, but maybe it isn’t all that bad.

Remember, my earlier lament about all of the negative video on the internet. All of that footage of all of the bad things that happen in our world, coming to us in real time. Maybe we could try to reverse this trend of negativity by sharing some of the good things and wholesomeness of our local, small town county fairs. Show the kids playing, old friends talking and the youth displaying what they have learned. Let’s bombard the internet with good things.

No, on second thought, let’s just enjoy the moment without worrying about our phone or recording every second and truly start living. Make it a point to spend time at your county fair, take it all in and remember just how good life can be, I promise it will soothe your soul. And if you need a game to get you there it is OK, I suppose. Just remember to look away from the screen every once in a while and watch where you step.

Winning Isn't All About First Place

The final sheep show of the year is coming up for us in Hutchinson next weekend (or this past weekend when you read this). This is a show that I both dread and look forward too. I look forward to it because my morning and evening chores will get much easier afterward with no show animals to feed but I also dread it because it is the last show of the season and it means another year is gone.

This past week is unbelievably hectic, we are in the middle of corn harvest, sheep must be sheared and the tack must be organized. There are not enough hours in the day and shearing by the light of the garage is really tough. Well, I suppose maybe it is easier since you don’t see the spots you missed. In any case, this is a busy stressful week and we often ask ourselves if it is worth it.

I know many of you have seen articles or even experienced the darker side of youth animal shows and someday we will discuss that. I have definite opinions but we will leave that for another time. Even with all of its warts and problems youth animal shows are still a great thing for kids to be involved in. I know my kids have benefited tremendously and we will miss them a great deal when we are done.

Are there bad apples in the show ring? Sadly, the answer is yes. Are there parents, breeders and fitters who take things too far and give everyone a black eye? Again the answer is yes. Are there families who can simply buy their way to the top? I think we all know the answer is again to the affirmative. It is sad but it is also a reflection on society as a whole and by no means do these flies in the ointment represent the vast majority of 4-Hers and FFA members who participate.  Unfortunately they tend to attract the most attention.

My family has seen the worst of the show ring and we have had discussions about it. To be honest, I have told my kids that in some ways this is preparing them for the real world. No matter what field of work you go into there are always those who will do anything to get ahead, whether it is legal or not. In any business there are those who have more money and resources than you do and they can circumvent hard work with that money. These are hard lessons to learn and bitter pills to swallow.

So why are we involved? It is simple; the vast majority of the youth and families involved in youth animal shows are good, salt of the earth people and the very role models I want my kids to be around. The youth involved in showing livestock are the kind that get up early, work hard and are good kids. They are learning real skills, responsibility and gaining a work ethic like none other. They know what it is like to have other depend on you.

I have had employers tell me that they like kids who come from the show ring. They know how to start a project and see it through to the end. Livestock kids can make a plan, make sure it happens each day and most important, complete it. They know the benefit of finishing strong and doing things the right way. I have heard this many times from people in many different businesses. Livestock show kids are always in demand.

I guess that brings us back to the bad apples. Sure they may win a trophy or two; they may get their picture in the winner’s circle but in the end the few that win by hook or crook end up losing. They miss out on those real world skills and the true life skills that will ultimately get them ahead. Do all winners cheat? Absolutely not, most of the winners are the very kids I am talking about and are very deserving of any award they receive.

I guess what I am saying is that not all of the good things about youth livestock shows can be judged in the final drive. The benefits cannot be counted by the number of buckles and banners won. It is more than that and often the youth benefiting the most are not at the top of the class. That is why my kids are involved and why this weekend is important.

The True Fair Trophy

There are few things I find more relaxing or comforting than the cab of my tractor after the county fair. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy the county fair but all the hustle and bustle of the week leading up to it and the constant go, go , go of the fair makes me appreciate the relative calm and quiet of the hay field. That and the need to be alone in a quiet place for a while, I am a people person but you know what they say about too much of a good thing.

This year’s fair was a very good fair. It was complete with the usual array of highlights and disappointments.  The fair this year even had the added excitement of a real life fire in one of the vendor’s food trailers, not once but twice. All I will say is there is nothing better than a fire truck arriving during the beef show. Most of all this year’s fair featured a time to reacquaint with old friends and the opportunity to meet new friends.

The county fair is the pinnacle event that all 4-Hers and FFA members work up to each year and their hard work was on display. I always find it tough when a whole summer’s worth of work comes down to one person’s opinion in a few short minutes. When you or your child is picked as the winner nothing compares to the rush, but when you are at the other end of the lineup it can also be very frustrating.

I know I can get too focused on the ranking of my children’s projects and it is easy to lose focus on what it is all about. I promise you that in five years and often much sooner than that, no one will remember who finished where or what ribbon they received. I know this because I asked several young people this year. They could tell you about the animal they exhibited and what happened during the fair and often they had a vague idea of what ribbon they received but not the exact placing.

What I saw, when I took a moment to observe, was groups of kids and adults gathered round the show box or leaning on the show ring fence. Some of the discussions were serious in nature but most often they involved laughter, good natured ribbing and smiles. That is what the county fair is all about. We have to evaluate the projects because it is part of the process but we also need to keep that part in perspective.

Ribbon color really is not that important (this is from a highly competitive person). However, I will say because of the pressure we put on ourselves and our kids, we have watered the whole system down. Somehow we have made red ribbons a failure and white ribbons an insult and that is not right. As a judge I will say that we have succumbed to peer pressure and often give out too many blue ribbons. Remember the ribbon color is not a statement about the child or the amount of work they have done, it is just that judge’s opinion at that time. We will revisit this some other time.

My point is that we get too hung up on how the project placed and often let that override the more important things going on at the fair. My moment this fair was when, near the end, I realized that during the entire fair I had fed the sheep once and that was only after being handed the bucket because the child feeding sheep had been summoned for something else. I was relegated to a little used technical advisor and more often a runner for things out of the show box. After much of the pre-fair angst, I discovered my kids were really growing up and capable of doing things on their own without my prodding or nagging.

More importantly I watched as my kids spent time with their friends or worked with younger members and I thought back to my 4-H days and the most important part of fair became crystal clear. I do not remember anything about how any of my projects placed but I still have friends I made during the fair. People and experiences are the most valuable part of any fair not the ribbons or trophies. I guess it is the clarity that the tractor seat brings and the solitude makes you appreciate the true value of the fair. It is a great event, one with much stress and even greater rewards; you just have to take time to realize it.

Fair Chaos

Things at our house this week are a bit stressful. OK, maybe that is a little bit of an understatement. We are in full blown fair chaos this week and everyone’s blood pressure is on the upper end. Each year we say we are going to be more prepared but this year marks our tenth year of fair week chaos. I think being unprepared is terminal.

Fair week is like nothing else at our place, each year it seems like we have some calamity befall us this week. My favorite was the year we had no water. Yes, we had been going through a dry spell and the day before the fair our well gave out. There may be a few of you out there that have not experienced fair week so I assure you that water is a critical element of preparation for the fair. Between washing animals and cooking it is absolutely necessary to have water to avoid a fair meltdown.

Last year it was the pickup. I thought we were on our way to being somewhat organized and ready for the fair. So organized that I thought ahead and decided to get more sheep feed so we would not run out mid-fair. Upon arriving at the feed store I noticed a black film around the bottom of my pickup. The rear main seal had gone out and the pickup was down for the count (or at least the fair). Yes, the pickup is a critical piece of fair equipment. Luckily, this crisis was averted by having spare worn out pickups around.

This year our crisis (so far) seems to be too many tasks and too few hours. I compared notes with my friends and this seems to be a common crisis among families with older teens. For weeks maybe even months Mom and Dad encouraged (nagged) and reminded that the fair seems to sneak up on us and maybe it would be easier if we completed things earlier. We have plenty of time was the most common response.

Now it is fair week and suddenly all those projects must be completed by the end of the week. Suddenly we are counting days, hours and minutes and they are not adding up to enough time. Work reaches a frantic pace and fuses get shorter and shorter.  We have officially reached crisis level. In the middle of all the chaos Jennifer expressed frustration (to put it mildly) and I reminded her that we only have three more fairs as 4-H parents after this one.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were washing Jethro, the bucket calf, and the crisis that year was the unknown of being a first year 4-H family. That year there were several of us with new 4-H families and we all talked about how we were going to be in 4-H forever. I am not sure but I would guess that the grizzled veteran 4-H parents were shaking their heads at our naivety. Even with the annual crisis the years have flown by and we have made it through all of them with the scars to prove it.

Dealing with those fair week crisis situations is part of the learning experience. I also suspect that years from now we will look back and laugh about each year’s disaster.  My guess is that how we dealt with the crisis will be what we remember and not how well the projects placed that year. We will survive and the fair will have gone on in spite of the frantic preparations in the days before.

I also know that next week in the wake this year’s fair we will make plans to be more organized next year. If I was a betting man, I would say that in spite of all the best of intentions next year will be just as frantic. I would also bet that something unexpected will happen that will throw a giant monkey wrench into those frantic, last minute preparations. I would also be that we will survive the chaos and the crisis and complete yet another year.

I am not sure what the crisis will be in each of the next three years. However, I think I have an idea what the crisis will be four years from now. My guess is that Jennifer and I will realize that it is the week before the fair and we have no kids in 4-H and no projects to frantically get ready at the last minute. I am not sure, but I think that may be the greatest crisis of all.