FFA Week!

What do Cracker Barrel, GooGoo Clusters, Taylor Swift, and Moon Pies all have in common? Well, they all originate from the state where I had the opportunity to spend my FFA week - Tennessee! Along with the state officers (Wesley, Samantha, Chelsea, Kelsey, Cody, Lauren, Rebekah and Michelle) we spent the week promoting the theme of Blue Jackets, Bright Futures. From working with students in workshops, speaking at banquets, to interacting with foundation sponsors and other supporters, we worked hard to secure a bright future for the FFA and its members.

One morning the state officer team and I had the opportunity to interact with legislators, and even speak on the floor to the Tennessee House of Representatives!

From Munford to Cedar Hill, I visited 12 different chapters on the western side of the state. I was continually blown away by the quality of programs, the excitement of their members, and the many different areas of involvement. The Mumford chapter officer team put on some of the most interactive, and engaging chapter meetings I have ever seen! I also had the opportunity to visit the chapter of former member Taylor Swift, in Hendersonville!

At the end of every chapter program, I made sure to take some time to tour each school's facilities to see some of their different projects. I saw greenhouses full of ferns (which are a top seller in Tennessee), high tech hydroponic units, small animal units (equipped with boa constrictors and Iguanas), school farms, and aquaculture.

Being from Eagleville, Missouri my family had actually stopped and taken a picture by the Tennessee sign on our way home from a family vacation. Little did I know, I would have the opportunity to go back and have lunch with the Eagleville FFA Chapter a couple years later. Eagleville is also home to past state president Chelsea Doss. It was a full week, but I couldn't have asked for a better place to celebrate FFA week. Thank you Tennessee, and keep up the great work!

Land of the Rising Sun

OK, I have a lot to catch you up on! So, let me get started with one of the most eye opening, and memorable events of this year - Japan!

After the longest plane flight I had ever been on, our team stepped off the plane in Tokyo. It was here we met up with our tour guide/interpreter/comedian for the week Chieko Tsuruta - who was amazing! The next ten days were packed with everything from a Japanese drum and tea ceremony to school visits and learning about international relations at the US Embassy. I don't have enough room to share everything that happened, but here are the major highlights for me.

By far the most memorable part of my stay was the three days I spent with my host family in the Aichi Prefecture. I'll admit I was a little apprehensive at first; however, from the moment I met my host mom and brother at the school I knew I was in for an awesome experience. Although they spoke no English, they welcomed me into their family like one of there own. I went to the supermarket with them, arm wrestled in the living room with the brothers (and yes, got beat every time), tried new foods like fermented soybeans, watched fishing shows (they loved fishing!), learned some Japanese, and spent a lot of time just sitting on the floor getting to know each other. I quickly found that long legs cause some problems when you have to sit on the floor for extended periods of time. They were an extremely close knit traditional family, and I felt so fortunate to have been able to spend time with them. It was a good reminder of what it truly means to be happy with what you have, and to value the relationships in your life.

During the week we were able to go on numerous tours to learn about the culture, religion, and history of the country. I love architecture, so I was continually fascinated by the temples, and shrines.

The bombing of Hiroshima is something we all study in our history classes. However, to us it is just that - history, a fact. Well, having the opportunity to visit the sight of the first atomic bombing in the history of the world, made that history lesson much more real. From the moment you step off the train, you feel deep inside the immensity of what happened. At first it was pretty sobering, and yet the cool thing is that the entire site is now dedicated to world peace. It is tradition for visitors to fold paper cranes and hang them by the children's memorial to represent a prayer for world peace. Our team brushed up on our origami skills and contributed our own set of paper cranes.

Last, but certainly not least...the FFJ! Many people don't realize this, but we actually have a sister organization across the ocean known as the Future Farmers of Japan. Our team had the opportunity to interact with many of the members, chapter officers, and take a tour their programs. It was also our first opportunity to practice our introductions in Japanese...which was down right funny.

From Coast to Coast

Welcome to my blog! I look forward to keeping you updated on all my travels and other FFA happenings throughout this coming year. Also, be sure to check out my teammate's blogs to get the full scoop on what has been happening around the country, maybe even in your own state.

First, let me briefly introduce myself. I grew up on a registered Angus beef operation in rural Northwest Missouri, and by rural, I am talking a graduating class of 12! I have a younger brother Shane, who is a freshman at the University of Missouri and a sister who is a freshman in high school. Currently, I am junior at the University of Missouri where I am majoring in Agricultural Economics. After college, I plan to pursue a career in agricultural and public policy, and raise Angus cattle. Outside of FFA activities I enjoy watching college sports (Go Tigers!), showing and raising cattle, and playing the fiddle.

If our experiences thus far are any indication of what's to come...I can't imagine what this year will hold! Here are a few brief highlights since national convention:

Our team spent the better part of December working with the talented staff at the National FFA Organization in Indianapolis. From workshop and keynote development to communication and media training, we have been working hard to equip ourselves with the tools needed to best serve you this year.

California Ag Tour - talk about diversity in agriculture! For this midwestern boy it was quite an experience seeing acres of broccoli, artichokes, strawberries, and lettuce, touring citrus groves, visiting a 120,000 head cattle feedlot, and that's just to name a few of our stops. We were also able to spend a little time with the Galt FFA Chapter and California State Officers, which was a blast!

Delaware Experience State was an opportunity to try our training on for size. For the first week of January we traveled around the state delivering keynotes and workshops at high schools, and meeting with leaders in agriculture and education. From the Newark FFA Chapter in the north to the Woodbridge FFA chapter in the south I was continually impressed by the quality of programs in the "First State" of Delaware. We were also accompanied the entire week by Delaware state officers Justin Bailey, Sara Busker, and Amanda Urian who served as our official tour guides for the week. Wow, they sure do pack a lot of great things in such a small state!

We have also made time to do a little sight seeing along the way. In California we were able to take in the city of San Francisco, visit the Golden Gate Bridge, and eat down at the Fisherman's Wharf. On our way to Delaware we made a stop in Philadelphia to visit Independence Hall and see the Liberty Bell. In Delaware the weather was warm enough to make a short stop at Rehoboth Beach. (Which by the way, sand and ocean water do not mix well with official dress. I think it might be time for a new jacket!)

Well, that's a quick rundown...stay tuned for an update from our first round of partnership visits coming up next week!