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!
4 comments:
Hey Zach, i noticed that you have no comments on your blog so i wanted to be the first. yay me! you recently stopped by Tully for your tour for NYS and i was there, you were really amazing and really not what i was expecting, nice job! Im running for subdistrict president on the 16th and district president in may at state convention so wish me luck my friend. I hope to be a national officer someday but i dont know if i will even make it to states. ive never won a state contest or even substates as an individual, but i will keep trying my best because thats what an FFAer does best, never gives up. Well, enjoy the rest of your year and i look foward to hearing your retiring address at national convention and maybe ill get to see you, ill be looking! bye bye
~Tenecia L. Slate~
hey zack,
it nice to get to know our ffa president. im an officer in our local chapter. we're from the same area and your in my older sisters class, so i sorta knew ya before you became prez. it also nice to know you don't have to be something really great to become ffa president on a natinal level. we use to raise cattle for beef. but we sold them all and me, my dad and older brother adam got involved in agri. mechanics instead. it's a good sae but he wont let me do it now i raise bore goats. there acutully kinda cute. i have some questions i'd love for you to answer. Do you get tired of pictures @ state & natinal conventions? and what sae's do you participate in?
Zach,
You did an amazing job being our National FFA President. All week I have been trying to meet you, unfortunately I didn't get a chance. The Convention was great; I learned a little bit more on how to Step Up and Stand Out. I hope one day I will get the opportunity to meet you. I'm from Southern California, Fallbrook Chapter.
If you are ever in the area please feel free to drop by. I would love for you to come to our end of the year banquet, and so would the rest of the officer team! Oh I'm the Chapter Reporter by the way!
Have a great Day,
Yesenia Ramos
Fallbrook FFA
P.S. please get back to me about the end of the year banquet!! =)
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