Christmas Traditions

CD - Family Christmas time in the Brinegar household is a time to take a break from the busy winter months and the cold outside. On Christmas eve we always chore and put hay in for all the cows so that we can enjoy Christmas without work on the holiday. We always sleep in on Christmas exchange gifts, it is one of the few days that we do anything before we feed the calves in the lot. All of the neighbors always give meat or treats to one and another. At noon on Christmas, we have a big meal to enjoy and give thanks for all we have before we go to the other family Christmases over the next couple of days.

Lane- Over the years, my family has always had a solid family tradition for Christmas. We travel down the road to my grandmothers on Christmas Eve to enjoy homemade sweets and goodies. The next morning we wake up very early to enjoy giant cinnamon rolls, my dad's world famous omelets, and open presents that Santa brought for us. My favorite part about Christmas is being able to see the excitement on my families faces when we all open gifts. It shows how blessed we are to receive such amazing items from year to year and be in the company of loved ones. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Chandler- Every year, my family gathers at my Grandmothers Christmas Eve. We spend time telling stories, eating and exchanging gifts. I love when we all sit around the tree and celebrate what we got this year. Often times the house smells of freshly cooked ham, sweets and a variety of candles that my grandmother has decided to light. When we finish with presents and say our goodbyes, my family heads to church to end the night. The next morning, we as an immediate family take time to read the story of Christ’s birth before we go open presents. After presents, we go feed as a family and prepare to go to my Grandfathers to spend the afternoon exchanging gifts and enjoying some fantastic food. I hope you all have a safe and wonderful holiday! Merry Christmas!

Lexi- Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. On Christmas Eve, my family and I get together with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. We eat supper and spend time together. Once we get home, my immediate family and I open up our presents. On Christmas day, my family and I attend mass in the morning. We then pack up the car and go to my grandparents’ house. We spend the day eating, opening gifts, and visiting with family. Once we finish up in the afternoon, we had back to town and have supper with my other grandparents. After a long day, we head home and relax. I hope everyone has a great holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cole - Christmas is a wild time in the Reiman house because we like to mix things up. I distinctly remember some years we have gone into my grandma’s for an extended family Christmas and other years we would stay home and divide out house into two teams for a giant nerf gun fight. It was amazing and unique to our family. Our family has a passion for competition and this was a way for us to take out that passion in a way that allowed us to bond and have fun. (Minus the clean up). What I would recommend to you all on your next family gathering is have fun and don't be afraid to bond and find something completely unique to you and your family.

Jake- The Christmas season is always a hectic time in the Hlas household! Starting on Christmas Eve we make our way to my dad’s side of the family for the first Christmas get together. Christmas day was always a day my brother and I looked forward to all year long. We open our presents, went to church, and then prepare to head to my mom’s side of Christmas that night. To say that we needed to be prodded by my mom to make it on time, might be the understatement of the century. There were things to do, enjoy our presents, feed cattle, or any other various task my dad could find, but sure as the sun rising, we made our way to Pleasantville. As we arrive we stuff our faces like any family on Christmas and open presents. The Christmas season is always a busy time, but when we can focus on the things and people that we love, it truly is the best time of the year. Merry Christmas!

Jodie- Christmas time is my absolute favorite time. Normally after Thanksgiving, my mom, sister, brother, and I all take the time to decorate the house and the Christmas tree. The next thing you know, Buddy the elf is back to keep an eye on everyone and report back to Santa! Around the Christmas season, while my grandpa, uncles, and cousins go deer hunting, my grandma, aunts, mom, sister, and I all do some Christmas baking! When everyone gets back from hunting, we all go and eat dinner together and try some of today’s goodies! On Christmas morning you can find my siblings and me eager and excited for dad to get home from the farm to open up our gifts. Either on Christmas Eve we will go to church with grandma, or we will all go on Christmas morning. After church, we all head to grandma and grandpas to celebrate Christmas! My favorite part about the Christmas season is the joy you can see in everyone’s eyes. While the snow may be cold, we can enjoy coming inside and enjoying hot chocolate with our family. Every year, my family asks what I would like for Christmas, but as I have gotten older, the only thing I want for Christmas is to be surrounded by my family and friends. Happy Holidays from our little family to you!

Laken- My favorite Christmas Tradition actually takes place on Christmas Eve. When I was little, there would always be some presents lined up around the tree, and after dinner, we would sit in the living room to open up one present the night before. We would always open the present from my Grandma, and every year it was a pair of pajamas. We’d put them on to go to bed and all head into my room, where we put on the 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story as we fell asleep. We would anxiously try to fall asleep, always remembering mom telling us “Santa won’t come until all the kids are asleep.” After a couple of arguments, and a few of us switching beds because even on Christmas Eve, we were putting ourselves on the line of hitting the naughty list, we finally drifted to bed, only to wake up way too early on Christmas Morning to open presents.

Gwen- In my household we have many Christmas traditions, but my favorites are on Christmas Eve. It all starts at church that evening with the candle lighting ceremony. The church is aglow with hundreds of candles as we sing Christmas hymns. After church, we head back home, and we have more traditions to follow. The first tradition comes from my family’s old German roots! My parents hide a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree and the first of us to find gets to open the first present of Christmas! Next, my siblings and I all open a new Nutcracker to add to the collection, then it is off to bed. The next morning is spent opening gifts as my parents and grandparents prepare fry bread. Once evening has arrived we gather together at my grandparents for a venison roast and enjoy the company of family.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,

2018-2019
Iowa FFA State Officer Team

College at a Glance

What is the main goal of going to college? Is it to find a heavily valued education? Finding a career interest? Or even to go make new lifelong friends?

My senior year of high school is when I started to have the thoughts of where I wanted to go to college and what my aspirations would be after high school. The thoughts of playing football, pursuing an FFA State Office position, or even going to work were all going through my mind. Once I decided on a place to go, I had it all planned out of what I was going to do while at college and what my priorities were going to be. Instead of sticking to my decision, I decided to change my mind and go to Iowa State University instead of my original plan of a community college. Now that I’m at Iowa State, I have realized how happy it makes me be here. Never would I have expected to be at a large school studying agriculture with some of my lifelong friends. The decisions I had to make were very difficult, but very rewarding when all said and done.

My advice to anyone struggling to make a choice about something would definitely be to keep an open mind. Having an open mind will allow you to see the possibilities that you might have missed in your initial thoughts. Another piece of advice I have would be to ask questions. Asking questions to those friends or family members that have a load of experience will help you get a wide range of perspective on the options that are in front of you. My final piece of advice is probably the most important of all. Don’t let others make YOUR decision for you. It is your life and your future so it is up to you to make decisions that will lead you on the right track.

Now that you have that advice in mind, I would like you to revisit the questions at the beginning of the blog. Push yourself to think outside the box and come up with ideas about what you think your college experience should be like. Think about what you value about your education and how you can use those values to make a good decision. Pursue things you never thought you would pursue because, in the end, it is about the experiences that you will cherish. Lastly, I want everyone to know that you are not alone in these situations. Everyone has tough decisions to make in their own lives so having confidence that everything will be ok is very important.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Lane Morrison

Southeast State Vice President

Potatoes, Eggs, and Coffee Grounds

The other day on Thanksgiving, I remember stressing out over the work I had to do between homework, FFA, and chores. I started working tirelessly to get as much work done as I could when my mom called me to the table. I was a bit upset as I had so much work to do but I knew that this was important to my family so I went and sat down. Next thing I knew, my family was sharing stories and laughing about our childhood experiences. As I looked around the table I was truly thankful for the people I shared that meal with. I found myself thinking about how crazy it is that one meal can change our perspective on the world so much. It made me think of a story about food that I had recently read. It went something along the lines of this:

Once upon a time, there was a boy who had just come home from school when his father asked him how his day was. The boy went on to tell his dad just how frustrated he was with all of the work he had to do at school and how he felt he would never accomplish it all. He was so upset at the situation that he asked his dad for advice.

Without saying a word, the dad stood up and went to the kitchen to start three small pots of boiling water. He then went to get a potato, an egg, and some coffee grounds and put each in a different pot. After a short while, the father put the potato and the egg onto a plate and poured the coffee into a glass. The boy was a bit confused.

The father told him to examine the three foods. The boy promptly picked up the potato and found that the once hearty potato had become soft. Then, the boy cracked open the egg and found that the weak egg had toughened up on the inside. He couldn’t help but wonder what all this meant as he picked up the coffee glass and took a sip. As he pulled away a smile grew across his face. His father went on to explain what this meant.

You see, this story isn't about the food but rather about choices. No one is perfect and we all go through many similar situations but many of us react in vastly different ways. When we come across a problem that stresses us out we automatically tend to go into fight or flight. This is like the potato and the egg. When we fight a situation, we toughen up like the egg to get through the problem. When we exhibit flight, we are like the potato which gets soft when put into boiling water. Both foods have different reactions to the problem that was the boiled water. The thing is, these two foods let the water change them. When we let a situation change who we are, we let the problem in. The coffee grounds, on the other hand, did something unique. They took the boiling water that changed the potato and the egg and made it into something delicious, something better. When we are stressed out over a situation, we have a choice to make: Are we going to let the problem change us, or are we going to change the problem?

At the end of the day, it all comes down to outlook. One of my favorite examples of this is from the diary of Anne Frank. You see Anne was in one of the worst situations imaginable during the writing of this diary yet she always managed to keep a positive outlook. How do I know this? When Anne wrote this diary she never knew anyone would ever read it. This diary was personal and truly was meant for her eyes only. One of the last pages she wrote before she was taken was regarding the goodness of people. My favorite quote from her personal writings is “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart”. Take a moment to think about that. The worst situation imaginable yet she still believed there was good in every person. Anne never knew these words would be read yet she still managed to have hope.

No matter what your situation is, have hope. Don’t let the situation change you. You have a choice in every action you make whether you will change the problem or let the problem change you. Always strive for success and truly find happiness in everything you do. When you are faced with adversity, will you let the situation eat away at you or will you make the best out of the situation? When you are set into boiling water, will you be like the potato, the egg, or the coffee grounds?

Live to Serve,

2018-2019

 Northwest State Vice-President

Cole Reiman

How Full is Your Glass?

I think we can all agree that we have had moments where we have thought, “This hasn’t been a very good day”, or maybe you have said, “This week could be over already”, or my favorite line, “Could this get any worse”. Everyone has had these moments, but I think of these moments as a personal perspective.

When I was in fifth grade, there was one day during class that comes to mind whenever I have a not so good day. My teacher, Mrs. Moore stood up in the front of the class and said to us all, “Is the glass half empty or half full”? For a second I was confused on why she was saying this to all of us. Then once again she said, “Is the glass half empty or half full”?

As we discussed as a class what this might mean, we slowly came to the conclusion that this wasn’t a trick question or a project for science, it was a question about life in general. She was asking us if we were only going to focus on the bad, or are we going to pay more attention to the good.

A few summers ago, I had an idea for a photograph that involved a puddle of water, and three mason jars. Once again the words that Mrs. Moore said came to mind. I filled up my three jars all with different amounts of water and headed outside with my camera.

As I was taking this picture I started thinking about what jar people would consider being half empty or half full. As I thought about it some more, I came back to the conclusion that it is about a person's individual perspective. Just like every day when you wake up, you have the decision to decide if today is going to be a good day or a bad day.

You have the choice to decide if the day is going to get worse, or you can look at the positives that have come out of the day. It is your perspective. As I leave you with this final question, “Is your glass half empty or half full”?

Smile for the camera,

Jodie Mausser

2018-2019 Iowa FFA State Reporter

Family Traditions

Chandler- My Mom’s side of the family all gather at my Grandparents on the day of Thanksgiving. Although it may feel like it’s over 90 degrees inside with everyone and the stoves cooking, it’s a favorite of mine. We really don’t do anything too special, we just enjoy an afternoon of food, fellowship and discussing where my aunts and grandmothers are going on Black Friday. As we roll into later fall and winter, I hope you get an opportunity similar to mine with your family!

CD- In November it's always football time, and with thanksgiving brings the hub of all the good college football games on TV. Usually, we have all of the harvests for the year complete and all the calves weaned. We all enjoy a break so that we can gather, eat, and give thanks for another successful year. We like to take the time to catch up on sleep and catch up from the busy fall harvest. But starting on Thursday after we eat the excitement starts, being a Dallas Cowboys fan it's always fun to watch a little football then the real excitement begins, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Growing up in a Husker home it’s the most sacred holiday in the football world. We all gathered around to watch the end of the regular season and enjoy the Big Red win another game. Go Big Red and happy Thanksgiving.

Lexi- Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and not just because of the great food! Each year, my uncles, cousins, my brother, and I go pheasant hunting. We have been doing so for as long as I can remember. We usually go in the morning and spend most of the afternoon out hunting. Once we are finished for the day, we go to my grandparent's house and enjoy a tasty dinner! After we have cleaned everything up from dinner, we sit around and of course watch football to end our day together. Each year, I look forward to the time I get to spend with my family, and all of the blessings we each have to be thankful for on this special day!

Gwen- Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of mine for many reasons, and it’s not just the food! Our Thanksgiving day starts with the annual Gobble Gobble 5K! The race doubles as a canned food drive for our local food pantry, and nothing beats the feeling of a run in the morning and helping those in need. Next, we come home and the final preparations begin, as our family Thanksgiving is held at my home. Soon it is time for dinner, and the family has arrived. We sit around enjoying the company of one another, as we haven’t seen some of our cousins in a while. After naps have been taken to sleep off the turkey we, of course, watch a little football! I have always been so grateful for this day to see my family gather together to celebrate another year health, hope, and faith!

Jodie- When it comes to Thanksgiving my family has a few traditions that are not quite like the others. When it comes to the Williams family dinner, we all come a little bit early to finish putting food together, and sometimes we can even get a sample before everyone else does. Grandpa makes sure to have the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on for all of us grandkids. After everyone has arrived and a prayer has been said, all of kids race grandpa to finish with “Now we can eat”! After the meal is done we all sit around talking, playing card games, or looking at the ads in the newspaper, so when Black Friday shopping starts the next day, everyone has a Christmas list idea. On the Lindsay side, everyone gathers into the kitchen to say a prayer and one thing we are thankful for. Soon everyone is at the table talking and enjoying a good meal. Once dinner is done, the kids lay down for naps, and when you walk into the living room, all the chairs are full with the guys, because they too are taking naps. Once the guys are up, the go and do chores at the barn and come back to Nana and Papa’s house. Everyone jumps in line again to eat some of the leftover pizza dinners for supper. By the end of the night, the adults are playing games while talking, and all the kids are laying down and watching a movie together. Every family has a different tradition, which is why they are each unique. I wouldn’t change my family’s for the world.

Cole - While my favorite tradition of all happens during the summer months, Thanksgiving is a very important time for my family. Growing up, my parents worked quite a bit so family dinners didn’t happen as much as we would have liked. Thanksgiving was a time that my family and I cherished. It was a time when we knew we would sit down and talk with each other no matter what. In our family, when we are all together we know it is an important time. We grew up with the knowledge that the time we have on this earth is limited, so we should spend it with the people we love Our family. Around that table we know we are in a safe place because the people with us wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It is these values in our family that make this holiday so special. From our humble beginnings as aspiring agriculturalists to a proud family of farmers, we have continued to grow together. Use this holiday to set aside all of the stress you have and take a moment to really live in the moment with the ones you love.

Jake- I have always loved the traditions that my family partakes in. Our Thanksgiving traditions are no different. Every year we make the trip to my Aunt Jeanie’s house in southern Iowa. We enjoy alarming amounts of food and sit down to watch the NFL football games every year. Though I do love this tradition, my favorite traditions comes that night. This tradition is two words and one of my favorite things to do. Those words are “Black Friday.” Now I do not usually partake in the spending of all my savings, but I do enjoy a good deal here and there. My cousins and I leave after the football games to get in lines at stores. On the way there we would circle the deals and make a game plan. Even though I usually didn’t buy a lot it was always an experience to spend the night and Friday watching people go crazy for deals. This was a great time to spend with family and why Thanksgiving is always one of my most favorite times of the year because of the time spent with family. Happy Thanksgiving!

Lane- Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite times of the year. This is because I get to see all of my family in one place and eat some amazing food. Our tradition has always been gathering at my grandma's house early in the morning and spending the day with all of our family. My grandma makes a big breakfast which includes giant cinnamon rolls, omelets, and many other goodies. Throughout the day our parents cook the food while us kids play games and watch tv. Now that I am older, my tradition has changed a bit because instead of playing games with my cousins, I watch the football games that are being played that day or catch the NASCAR race. I wouldn’t trade this holiday for anything because it’s always full of good food, family, and lots of naps. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Laken- My favorite family tradition is waking up early in the morning and helping my family get the food ready. We spend the morning making appetizer-style foods including pickle wraps, little weenies, meatballs, and anything that will fill us up until the big meal. Once the food is done, my family gathers around the table and fills up on all the Thanksgiving favorites. We always time our meals around the Dallas Cowboys football game and all crowd in the living room after the meal to enjoy the game. After the Cowboys are done and a good post-meal nap is taken, we make the pies and eat them as a pre-bedtime snack. I always love spending time around the table with my family, eating food and finally being all together when working around our always busy schedules.

Living to Serve,

2018-2019

Iowa FFA State Officer Team

Long Live Cowboys

Long Live Cowboys, Wrangler’s marketing is all over the television in the first week of December during a tradition that takes place for the 10 nights that has lasted for 60 years. The toughest cowboys and cowgirls all make their way to Las Vegas, Nevada for the National Finals Rodeo, a tradition that most of the western world takes part of and Brinegar family loves to watch every year. Each round the entire family stays up to marvel at how the bulls get stronger, and the horses get faster and more powerful, or how the athletes learn new ways to help give them a competitive edge.

In the western world tradition is rich and deep, take Saddle Bronc riding, first done by the cowboys of the west to see who could ride and tame the wildest horses. Even roping, it’s not done just for fun, since the beginning of time there is always that one calf that needs to be caught and roping is the fastest way that the Cowboys could get the job done.

Cowboys have been around for hundreds of years and every day they feel the pressure of new advancements that seem to threaten the way of life that the Cowboys love. In the late 1800’s barbed wire closed the prairie making the once king cattle drives come to an end. The squeeze shoot ended the old days of roping and dragging calves for treatment. Ear tags and freeze branding have begun to take over the hot iron branding. Now I don’t see all of these things as bad, but a tradition was or is being broken when times change and like anything people don’t always like that.

In farming, ranching, and FFA the same thing is still happening today as the younger generation is beginning to take over GPS, new recordkeeping systems, or new thoughts on how to make our organization better are always being thought of. Grandparents are usually driven up a wall as these times change as they try to hold on to the tradition and doing something the way they did. Greenstar and new planters have helped make our job in the spring faster and more efficient even though its more complicated and can be hard to run the computers in the planters. Today we use the computer and Exel sheets to keep track of medical records keeping them neat and easy to read whenever there’s a sick animal but is a step that makes my father uncomfortable when he can easily just write it down. Even FFA has hit these new ways with an organization that is made of over 670,000 members from all over this nation we are always changing things to help make our organization more well-rounded for all students. But can we do this without losing the tradition that has built our organization?

Just like that advertisement, Long Live Cowboys, tradition is carried on through the group that works to keep it true and alive. In our changing times, of course, we don’t always want to move away from a tried and true method of doing something because of the benefits that we haven’t seen yet. We as FFA members hold the Future Farmers of America in us every time we zip up that iconic blue jacket with the letters FFA stitched on. We know that we began our organization 91 years ago because of Farming and if it wasn’t for farming, we wouldn’t have agriculture and our organization today. Like the times that change with the new technology we can keep the past alive just like the NFR has, we can use our traditions as a way to help teach the younger generation about the past and how we have gotten here today. Although it seems scary that our traditions are being threatened it's up to each of us to help pass those traditions on because through us they will be told, passed on and lived out just like the cowboy way from years ago.

Long Live Cowboys, Long Live Tradition,

2018-2019 Iowa FFA State President

Chase "CD" Brinegar

Tips and Tricks for Official Dress

Walking down the streets of Indianapolis at the 91st National FFA Convention and Expo, taking in the sights of the sea of blue jackets. Nothing could go wrong, that's until I trip and my heel runs across my shin as I stumble to regain my footing. Now I am completely fine, my pride maybe bruised a little, but one thing has not survived the trip. It is my pantyhose. They now have a huge run down the front, and I am embarrassed. Maybe we haven't found ourselves in this exact situation in Official Dress, but we may have had a mishap with it at some point in our FFA careers. That is why today I’m going to share with you my 6 Tips and Tricks to Official Dress.

1- Collars. I’m sure at some time we have had a problem with the collars of our white button downs. They can be too small, or maybe after a few washes no matter how many times they are ironed they don’t look nice. My tip for this would be to get a men’s button down. They collars on men's shirts stay crisp and tall for a long time and are great for keeping up scarves.

2- Pants/ Skirts. Pants and skirts are some of the easier parts to Official Dress, and really don’t give us too many problems. One thing is for certain after doing many hours of walking in them though is they will fall down. A little, very snazzy, trick for this is definitely suspenders. FFA suspenders keep pants and skirts up, and also super fun!

3- Black Shoes. Whether you wear black dress shoes, heels, or flats, after a long day In Official Dress your feet hurt. I combat having sore feet by wearing an insole in my shoe. The gel sole gives me just a little more cushion to keep the pep in my step! Also would recommend carrying around a bandaid or two just in case of blisters. 

4- Scarves. FFA scarves have a handy little adjustable strap on them to help them fit your neck properly, but for some, the scarf is still too big. Using a safety pin can help cinch it up the rest of the way.

5- Pantyhose. Let me say pantyhose are always a pain. They snag and run, and in the winter your legs get cold. So here is what I have learned from the many times I have worn them. If you don’t want to wear a skirt and pantyhose then you don’t have to, you can wear pants instead. If you do wear a skirt then I have more advise. Let's say you have a small snag that could turn into a run. Use clear nail polish, or hairspray to keep the hole from getting any bigger. Maybe you have a little hole and can see skin, use a pen or marker. Color in the hole. Also when putting on pantyhose make sure to remove rings or bracelets, also make sure you don’t have a hangnail that could catch. Trying to avoid snagging or running and just want a really good pair of pantyhose. I wear Hanes Silk Reflections and let me tell ya those are some good ones.

6- Jackets. Maybe you had a big mishap in your jacket and now have a stain. Do not wash it yourself! Have your jacket dry cleaned. Also if you haven’t discovered already, you have inside pockets in that blue corduroy. Use those to fill with little things that can help you through a long contest, or workshop. I split the use of my pockets. In my right inside pocket, I always have a few safety pins and bobby pins, a band-aid or two, chapstick, and a tide to go pen. On the left, I carry a pen, some business cards, and little sticky note with a happy little reminder to keep me going.

Whether we are at a contested, convention, or workshop, remember to lend a hand to someone if you can. Remind them to tuck their tallywacker, straighten their scarf or tie and wish them the best. I hope my time spent having some mishaps in Official Dress can help you avoid some of the mistakes I’ve had to combat.

As always in Blue and Gold, 

Your Southwest State Vice President,

Gwen Back

Jake and Megan's Story.

Each year the Iowa FFA takes the 9 state officers and 2 delegates to the National FFA Convention and Expo to serve as delegates for the state of Iowa and work to pass legislation within our organization to help keep it relevant for years to come. This year we were lucky to have Jake Stenzel the Southwest District Treasurer and Megan Decker the Northwest District Reporter as our two delegates. This is their story.

Jake-
Going to National Convention is always a great experience, but going with the state officer team as a delegate was even better. Being a delegate was a good experience because we got to interact closely with the National Officers and State Representatives from all over. We did a lot of fun activities besides the business side of it. We went to Garth Brooks, the expo, and many adventures around Indianapolis. This was all a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone that has the opportunity.

Megan-
I had the privilege to be able to serve amongst some of the nation’s best leaders at this year’s national FFA convention. From one experience/conversation to the next, I was eager to meet the next person in blue corduroy who had a unique story to share. It was eye opening to get to see the process in which we follow to make changes in our organization and who had say in doing so. I was humbled to gain a first-hand experience of how the blue jacket can bring such a variety of people with radically different backgrounds together for a common purpose. The most memorable part for me was meeting fellow passionate FFA members who have bright futures and a life of purpose ahead of them.

What is your favorite part of the National FFA Convention and Expo?

Lexi-
When I have attended National FFA Convention in the past, my favorite part has been going to the rodeo or concert one night. This gave me a chance to meet other FFA members from around the United States in a laid-back setting. Energy is always high, and everyone seems to be having fun. It also gave me a chance to spend time with everyone from my chapter. Since the convention is towards the beginning of the year, I was able to get to know first-year members who traveled with us during this time. Moments like these are the ones I will remember forever from my time attending three National Conventions in high school. National Convention has so many amazing aspects that it is hard to pick just one part!

Jodie-
When I was a freshman in high school, I had the opportunity to attend the National convention in Kentucky. During my senior year of high school, I had the opportunity to go to nationals again, but this time it was in Indiana. FFA members from across the country all come together and when you are in the sessions, at the career fair, just walking down the streets, there is an energy like none other. My favorite part of convention was seeing all of the blue jackets. There was even a chapter in Missouri that had the same name as my home chapter! National convention is such an amazing thing to experience and be a part of, and if you are ever offered the opportunity to go, I would definitely recommend it!

Jake-
I had the amazing opportunity to attend National Convention in Indianapolis and Louisville. Though there are differences and similarities amongst each, one thing stuck out to me more than anything about National Convention in both cities. Yes, the trade show and sessions are amazing, but still, something stuck out to me. That thing is the FFA members that attend. From coast to coast, coming from countless backgrounds, this is what makes convention so special. A moment that is still ingrained in my mind is the sight of jackets from countless states walking around. I have a challenge for those going this year. Find an individual from each state, make a list and add them on a social media platform. By doing this, not only do you get to meet people, but you now have a connection in each state. You never know when you may run across that person again or be in their neck of the woods!

Cole -
I had the opportunity to attend national convention my sophomore and senior year, because of this I was lucky enough to visit both convention sites. I’d have to say while I can never get enough of the conversations you have with new friends you make, my all time favorite thing to do was to make it a goal to have a conversation with one member from every state! I found that the best way to do this was to go to the section of nationals where every state has a display, this way I not only got to meet these people but I got to see just what made their state so unique. I remember my sophomore year I was running out of hope of meeting every state but just before convention ended I saw a glimmer of hope by seeing a jacket with the last state I needed: Alaska. This journey made my national convention experience so rewarding because I not only felt accomplished for finding each state but making meaningful connections while doing it!

Lane-
Unlike all of my teammates, I have never been to the National FFA Convention. I have always wanted to go but due to athletic events, I wasn’t able to attend. My perspective for this will be one from the outside looking in from my years of wanting to attend convention. The most impressive thing to me is that there are so many blue jackets that fill the streets of Indianapolis. Having FFA members from across the nation shows that the organization is thriving and growing rapidly. It also shows how these members have a passion for agriculture with the drive and determination to make a difference.

Laken-
I was fortunate enough to experience National FFA Convention both in Louisville and Kentucky. Though both conventions were different, the atmosphere of Convention is always the same. There is no way to describe the feeling of being surrounded by 60,000+ people all dressed in the Blue Jacket. Instead of being back home where FFA is really only taken seriously by those involved, you’re surrounded by people who all share the same passion for leadership and agriculture. I have always loved going around the Expo, gathering signatures from different states and making friends. I also love sitting in sessions as they open with a laser show. The music is loud, the energy is high, and you know you are about to experience an FFA event like never before.

Chandler-
Being able to both attend and compete at Nationals is something that has highlighted my FFA career. The amount of passion, leadership, and love under one roof is breathtaking. What I would recommend to people going to National Convention is be up for anything. In my opinion, if you go with a mentality strictly of “ I’m going to do this, and then this.” then you’ll miss some of the great stuff. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and broaden your horizons. If you meet a member from another state, go hang out with them! Explore the career show, sit in on some sessions, dance, sing, and talk to people from all over. This convention is an opportunity like none other. It’s an adventure. If you’re competing, good luck! If you’re attending, safe travels!

Gwen-
I have always loved National Convention, and have also been given the amazing opportunity to experience it both in Louisville and Indianapolis! Though experiencing the sea of blue on FFA Way in Indianapolis is a sight that will take your breath away. Some of my favorite convention activities are of course the Expo and everything it has to offer. I have also loved the tours my chapter would go on, as we would always try and explore a different part of the agriculture industry. I have seen Thoroughbred horse farms in Kentucky to Fairlife Dairy in Indiana. Also given the chance at convention you can come home and say you met someone from every state! Not many people can say that! Convention is just one of the most life changing experiences I have ever been a part of. The people and the experiences you have here will stay with you for the rest of your life! Safe travels, and happy National FFA Convention.

CD-
At the FFA National Convention, I love to walk through the trade show, seeing the new equipment and ag technology along with speaking with the vendors. Two years ago I remember seeing the new Atonmus tractor by Case IH. the future of farming is here and GPS is another tool for producers to use. I also enjoy to walk through the college booths, all over the country there are some great schools and I enjoy to see what each of them have to bring to the national level and compare to other programs all around the country. Just remember there is “Just One’ national FFA Convention Expo and it is a great time.

Have Fun at Convention,

2018-2019 Iowa FFA State Officer Team

Definitions

Every day we put definitions and labels on various things. Whether they may be on words, projects, people, or anything we see during a day’s time. Merriam Webster states that a definition is, “the action or the power of describing, explaining, or making clear.” Though we may think of this when we hear the word definition, I think a much different approach can be taken.

2015, my sophomore year of high school, football season was in full swing, my team, The North Tama Redhawks were in another “rebuilding” season. The last game of the year was on a perfect football weather night, one I will never forget. As we take the field, I march out ready to play just one more game, before focusing on basketball. I line up behind the center, the play starts, I get the ball and run into the teeth of the defense. As I am getting tackled, my leg is pinned under me. In that moment I knew something wasn’t right. I get carried off the field and await the diagnosis. A sprained ACL is what the MRI showed, no physical activity for three months. This was an issue because the basketball season started in only a month. What was I going to do?

At this moment there was a decision to be made. Would I let this setback hinder me? Or would I make the best of the situation? The decision was mine.

Fast forward three years, Freshman year of college at the great Iowa State University, (go clones), it is my first test as a college student, biology 211. I go into this with high hopes, I had studied hard and had an alright understanding of the topics, but as I start taking the test I soon realize I had not studied enough. Let me just say my grade reflected this and was a little rough.

I had another decision to make, my first test at college had been a failure. Would I let this define my college career, or would I make the most of this experience and learn what I need to do to be successful?

Many times in our lives we go through hardships and challenges. I am a firm believer that the decisions that follow these events are what define us as a person. How will you define yourself after going through times like these? Will you allow it to consume you or will you prosper?

Think back to the different approach I referenced at the beginning of this, that approach is how we define ourselves. What actions do we take to be successful? Are we taking any steps to do just that or are we complacent? I challenge all of those who read this to be intentional. After one of the hardest moments in my life, a great mentor said something to me that I will never forget, “Do not let this define you as a person, instead, let it be the direction that will allow you to prosper in the next segment of your life.”

Today remember, we all go through times of despair, times of difficulties, but how we react to these is what defines us. How will you define yourself??

God Bless,

Jake Hlas

Northeast State Vice-President

Don't Stop

In 8th grade my parents wanted me to get involved in athletics. Pella is well known for its success in football, so they suggested I try out. In a matter of days, I was standing on a grass field with a brand new pair of cleats and a set of shoulder pads too big for me.

A couple weeks into the season, we were practicing and I was getting the absolute snot tackled out of me. I managed to drag myself back to the sidelines to get a drink after a drill. My coach yanked the dirt clod from the front of my helmet and stared at me. “You’re stopping,” is what he said. I asked what he meant.

“You stop mid play because you know the tackle is coming. Instead of continuing to run, you stop to brace yourself. You want to quit getting destroyed out there?”

I viciously nodded yes.

“Then don’t stop.” He then promptly shoved me back on to the field for more drills.

He was right. I found if I met my opponent halfway I’d stay on my feet and get less hurt. Now did this magically transform my football career? No, but it did give me a unique perspective.

The older I get, the more I wonder about this principle of running at problems. How often are we told to stop and wait, to let things “blow over”? I wonder, does that really make us better off? Or does it more harm than good?

Let me put it to you another way, earlier this fall, I was able to go home for a day to help around the farm. The day before I arrived, my dad had cut down a large oak that had died earlier that spring. When the tree was cut, it fell into the branches of another tree, leaving it entangled. When I came home the next day, my dad told me to go get our Farmall M to move it.

The only way to get the tree loose was to shift its trunk in line with the path we had already cleared. This meant before I could drag the tree free, I first had to pilot the M onto a steep creek embankment to get the tree into position.

After tugging on the tree, the M idled noisily as my dad unsecured the chain, the tractors nose pointed straight at the water. Meanwhile, I was planning how exactly I was going to get out of this tight spot. Rolling forward was a no go, a tweaked front end meant steering was a struggle, on top of dad lending plenty of advice, I had a thousand thoughts running through my head. That is until the tractor's brakes gave up. I pumped them frantically to no avail as I hurdled forward. In a moment of panic, I dumped the clutch of the tractor and throttled up, sending the tractor in reverse. My dad jumped clear and hollered, “Don’t you stop!” Threading the needle between two trees and charging up the hill, the M and I found ourselves resting on the flat ground of our pasture, safe and sound.

In life what I’ve found is that there will always be something preventing us from doing the things we want. Regardless if it's an inevitable tackle that sets us off course or something we’re stuck in, it’s easy for these situations to rule over our lives. Often times it feels like admitting defeat and “waiting out the storm” seem like the only options left. Here’s the thing, if everyone did this then I have a hard time believing the West would have been won, the US would be the first to the moon, and literal mountains would be moved.

Today I challenge you, instead of wallowing in what’s going wrong in your life, choose to fight it. Stand up to it. Because your “it” can be beaten. Run right at and tackle your situation. Get yourself in gear, the time for doubt is over. Have a little Faith, and when you start moving again: Don’t Stop.

Go Get Em,

Chandler Jahner

South Central State Vice-President

What is it like to be the parent of an FFA member.

Cole’s Parents: I was totally unprepared for what it meant to be the parent of a state officer. I had no clue how busy he would be, but also how fulfilled he would be. He has learned things I could have never taught him, having experiences I never dreamed he would have! Sometimes on his journeys, I find myself having to remind him to eat right and get enough sleep. I always knew Cole loved helping others, and now I know why he had such a passion for FFA. Something I have heard him say a lot over this year is the word “Service.” This is truly what FFA is about. I recently got the opportunity to watch a small event and this is when I realized just how much he has learned through FFA. This event was very well organized, and the thing is, it was mostly student lead. It is so awesome to see what FFA can offer to young people! At the end of the day, I can really tell how much he loves serving the NW district and the state.

Chandler’s Parents: I was recently asked a question very similar to this at the state fair. I told the gentleman that asked the question that it’s a learning experience and an adventure for all of us. Through FFA we have watched our children’s highest highs and lowest lows but have always tried to instill a sense of accomplishment and integrity. We’ve watched a very shy quiet boy grow into a well-spoken, polite, young man that through hard work and diligence is enjoying his time as a state officer. We have watched our daughter flourish through FFA by helping organize and execute well-planned events. Both of our children have excelled as leaders and we contribute a lot of their success from having the honor to belong to the FFA organization and proudly wear the blue corduroy jacket!

Lexi’s Parents: Our role as an FFA parent has definitely changed over the course of the last 4 years. When Lexi was a freshman she could not join FFA because of her class schedule, so when sophomore year came around she began to go to meetings, participate in judging events, attended conventions, and various other activities. Our job was to make sure she was up on time to catch the bus, make sure her OD was cleaned and ironed, and keep an endless supply of black pantyhose on hand! When she was elected to her chapter and district officer position we were very proud of her determination, commitment, and passion for FFA. I still did not have an understanding of what Lexi saw in this organization until I attended state convention with her last Spring. All along I knew that she loved FFA, enjoyed going to competitions and conventions, making new friends and connections all over the state and nation, but still thought it was just another activity she was involved in. Then at convention I got it. She had been involved in an organization with others who were exactly who she was: determined, hard-working, intelligent, passionate, responsible, caring, and had good values. FFA is where Lexi belongs. We are so thankful to this organization and who and what it has brought to her life and ours. It's truly a blessing.

Lane's Parents: The FFA Organization has been an eye-opening experience for me as a parent. FFA isn’t just for kids or young adults who have grown up on a farm or around livestock. This organization has allowed us to see amazing changes in our son. He has been taught about leadership, responsibility, volunteerism and personal growth. We have watched him grow in his role as a leader and take on the responsibility of a State Officer. Lane has been given the opportunity to see every corner of the state of Iowa where he’s met amazing people. He’s traveled to Kansas to work on recovery efforts from devastating fires and visited Washington DC. The leadership training in DC exposed him to other youth that is passionate about agriculture and real word issues. His officer duties and training changed his college and career direction and have led him to towards a path to be successful in life. FFA has been life-changing for our son and for our family and we are forever grateful for the opportunities he has been able to experience.

Gwen’s Parents: It was a new school year and my daughter was a freshman; I was excited for all the possibilities that were ahead in her high school career. I’ve always encouraged my kids to be involved, be active, and give back to their community so it was no surprise when Gwen began joining different activities. I was surprised, though, when she said she wanted to join FFA. Growing up, I was a 4-Her, and so was Gwen; I didn’t really know much about FFA and what it had to offer, but I soon learned. I remember attending new member night and watching the opening ceremonies; I was impressed by the number of kids involved, the organization of the meeting and the official dress. I couldn’t believe these kids were running an official meeting and doing it well. That night I got a brief overview of what the upcoming year would look like; fruit sales, running a petting zoo, district competition, and a fish fry to name a few. I could see the learning and growth opportunities and I was ready to be a supportive involved parent with this new endeavor but I really had no idea the impact this organization would have on my daughter. I felt the full power of that impact when I watched Gwen, in her official dress, recite the FFA Creed. I could hear her enthusiasm, I could see how much she loved this group of young adults and I could feel her passion. From there on out, I just sat back and enjoyed the ride of being an FFA parent and watched my child find her calling. If you are given the opportunity, you should do the same. Listen when they tell you the history of FFA, the symbolism of the corduroy jacket, what the blue and gold stand for and what a greenhand is. Encourage them to compete at district competition and run for chapter office. Relax when they tell you they get to travel to National Convention. Be supportive when they run for district office and state office. Rejoice when they earn their Iowa Degree. Try to learn all the acronyms they throw at you. Watch in awe as your child changes and be a proud FFA parent. I have been fortunate enough to watch my daughter grow in FFA over the years. She has made life-long friends who are like-minded and goal oriented. She has found passion and purpose, has gained valuable skills and has networked with professionals in the field she wants to pursue. As a parent, I couldn’t ask for more.

Jake's Parents: Having a son in FFA has been an experience, to say the least! Everything from picking them up at the school late at night when the bus returns from a conference as a freshman, to driving to Ames and hearing their name announced to lead the state as a state officer. FFA has had a significant impact not only on Jake's life but also my husband's and my own. We have been able to see the growth and development of lifelong skills that any employer would be ecstatic to have. As a parent, we miss seeing him, and I would love to be traveling with him, but we already embarrass him enough! We try to remember that we raised him to be independent, and so we should not be surprised that he has grown into a strong, self-sufficient adult. I’m so excited to see all of the opportunities he has been given and to see him be a strong leader for such a great organization. Every parent strives to see their children succeed, FFA has given not only Jake, but millions of students all over this country a pathway to be successful. I will always cherish the experiences and skills that he has gained through FFA! PROUD FFA MAMA.

Laken's Parents: Being the parent of an FFA member is both stressful and rewarding. Stressful because she is always on the road but I know she is surrounded by a great group of kids that look out for each other at all times. The rewarding side is seeing all of her accomplishments and how proud of her position she is. There are no words of beyond proud but that's how we feel every day. FFA has not only been a positive role in her life but has taught us a lot of things too.

CD's Parents: Being the parents of an FFA member is truly an honor. We enjoy seeing all that the FFA has to offer our boys and all of its members. From showing livestock to competing in contests, we find ourselves looking forward to the next activity. Watching the members grow from Greenhands to the leaders of tomorrow makes us very proud to be the parents of an FFA member.

Jodie's Parents: There is so much that comes to mind to be a parent of an FFA young adult.  We can’t call them kids because they surpass that level.  They are young adults making a difference in others’ lives.  Some will participate in every event they can while others may not which is ok.  One thing is for sure each one of them has a very unique talent they bring to the table.   These young adults step outside of their comfort zone only to find a new voice and learn how to use that voice for the good.  They come from all walks of life. As parents, you always want to see your child succeed and enjoy what they are doing.  FFA has allowed them to grow and develop skills they have that can be used in everyday life.  It is my opinion that every kid in high school should be required to take an Ag class.  Teach them about where their food comes from and how it’s grown. It gives them the chance to think for themselves.  FFA has also shown kids how to give back along with team building skills.  It teaches them how to give a firm handshake while looking someone in the eye.  They are taught responsibility which is shown threw SAE projects. I have had the pleasure of sitting in the audience at state convention.  Every time I hear about how many hours an FFA student puts in and what they achieved still blows my mind.  These are 14 to 18-year-old young adults that are doing things that most adults haven’t done.  They already have their own herds and growing a business ground up.  Don’t get me wrong I know parents have had a hand in helping them but the determination and eagerness to succeed are what makes them unique.  FFA fuels their drive.  Leadership skills are developed and applied to life’s everyday tasks. To be a parent of an FFA young adult has truly been an honor.  My daughter never seizes to amaze me.  She has grown so much as a person but as a leader for tomorrow.  They put in countless hours without asking for much in return.  They are respectful of others and are driven.  They set the goals high not only to achieve that goal but exceed it.  Whatever their dreams are, I have no doubt in my mind they will reach it.  Tomorrow's leaders are shaped from a great organization and will continue to do so for many years to come. FFA is just an extension of our personal family.  The memories will last forever and so will the friends we meet on the way. 

To the Future of Agriculture,

The Parents of the 2018-2019

Iowa FFA State Officer Team

Growth

“Don’t go through life, grow through life.” - Eric Butterworth

I want you to think for a second, about a tree. In the beginning, a seed first pushes through the soil and out pops a small sprout. No one knows where this sprouting will go next, but we have hopes that it will grow into the tallest tree possible. As the sprout grows into a sapling, it will spread its branches out into different directions, and eventually grow into a tree. This tree has hundreds of branches, but only one branch stretches above the rest.

Why is this important? People are a lot like trees. You see from the moment we are born, people have hopes for us, they want us to grow into a doctor or lawyer or to follow the family business. They have one start to finish a plan for the way your life should play out. Good grades in school, college, internships, jobs, getting married, having kids of your own… But if we all follow this set plan, then our branches would never divide. We would grow straight upward from start to finish with no exploration of who we are. Our tree of life would end up looking like a telephone pole.

In life, we must take in every opportunity we can. Sure, sometimes those branches of life will end shortly, but we have to take that risk if we ever want to reach our full potential. How will you know if you were destined to become a world-renowned speaker if you never step up to the microphone? Who knows if your ideas are great if they never get voiced? How do you know if you were meant to be a redwood if you tie off your roots like a bonsai?

Take every opportunity you have in life, because you never know when those moments will define you, and you never know when those moments could be your last. This is a message that hits me close to home. A little over a year ago, a shining young student from my school passed away far before his time was up… He was headed into his senior year, one of the most memorable years in our lives and he would never get to experience it. Without going too much into detail, our community was shaken beyond repair, this death struck all of us… For this student continued to bring people together, even after death.

In the end, you never know where your story is headed, and you never know when your time is up, so make the most of the opportunities you are given before you look back and realized you missed your chance. For our tree of life, we can stretch our branches as far as we can and reach extraordinary heights, but our roots will always stay in the same spot. Take value in the people around you and spend time with the people you care about because once they are gone you will wish you could.

Grow Everyday,

Cole Rieman

Northwest State Vice-President

What is your favorite skills CDE?

Chandler Jahner-
Soils Judging has always held a special place in my heart. For one, it opened my eyes to more areas of agriculture. Growing up on a livestock operation, I had no clue as to what it took to be successful with row crops. Why it's my favorite is because, at my home chapter, the soils judging team was the team that was always the closest. They were the ones who hung out outside of school, spent extra time practicing and developing a way to play off of each other's strengths. When I had a chance to be a part of that club, I was amazed to see how close a group of people could get over a contest. Whether it was not washing a pair of lucky jeans, staying up late the night before the contest or hanging out at someone's grandmas to go over materials I loved every second. To this day, when I talk agriculture with people I reference what I learned in those Southern Iowa soil pits.

Cole Reiman-
Being a student that has never participated in a skills CDE, this year is my first year seeing the process and let me tell you - These members work HARD. Never before have I seen so many members dedicated to doing what they love and mastering their craft. The town I grew up in is named “Ayrshire” like the dairy cow, coincidentally, this last week I had the privilege of helping out with the dairy CDEs. Now, going into this contest I didn’t know what to expect. I kind of just thought it was just going to be a bunch of kids who love milk, I guess. After I got about halfway through the day, I saw the tests that they have to take and boy let me tell you what. If these students want to succeed, it isn’t just a walk in and go type of thing. Just from looking at a couple sheets of paper, I could tell just how hard skills CDE students have to work to do well. I was thoroughly impressed with the work that these students did and can’t wait to see where their passions take them. While all skills CDEs impress me, I think I have to stick with my roots and say that Dairy has to be my favorite.

Laken Mullinix-
After having the opportunity to be around a lot of CDE’s this summer, I have come to the conclusion that the Floriculture contest is my favorite. I loved being able to see the beautiful product of the member’s hard work, and it amazes me that people my age and younger can create flower arrangements so beautiful they look professionally made. It was also fun to see how a lot of teams dressed up, it was another way they showed their dedication to their contest because they were dressing the part. Before presenting awards, I went around and looked at a few of the corsages and I could see the pride on the member’s faces as they showed off their hard work and I loved seeing this with members of all CDE’s!

CD Brinegar-
My favorite skills CDE is Agriculture Mechanics and Technology in June, it consists of different mechanics and technology that is helpful to use around the farm, ranch or in many ag jobs. It consists of welding, woodworking, electrical wiring, along with a test and small engines area. This contest is always a fun one for a couple reasons, one you can be good at or learn about many areas within the mechanics and technology field and show off many skills at once. Or if you're like me a and not really good in all of the areas but maybe one you can really show off your skills and talents on that one area. This contest is at Iowa State University on the 450 farm a live working farm and is all around just a great experience to compete and learn a lot.

Lexi Berte-
Out of all the skills, CDE’s that FFA members across Iowa compete in, I would have to say Livestock judging is my favorite. As a member, I competed in different livestock judging events throughout the year. I always loved getting to improve my skills after each contest and discuss the reasons my team and I had for placing classes the way we did. Many members spend a great deal of time on this CDE and let me tell ya oral reasons are not the easiest. Or at least they weren’t for me! Something I also really enjoy about this contest is that members do not have to have a livestock background to be successful. Even though many of them do, it is still possible to learn the correct way to judge livestock. Iowa FFA members continue to surprise me with their hard work and dedication to the many skills CDE’s our state has to offer!

Jake Hlas-
Skilled CDE’s were always one of my favorite aspects during my high school career! From practices after school to early morning van rides to contests, I enjoyed every moment of these events. My personal favorite skilled CDE was by far Livestock Judging. Not only did I love the contest portion of livestock judging, I also enjoyed the countless hours of practices and workouts that went into being successful. The connections and networking opportunities in the livestock industry that came with judging are something I wouldn’t trade for anything. Many can relate to the hard work that it takes to be successful and win or lose knowing that you put 100% effort into an opportunity is a very rewarding feeling. I encourage everyone I meet to do something they may not be comfortable with or used to because you never know how much you can grow from that moment!

Lane Morrison-
This summer I was able to help run some of the Skilled CDE events across Iowa. Although all of the events were a lot of fun, I enjoyed the Meats judging CDE the most. I worked in a butcher shop as my SAE over the past few years so I already had a knowledge of the meat products the students were tasked with judging. All of the students that participated did a tremendous job and put in many hours of hard work for the event. The work they put in will definitely benefit them in the future when putting in situations that require them to work effectively and efficiently. Seeing these members participate in something they enjoy shows that they want to work hard for something and make themselves better.

Jodie Mausser-
My all-time favorite skilled CDE was definitely dairy judging! I remember sitting at the farm looking through the cow magazines and trying to decide what cow would be placed as the best. Whenever a cow would come into the parlor, I would judge her by her udder, how she walks on her feet and her teat placement. When it came time for the Dairy Judging Skills CDE, I was ready to put my knowledge to the test! Every year, it was my goal to do better than the previous year, and I’m proud to say that I had. Another thing I loved about the Dairy Judging CDE, was that I would get to see all of my dairy friends! While it was a competition, we all might not have been as competitive as we should be, because we were just happy to be with our friends, even the four-legged ones! Dairy Judging will always hold a special place in my heart because, at the end of the day, I could go back home and talk to my family about the day, and keep learning how to better myself and my judging skills!

Gwen Black-
My favorite Skilled CDE has always been Horse Judging. I always enjoyed that early morning ride to Kirkwood for an amazing day spent with friends and meeting new ones. This CDE has constantly pushed me to become a better horseman. Any open show I would attend I would judge the horses in the classes before and after me, giving my reasons to friends and family around me. Sometimes my friends and I would even make small bets to see who would match with the judge. This year I did not judge but rather had the opportunity to watch all of you judge. It was so amazing seeing all of your hard work pay off this June. I was beyond proud of awesome everyone did, and all of their dedication to be better. I can’t wait to continue to watch the success of our amazing horseman in the Iowa FFA!

Living to Serve, 

2018-2019 Iowa FFA State Officer Team

Hope

Hope, a four-letter word that could change so much. According to dictionary.com hope means “A feeling that events will turn out for the best”. We have all had times where we might have thought about giving up, or thought things just can’t get any worse, but we try to find the positive by having a little bit of hope.

When I was in high school, all I could think about was summer, because that meant softball was just around the corner. See, I had been practicing my pitching all winter, and I could not wait to try out my new pitches! It was just another normal Sunday afternoon pitching clinic. I had warmed up my arm and was ready to start into my full pitch. I had thrown about 10 pitches when I started to feel a pain in my shoulder and it had started to pop during every pitch. Eventually, I decided to call it a night because the pain continued to worsen.

Soon enough I found myself in tears by the fact that I couldn’t even put a mixing bowl in the cupboard due to my shoulder. My mom decided that we were going to go see the doctor. After several tests, I soon received the news that I had torn my labrum and that I would never be able to pitch again. At that moment I had thought my whole world had ended.

After my surgery, my family reminded me to have hope and that things would get better. My physical therapist also continued to remind me that I needed to have a little bit of hope because he to had hope that I would play again. That little bit of hope and strength from my family, friends, and doctors, was able to get me out on the softball field for yet another season.

While I was at practice, I was learning my limits with throwing the ball, and realizing I wasn’t able to do all the things I use to do. My coaches told me to keep my head up, and I needed that little bit of hope to get me back into the game I loved so dearly.

It was almost the end of the season, and we were playing against one of our favorite teams! The score was eight to six and there was one out! The pitch was thrown and the next thing you know, I had the ball in my hand and I was throwing it home! Even though we had gotten the runner out, that wasn’t the only thing that was out. I was out again and then there was surgery number two.

Even though I was never able to play again, I had hope for my team that they would continue to play their hearts and go get that next win! One of the greatest lessons I have learned from this experience is that no matter what happens, you always have to have a little bit of hope.

As dictionary.com had said, hope means “A feeling that events will turn out for the best”. Recently my family and I had to dig deep down and find that little bit of hope. While I was at my Nana and Papa’s house for one of our family bonfires, I was sitting next to my Nana when she asked me to come inside and help her. I, of course, said yes and proceeded to follow her inside. As I was waiting to hear what we were going to be doing, I noticed Nana had tears in her eyes. The next few words that Nana said, were words I hoped I hadn’t heard. Those words were, “I have cancer”. As she pulled me in for a hug, Nana said to me, “It’s going to be alright, we just have to pray and have a little bit of hope”. It was those few words that told me, everything is going to be alright.

My Nana is one of the strongest people I have ever met, and with her being positive and keeping her hope, she continues to show us all that sometimes hope is all we need. As she has gone through her surgery’s, I found that my Nana is even stronger than before, and I hope that the next time life throws me a curveball, I will have hope just like my Nana.

Sometimes life throws us curve balls, some are good and some aren’t so good. Sometimes it is an opportunity to follow your dreams, and sometimes it tests you as an individual. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that sometimes that little bit of hope is the only thing you can hold on to, and sometimes that is all you need. Whether or not life continues to throw you a curveball, I hope that you can find a little bit of hope.

Smile for the camera,

Jodie Mausser

2018-2019 Iowa FFA State Reporter

Lucky

I can see it now: The rows upon rows of chairs, with the community I’ve spent most of my life with sitting before me. To the left, my graduating class. Most of them I’ve known since kindergarten. To the right, the high school choir. A place where I’ve made some of the best friends and the best memories. Four years flashed before my eyes and for a moment, I couldn’t believe I was actually graduating. The time to say goodbye to the community I’ve grown so close to came at me faster than a freight train and I wasn’t prepared for it. I looked back on the all the times I had thought “I can’t wait to graduate, move on to college, and leave this town” but why? In the moments after commencement when friends, family, and community members congratulated me, I finally realized how lucky I was.

How many times have you sat at home on a Saturday night and complained about how boring your hometown is? I know I have plenty. From the outside, small towns don’t look fun. There’s no malls, no big restaurants, no amusement parks or anything. Maybe you have a bowling alley, a McDonald’s, a couple places to hang out. But looking on the inside, you learn to appreciate the community you grew up in.

When I was little, I remember learning VERY quickly that people were always looking out for me around town. If I crashed my bike, a neighbor would be outside in a heartbeat with a band-aid. If I did anything I wasn’t supposed to, like in 5th grade when I decided to skip softball practice to go to the pool, my mom found out before I got home. I always felt safe in my community and knew that everyone was a neighbor who cared about me.

When you’re at your Friday night football game you can look into the crowd and see the support your community gives. There are people in the stands that aren’t parents or aunts and uncles of the players, they are people who are there simply because they want to be. When you’re on stage for a choir concert and scanning the faces below you, you find people who were willing to give up a free night just to support another school activity that they find important. They celebrate every victory and comfort every loss. It’s a group of people that have your back like no other.

Take the time to appreciate your community for every drive they make to a game all the way down to every smile they give as you pass them on the streets. Take the time to truly appreciate how lucky you are.

Until next time,

Laken Mullinix

2018-2019 State Secretary

Where Family is Found

Growing up, I attended a Catholic school. I got the usual questions like, “Do you have to wear a uniform?”, each time I would mention this. However, my school was much more than just wearing a uniform. It taught me morals, values, and the importance of family. Family is not always the people you live with or you are related to. With each class size averaging about 35 students, it was easy to know everyone in the school. I found a family within the student body and staff members. Everywhere we would go together, you could easily pick us out because of our uniforms. People would often stare, but I soon came to realize that this was something to be proud of. Like most high schoolers, I was excited to see what my future would hold. When I graduated, I realized that there was something special about Bishop Garrigan that I would cherish forever. It was always more than just a school. Bishop Garrigan was a place where I found a family. It was a family that supported, accepted, and motivated me to be the best possible version of myself.

Now Bishop Garrigan was not the only place where I found a family in high school. Similarly, the Algona FFA chapter became a family also. In FFA, people often reference the “Sea of Blue”. Now, as a Greenhand FFA member, I never really understood this term. Well until my first National Convention. In October 2015, I loaded the bus to head down to Louisville, KY, with some of my best friends. After being on the bus for what seemed like forever, it was finally time to get off. I was tired of being on the bus for so long, but I quickly forgot about everything within a few seconds. I stepped out and walked up to the convention center and all I saw was Blue Corduroy. Now, this is a sight I will never forget. This sight instantly changed my life forever. I realized that not only was my chapter a family, but the National FFA Organization as a whole was a family. Throughout my time at numerous state and national FFA conventions, I met members from across the nation that became my family. Just like Bishop Garrigan, we shared core values that connected us no matter how far apart we may be at times.

Whenever I am missing those families, I remember this quote, “Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one.” (Unknown) No matter where life may take you, remember that your family will always be there for you. You are always connected by your common values.

In the Bible, it says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Value the families you form throughout your life. They are the people who accept you as you are. Never forget the where family is found.

Keep it Real,

Alexis Berte

North Central State Vice President

What is your favorite thing about the Iowa State Fair?

Lane Morrison -

My favorite part about the Iowa State Fair definitely has to be hanging out with my friends at different concerts and livestock shows. Every year, we make it a priority to come to the great Iowa State Fair and go to the free stages to enjoy all of the new upcoming performers. This year was a little different from my normal routine. Each state officer is given the opportunity to attend a concert in the grandstands sometime throughout the week as an FFA usher so seeing what goes on behind the scenes has been really cool. Another fair favorite has to be the amazing food throughout the fairgrounds. I don’t shy away from a pork chop on a stick or a warm bucket of cookies. Overall, the State Fair is one of my favorite times of the year!

Jodie Mausser -

My favorite part of the Iowa State Fair is getting to see all the hard work that everyone does to putting the state fair on, and also getting to see all of the super cool projects that our members work so hard at during the year, to bring them to the great Iowa State Fair! Everyone has a story, and if you give them the time to tell you, you can learn a lot from the state fair, and the people. Another one of my favorite parts of the state fair is getting to help out at the Animal Learning Center. While helping out, I get the opportunity to talk with fairgoers about agriculture, and I get to share my passion with them while talking to them about the dairy industry. This is my favorite part of the Iowa State Fair!

Laken Mullinix -

Believe it or not, this was my first time at the Iowa State Fair and out of everything I’ve experienced, my favorite part is working at FFA Display in the Agriculture Building! I have loved the opportunity to meet with people of all ages and see how they relate to the jacket and what it means to them I have had so many conversations with people who were members long before me, and seeing the impact that the blue corduroy still has on them today amazes me! It really shows that the memories you take with you from this blessed organization will stay with you from years to come.

Jake Hlas -

The great Iowa State Fair has always been the highlight of my year. My family has camped there since before I was born. Many of my earliest memories came from the 11 days of summer spent at the Iowa State Fair. I have shown and exhibited livestock here for nearly 10 years and through this, I have met and connected with countless people in this great industry. In regards to the question of what is my favorite part of the Iowa State Fair, it is hard to choose just one. This state has been one to remember and not just because of the 15 days we spent on the grounds this year or the hot summer nights spent in the air-condition-less five-star resort of Hillcrest, it is because of the broad spectrum of people we have been able to meet with. Not only in the livestock barns but also all over the fairgrounds. My favorite memory from this fair occurred during the parade of champions. I was able to see all of the hard work pay off for numerous individuals and this was a very good feeling to have, being able to relate to the countless hours spent on their livestock and projects. The excitement within the eyes of everyone in the ring of the livestock pavilion as 2000 spectators cheered, is something I will never forget. Moments like these are what truly coins the term, “Nothing Compares to the Iowa State Fair.”

Chandler Jahner -

Nothing compares to the Great Iowa State Fair! This year did not disappoint! Whether it be meeting members from across the state, working the Avenue of Breeds, or hanging out with the Ushers, it was a ball! My favorite part of this year's fair was to witness and hear everyone’s Ag stories. Take for example Parker, who won Grand Champion Restored Tractor this year, who spent hours telling his story of success. Or Skie, with her heavy hitch draft horse team, hauled not only us as state officers but the governor and lieutenant governor in the parade of champions! You can see it on their faces, witness their hard work in action as you travel in the barns, these members stories are just beginning. At the same time, it was an honor to hear the adventures of those who plowed the way before us. Whether it be during the farm crisis of the 80s, or the boom of the 50s, it’s amazing to see how far we’ve come. It was a blessing to be a part of and hear the story of those who still believe in the future of agriculture.

Alexis Berte -

The Iowa State Fair is an event I wait for all year long. This year, however, my state fair looked a little bit different than normal. I represented Kossuth County as fair queen during Queen’s Week. Although I missed out on many of the FFA livestock shows, this second week has been one to remember. Working numerous display shifts, I have met some amazing people with even better stories to tell. Learning about their backgrounds in FFA has truly been amazing. I can by far say, these years state fair is one for the books. It’s hard to pick just one aspect of the fair to be my favorite one, but I would have to say it is watching the Swine Show. Fun fact: My favorite animal is a pig! All year long, exhibitors work with their livestock to prepare them for their county fairs and the great Iowa State Fair. Seeing their joy and excitement in the ring is something I will never forget. All of their hard work has paid off in those few moments. With the theme this year being Iowa State Fair Moments, I can recall many moments from over the years at the Iowa State Fair. All of those moments have a special place in my heart. I cannot wait to continue making memories at the Iowa State Fair not only this year but for many years to come, because nothing compares to these moments.

Gwen Black -

The Great Iowa State Fair is one of my favorite times of the year! I have been attending the fair with my family for as long as I can remember, whether that be to exhibit projects, show horses, or just go to a concert in the Grandstands, we have been here, rain or shine. Because it is so hard to choose just one of my favorite state fair moments I’ll tell you my favorite from both sides of the coin. Now as an FFA member and Officer I have loved seeing all of you! Your hard work throughout the year has obviously paid off. Seeing everyone work the ring in the parade of champions was so amazing! Being a regular fairgoer my favorite part of the fair is, of course, the food! I can’t even choose a favorite food either because everything is amazing. Though I can say the best lemonade at the fair is the booth up in Pioneer Hall! Would highly recommend! The fair this year has truly been an amazing experience and I hope all of you enjoyed your fair as well and made some memorable moments along the way.

CD Brinegar -

My favorite part of the Iowa State Fair is the FFA Ag Mechanics. I enjoy walking through and looking at all the tractors. Although green is the best and "Nothing Runs Like a Deere", the red ones aren't too bad. The tractors are all shined up with chrome straight pipes and new lights tend to always look the best sitting outside in the sun. But what really makes those tractors so meaningful are the stories that went into each one. Like the tractor that grandpa bought brand new and dad blew the motor on it, it made it to the state fair. Or my personal favorite - a tractor that was used as a tram puller back in the day - was bought from the fairgrounds and now is back after a 50-year absence. If you get a chance, I strongly recommend a trip through the FFA tractors.

Cole Reiman -

The people - I know it sounds cheesy but sometimes I feel like a dog at a dog park - always going up and meeting new people! One of my teammates brought something to my attention this week when you are at the state fair and you walk by hundreds of people but you never know their stories. On these fairgrounds, there have been advisors, governors, members, queens, and even the everyday visitors. Each of these people has their own story, their own lives that lead up to this moment, right now where we have all been brought together at an amazing state fair. The conversations we have to allow us into the doorway of another person’s life, they allow us to feel what others feel and connect with others, they let ourselves gain an understanding of a whole new perspective on life and in the process gain an appreciation for where others have been and where they are going. Next time you are unsure whether or not to start a conversation, do it. I can promise you will learn something by the end of it and grow in the process.

2018-2019 

Iowa FFA State Officer Team

Fear

Growing up, I was the quiet kid. I was the kid the teacher had to drag answers out of, who sat in the back of the class. The kid people were concerned about. Allow me to give you some perspective. I had a conversation with my grandmother once and she outright said, “Chandler, we were worried about you.” My parents noticed up until 4th grade, I did all of the things a kid should. I was goofy, fun, and I made friends like it was my job. I was just another 4th grader. Then it stopped for no apparent reason. It wasn’t until I reflected on that part of my life did I figure it out. I had let fear weave itself into my life and take hold. Where most kids that age think they’re bulletproof, I thought I was the designated bullet catcher. The constant overthinking, self-doubt and questioning was a vicious cycle.

I think all of us live with this fear to some degree daily. “Am I pretty enough?” “Is she going to like me?” “What will they say?” Believe me, I know the feeling. At this point, I own a timeshare in that area of thinking. In a day and age where we as a society thrive off of our presence on social media, it’s easy to get sucked into this mindset. Throw in the stress of college or career preparation, a sprinkle of people cutting you down and you have a blue ribbon recipe for disaster. The recipe of my life.

Have you ever woke up in the morning and the whole world seemed gray? As if it was letting you know, “This day this going to bite, salvage what you can.” Have you ever questioned what the point of going outside is? That if a bus hit you it would be the highlight of your day? Because I know I have.

I’m a sheep farmer from southern Iowa, I’m not trained in Socrates or Plato, but I do know this: What you choose to do with your fears is what defines you as a person, not the fear itself.

We as state officers recently returned from a training out in Washington D.C. While there, one of the things we focused on was our nation's history. The men and women who laid the foundation and fought to preserve our country are patriots, but they all had fear. They could have chosen to stay silent, to let fear rule over them but they didn’t. They fixed bayonets on Bunker Hill, fought to restitch a torn nation, and stood tall in faraway lands for people they’d never met. They threw off the shackles of tyranny so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. Like the freedom for a quiet Iowan to zip-up a blue corduroy jacket that would change his life forever.

In times of darkness, have you ever seen the sunrise chase off the dark from the mountains of West Virginia? Sped down the highway with windows down and the music too loud? Stood proudly next to a speech, performance or project and knew that you gave it your all? Because I know I have. The Bible says in 2 Timothy, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.”

It’s ok to be fearful, that’s life. Never be ashamed to reach out to someone and tell them you’re down, people want to help. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Know when you see me singing along, cracking jokes, or being a little “weird” I’m choosing to fight my battle. I’m choosing to be fearless. That my fears have no hold on me.

See, I was never a fan of my recipe for disaster, so I decided to change it. My new blue-ribbon recipe for life is as follows: a dash of self-confidence and a sprinkle of some amazing friends and family with a touch of Faith. But it has a secret ingredient that really brings it all together: a blue corduroy jacket. With a perfect balance of growth and love from its members and advisors, it fills me up like nothing else. If you’re tired of the dark of life, give my recipe a try. I can confidently say when you do, “all you’ll have to fear is fear itself”.

Go Get Em’!

Chandler Jahner

South Central State Vice-President

Moments

Ticket in one hand, mom's hand in the other my aunt dancing and signing in front of me on our way to see Sugarland in the grandstand. Waiting in line for some magical fried Oreos with friends. Cleaning my saddle in the heat for the Cowgirl Queen competition. Fixing my crown one last time before I enter interviews for the Fair Queen Competition. Watching the sunset over the grounds of our beautiful state fair from the skyglide. The theme for this year's fair is Nothing Compares to State Fair Moments. These have been some of my favorite moments, and its true that nothing compares to the times I have spent at the fair, but what makes a moment memorable? 

The definition of a moment is a very brief period in time. Something extraordinary has to happen in this brief period in time for us to make them into memories. A defining sound or smell, a sight or taste, the times when you see the world around you in slow motion, when everything becomes clear. Moments are what make our memories great. You cannot tell a story without the details of what happened, and moments are the details of our story. 

These upcoming weeks we will be preparing the finishing touches of our projects headed to the state fair. The work and time we have put into these are all leading up to a moment. The moment we step into the ring, or when we let that project go for the final judgment. We can only hope the best will come out of these moments to prove our efforts have not been in vain and we can taste the fruit of victory! We have something to prove at this moment. So how can it not go our way? Right? Then we see the judge shake someone else's hand, we see that purple ribbon sitting on another project. The way we process this very brief period in time can now change our memory. We can be bitter, angry and spiteful, as there is no way they worked harder than us. They do not deserve it. This is the way I know I have reacted. It's not my fault this class didn't go my way, it's his fault he cut me off in the arena. My horse just wouldn't cooperate it's not my fault. I now look back on these memories and see those times in the arena as a bad experience. My challenge to all of us as we head to the fair is to redefine our moments. It doesn't have to go our way for us to not taste the fruit of victory. It's the journey of we got there, and it is in these moments we can learn instead of judge. 

Let's come together over these few weeks to make some memories with defining moments! I wish us all the best of luck at the Great Iowa State Fair! As we all know already Nothing Compares!

With a corndog and lemonade,

Gwen Black SW State Vice President.