Learn to Laugh

Iowa weather…isn’t it just awesome?!

I mean who doesn’t love having to wear their winter coat in the morning, shorts at lunchtime and mud boots come the afternoon? And this year has been nothing short of crazy. We have had 80-degree heat, thunderstorms, a blizzard, and 40 mph winds, and that was all within the same week!

During one of the wet days a couple of weeks ago, I was feeling the wrath of mother nature while trying to do chores. I was slipping and sliding in the mud while trying to carry buckets to the bunk, and I almost wiped out three times while attempting to water the calves. While it sounds like a fun time, let me ensure you that I was in fact not having fun.

Like other aspects of our lives, timing isn’t always perfect on the farm. During this particularly muddy day, we had to feed round bales. As I finished unwrapping the bale, I turned to walk towards the gateway. My boots squished with every step I took, until my right boot became suctioned into the mud. As tried to stop myself from walking out of my boot, I stomped the other foot down into the mud where it too became stuck. Now, with two stuck boots, I looked up at my neighbor Dan’s tractor. He simply smiled and laughed at me.

Looking down at my boots, I laughed and began to smile. As I wiggled free of the mud and walked to the gate, Dan shouted from the tractor, “I thought I was going to have to use the forks to pull you out back there!” I chuckled and kicked some mud off my boot as I closed the gate behind him. Maybe the mud wasn’t as bad as I thought it was.


We are all put in undesirable situations, but how you respond to these types of situations is the most important part. You can choose to let your misfortune get you down, just like how I was going to let the mud ruin my day or you can choose to laugh through it like Dan did. No matter how sticky the situation is, there is always a reason to laugh and a way to find joy. Strive to make the best out of every situation and enjoy the moment. No matter how bad it looks, you can always find some good. When you get stuck in the muddy ruts of life, it’s important that you learn to laugh!

Laugh Through It,

Mickayla McGill

2019-2020 South Central State Vice President

"2018-2019 State and District Officers sharing a laugh with Mickayla's neighbor Dan"

Changes and Challenges

Lately, when we hop on social media, hoping to find a distraction, we are met with the inevitable. Our feed is cluttered with updates from press conferences, cancellations, old memories, and positivity posts. The reality of what is happening around us slaps us in the face again and again.

The day after State Convention was canceled, I was asked to help out with a positivity project. This project was pretty similar to any other one you can find on social media right now. People smile for the camera and try to spread some happiness. Well, I was not too keen on this idea. A positivity project? Are you serious? What is there to be happy about right now? State Convention was just canceled! These were all of the thoughts running through my mind when I received the request. I was feeling sad, angry, frustrated, confused, and completely lost. The last thing I wanted to do was put a smile on my face and help out with a positivity project. With no idea what to do, I sought the advice of my mom. “How am I supposed to do this? I don’t feel happy or positive about anything right now,” I said to her. Then she looked at me and said, “That’s okay. You can be sad right now. You don’t have to feel happy.”

Big or small, we have all lost something we care about in these last couple of months.
We hear people say, “it could be worse,” “you’ll get over it,” or “there’s always next year.” But I am going to tell you something different. It’s okay to be upset right now. It’s okay to feel hurt and sad. It’s 100% okay to not be okay. Your feelings are valid. We’re facing a lot of challenges right now, and you are allowed to feel upset. No one can tell you how you should feel.

With that, let us not forget that everyone is experiencing loss during this time. Our neighbors, friends, families, and enemies are facing challenges that are just as troubling as ours. Allow yourself and others to take the time needed to grieve. But know that there will be an end to these tough times. There will be a day that we can go out to eat again, hang out with our friends, go back to school, see our grandparents, etc. We might not feel okay right now, but we will get there in time.

Living to Serve,

Hope Brecht

2019-2020

Southeast State Vice President

Life in the Fast Lane

I was in church about a year ago when my pastor did something out of the ordinary for our normal sermons.

He paused mid sermon, hesitantly smiled at the congregation and said “I want to try something a little different for today. I was listening to music as I was prepping this message and a song came on and I felt it was fitting. I want to use it in today’s message” He then nodded to the A/V guy who began to play “Life in the Fast Lane” by the Eagles.

Now, if you’ve never heard the song, I first of all highly recommend it. Northeast State Vice-President Shelby Westhoff and I jam to it just about every time we drive somewhere. But secondly, I want to give you a quick summary of it so we’re all on the same page. The song tells a story about a man and a woman, both wicked as described by the song. They meet each other and proceed down the “Fast Lane” which is a metaphor for things such as drugs and other things I probably shouldn’t talk about in an FFA blog… Anyway, they get caught up in this lifestyle, first greatly enjoying it but soon realizing they’ve become addicted. The song puts it this way, “Life in the Fast Lane, surely make you loose your mind.” The take-away of the song is the two become hooked and eventually lose themselves to the things they’ve succumbed to.

As the song played, Pastor Steve broke down the song similar to what I did above and to be honest I’ve never heard the song the same since. He was pointed with his question, “What’s your ‘Fast Lane’? What’s the thing we get so caught up in we lose sight of what really matters?”

I was thinking about that message earlier this week. To be frank, I’m not any more excited about staying at home then anyone else is. I’ve spent the past two years of my life on the road and to have that and the last leg of my FFA journey ripped from me has been hard. That’s my “Fast Lane”. I have made it such a high priority in my life that I’ve got caught up in feeling sorry for myself now that it’s gone. In all reality, I have no reason to complain. I’m healthy and my friends and family are healthy too. There are people out there that don’t even have that going for them. There are folks who had it rough even before this pandemic, now it’s even harder for them.

I guess what I’m trying to say is we all walk a different path, each with its own challenges but it’s important that we look out for those we can help along the way. Not get so caught up in what we’re doing that we can’t be of service to others. The “Fast Lane” seems fun at first, but soon we begin to fly by what really matters. It can be easy for us to pretend not to notice we’re caught up in the race.

What’s your “Fast Lane”? If you don’t know, I’d encourage you to do a little inward reflection on what your life truly looks like. Meanwhile, I’ll be looking for an off-ramp.

Go Get Em,

Chandler Jahner

2019-2020 State President

41 (Mostly) Productive Things to Do When You Can't Leave Home

To say that everything that is going on in the world right now is crazy would be an understatement. We are living in unprecedented times, and no one really saw this coming. With these unprecedented times comes an adjustment to a new normal. My new normal has brought on another thing I never saw coming: free time. I’ve been busy for as long as I can remember. 

As a high school or college student, there is always a practice to go to, homework to do, meetings to attend, the list seems endless. Now that schools are closed and events are cancelled for the foreseeable future, many students are not busy for the first time in what feels like forever. To help with the boredom many of us may be experiencing, I brainstormed a list of 41 mostly productive and fun activities to do while we can’t leave home. 

Working with my Apiary (Bee) SAE

1. Work with your SAE - One thing I have greatly enjoyed doing during this time is getting back outside and working with my SAE. I have four bees hives that I tend year round and harvest the honey from. Lately has been the perfect time to do things for my project that always seemed to get put on the back burner like painting hive boxes or expanding the wax production part of my business. What can you do to improve your SAE and bring it to the next level while we have some free time on our hands?
2. Update your SAE record books - Now is a great time to log into the Agricultural Experience Tracker or pull up your Dollars and Hours document and to update those record books! I can remember many long nights spent in my high school ag room going through old receipts and customer records. That could have been avoided had I updated my records more regularly. Trust me, the next time you try to apply for a degree or proficiency award your future self will thank you!
3. Start state fair projects - It may be April, but I am always thinking about my favorite 11 days of the year: the Iowa State Fair (as of this writing we are just 125 days away after all)! The 2020 premium books have been recently uploaded to the fair website, and now is the perfect time to start working on any static projects like photography or ag mechanics. This link will take you to all the FFA premium books and entry deadlines. Work with your advisor to make sure all of your entries are in order. Don’t forget that open classes are an option too. From sewing to dollhouses to woodworking these classes have a lot to offer! Check them out here.
4. Read a book - Okay, I know this one seems a lot like school, but trust me here (After being an avid reader my whole life and working at a library in high school, I’m only a little biased)! Although officially closed, many libraries around the state are offering “drive through” options. If that isn’t true to your area, consider investing in some eBooks you can use on your phone, computer or tablet. If you or your family members have a library card, most libraries in Iowa are connected to this site where you can check out eBooks for free. Just hit the sign in button and select your library to get started. Need some ideas on what to read? This site has a great list of books for teenagers separated by genre.
5. Get a penpal - I’ve been on my phone a lot more than usual lately, so it has been so helpful for me to put down the texts, Snapchats, and social media to send handwritten letters. During this time, I have been writing to some friends and my great grandma who is living in a nursing home that can’t have visitors. Writing a letter to a friend or even to someone you don’t even know is a great way to stay connected during this time. Many nursing homes have ways for you to send handwritten and electronic letters to residents that wouldn't otherwise receive any. Look for local options or click this link to send your letters to an organization that redistributes them to nursing homes all over the country. 

These are a few of my favorites, but check out the list below for some other ideas on how to stay busy when boredom seems to be closing in. Let us know if you try any of these ideas out! Tag Iowa FFA on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook for a chance to be featured on our social media. 

1. Update your playlists/make some new ones
2. Play board games with your family
3. Have a nerf war
4. Become a better photographer
5. Learn to crochet or knit
6. Write in a journal
7. Exercise
8. Make a scavenger hunt for your family
9. Color a coloring page
10. Organize your room (or anything else)
11. Create some art
12. Make a time capsule
13. Cook or bake something new
14. Sew something
15. Plant a garden or indoor plant
16. Try origami 
17. Film a “movie” with your family
18. Do a puzzle
19. Create a secret code
20. Learn calligraphy
21. Invent your own board game
22. Build something
23. Decorate your room
24. Family karaoke 
25. Construct a fort (out of pillows or outside)
26. Call or video chat with friends and family you can’t see right now
27. Learn a new language
28. Listen to a podcast
29. Make a photobook (could be a physical one, but there are online options too)
30. Make homemade ice cream
31. Clean out your closet (or dresser, or garage, etc.)
32. Help with household chores 
33. Start and finish a DIY project
34. Make a budget
35. Tie-dye something
36. Play (or learn to play) an instrument

Stationed by the Flag,

2019-2020 State Reporter

Grace Long

Don't Forget Where You Come From

Anyone who knows me could tell you that I love the Rocky movies. There is something about the underdog success story of Rocky Balboa that makes me feel good. Everyone who’s seen the movies could tell you that the film is about a boxer who works hard to become the best, and they would be right. However, I feel that there’s another aspect to the movies that is just as valuable.

Rocky Balboa is a young man living in Philadelphia. In the first movie, we see him with little money and just trying to get by. He enjoys boxing, but he is admittedly not the greatest. There’s a particular part in the first film where Rocky can be seen greeting others on the street and talking to a group of kids about making better choices. Rocky’s life doesn’t start out the best, but we soon see it change.

Rocky is invited to fight one of the best boxers in the world. He accepts the challenge, and begins his training. He trains in a gym owned by an elderly man who quickly becomes a father figure to Rocky. Over the course of the films, Rocky becomes one of the most successful boxers in the world, and it all starts in that little gym.

I love the second movie. Not because of Rocky’s career as a boxer, but because of his life outside of it. He gets married and starts a family. Rocky buys the biggest house, the fastest car, and the nicest clothes. He is the happiest he’s ever been. Rocky is able to leave his little life behind him and live the life he really wants.

Rocky continues his boxing career, and doesn’t stop rising to the top. He thinks he has everything. But eventually, things change. He loses everything. Rocky is back to where he started. He’s back in that little gym where his career started.

Since the passing of the owner of the gym, Rocky has taken over. He trains other underdog boxers in the same gym where he was once the underdog. While Rocky may have lost everything, I love the movie where I get to see him return to that gym.

I think we can all learn something from Rocky’s story. Rocky ended up back in the gym after he hit rock bottom, but it doesn’t have to be that way for us. Rocky’s story reminds me of my own.

While I may be serving Iowa FFA in a larger capacity now, it hasn’t always looked like this for me. I started FFA the same way we all do. I was a high school kid looking to get involved with my local chapter. I joined as a sophomore, and I had no idea what to expect from FFA. I still remember the chapter president who inspired me to continue my journey with the organization. She may not have known it, but she was the reason I kept going. I wanted to be like her. She was my boxing trainer.

As I continued with FFA, it seemed things just got better and better. I participated in contests, learned a lot, and made a lot of great friends. Sometimes I feel like Rocky: I have it all.

I'm sure we all feel like this sometimes. We are doing great, and we couldn't be happier with where we are in life. But, unlike Rocky I think it's important to remember where we started before we hit rock bottom.

Our chapters and the people who were there when we started are the reasons we continue with FFA. They have pushed us to become our best selves. We wouldn't be the agriculturists we are today without them.

Let's be those reasons for other members. This year, I had the opportunity to lead a chapter visit in my home chapter, and it was so rewarding. Being able to spend time serving the very people who believed in me from the beginning was really special.

Maybe there's a freshman in your chapter that you can encourage to try a summer contest, or a friend who's scared to try FFA that we can inspire to join. Maybe our communities are in need of service in areas where we can help. As FFA members, we have the power and the responsibility to help those around us. Let's not wait until we're back at the bottom. Let's start now. Don't forget to serve where you come from because there are always people in need in the very place where we started.

Run with your challenges,

Natalie Jefson

2019-2020 State Secretary

Life is What You Make of It

Canceled. The reoccurring word that we all continue to hear. It is an end to a season we had put so much work into, all the time we had put into extracurricular activities is thrown away, and for graduating seniors there last month of high school is ripped away from them. Truly a devastating time but life is what you make of it.

As the challenges of life come and go this friend of mine has always radiated positivity and has a smile to share. The challenges she has faced are ones that many could not endure, however, she chooses to make the most of it. The story starts on a dairy farm, milking 90 cows with her husband. Dedication and hard work day in and day out to stay in competition with the falling milk prices was their daily life. Life was simple and sweet, but tragedy struck when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Fighting it not once but twice brought challenges to the family. Through this hardship, my friend remained strong and still radiated positivity to others. As they laid her husband to rest, my friend chose to make the most of life. At that moment she could have chosen to give up but instead, she chose to live life to the fullest. Now raising her four children, starting her own business, and entering the beef industry she is an inspiration to me. Every day she chooses to make the most of the life she was given.

So how can we do the same and chose joy? What will you do to make the most of your life? For me, I will choose to walk through each day with a smile.

Aspire to Inspire,

Shelby Westhoff

Northeast State Vice-President

Finding your Place in FFA

I started the school year just like anybody else but for me there were some new things to get used to, and in all honesty it was a rocky start. My parents made a last minute decision to move and for me that meant transferring schools for my senior year. As one would imagine, it was bit overwhelming. New friends, new teachers, and getting involved all seemed difficult. I’ve never been the athletic type, and I haven’t been interested much in performing, but I knew I wanted to be involved in an extracurricular. Being at a new school forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and explore many different options. None seemed to pique my interest. It wasn’t until the day my agriculture teacher excitedly offered officer applications to anyone with enough courage to apply. I felt nervous and excited for the opportunity. I took the chance, and amazingly was elected chapter Reporter, which was a wonderful feeling. Being immersed in the FFA world is something new for me yet it is hard now to see myself anywhere else.

Soon after the officer team was established, we were welcomed with a dinner specially hosted for us. This was no average welcome dinner. It was our groundbreaking debut. My new officer team and I were fortunate enough to meet Mr. Mike Naig, the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. He not only made an appearance at our dinner, he held up my first official FFA jacket as I slipped my arms through that stiff blue corduroy for the first time. A feeling only an FFA member understands. It was heartwarming to see the amount of support from our community that night. The profits from the dinner aided in our trip to Indiana and the 92nd National FFA Convention.

My advisor offered me a seat to National Convention and I gladly accepted. Coming from a low-income family made me extremely indecisive as to whether the trip was worth it or not, but I knew I would regret it if I didn’t take the opportunity. After an entirety of begging, I was given permission from my parents to attend. National FFA Convention was totally worth-while – the begging paid off. The trip was filled with so many new experiences, that I was completely in awe. Something as simple as wearing a rain poncho was new to me. Sadly, I forgot the poncho in the car and haven’t seen it since.

Since then, our Chapter has been highly active, from our lock in winter conference to partnering with Morningside College to create meals for Feed the Farmer, and even competing in CDE competitions. Our Chapter has accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. As I reflect on my senior year and look forward to the future, I’m excited to see how Sioux City FFA will grow. I’m proud to say I contributed to the development of Sioux City FFA. All these experiences will stay with me in my following years at college, and into life. FFA has brought me so many opportunities that I otherwise may have never come across. I have grown as an individual and, believe it or not, the highlight of my entire high school career has got to be my decision to join the FFA.

In Blue and Gold,

Valerie Rosales

Sioux City FFA

Chapter Reporter

National FFA Week: A Look Back

Almost a year ago, I was elected to state office. Since then, I've been all over the state visiting different places and chatting with members. There have been so many experiences that I will remember forever. FFA week, however, will always be near and dear to my heart.

I started FFA week off with the Muscatine FFA chapter. I got to watch them compete at the human table and stack cups in teams. Watching those members work as a team was incredibly rewarding.

Wednesday I spent time in Nashua Plainfield FFA. We ate pancakes and got to untie our human knot. Seeing them encourage each other in a competition inspired me.

Thursday I was with Clear Lake. We spent the whole afternoon with middle school students. Their excitement over being in the ag room reminded me of the first time I walked into mine.

Friday I was at West Marshall. Those students played Jenga, competed, and had an all school assembly. The sound of those students laughing is something I'll never forget.

State office has given me the best year of my life. Sure, I've had hard days. But the members I spend time with are always worth it. The members I've spent time with this year have taught me so much and I will forever be grateful for the smiling faces I'm greeted with each time I walk into a chapter. Iowa FFA, thank you for your kindness, positivity, and inspiring stories. Thank you for the best year and the memories I'll never forget. I'm so proud of the members I've seen this year, and I can't wait to see where you all take the FFA.

Run With Your Challenges,

Natalie Jefson

2019-2020 State Secretary

Forever Blue

When I was asked to write a blog for the Iowa FFA, I thought to myself, “What could I possibly write about?” My FFA experience was so rich, and it continues to give back to me, but how can I narrow it down? How could I write something that would make a difference for those reading it? Although I am sure that I don’t have the “one size fits all” fits all blog, here is what I have come up with after reflecting on this prompt.

Commit. What does it mean to you to commit to something? For me, it’s easy; find something you love doing, and commit to it. Personally, I hope that is FFA, but it can be anything. My brother committed to playing the tuba in 5th grade, and now he travels the world playing that big, clunky, instrument. My wife committed to becoming a personal trainer, and now trains people in our local community. You see, it doesn’t matter what it is you are committing to; just find that passion and commit to it. The more experiences I have in life, the more important I realize commitment is.

Engage. It is so important to tell your story. As people involved in the agricultural industry, we often get caught up trying to tell agricultures story, but from my perspective, the most powerful story is our own. If you are in a community where FFA isn’t supported, engage with your community. If you are in a community where FFA is supported, engage with your community. We spend so much time trying to engage about the bad, when in all reality, we need to be engaging about the good as well. Tell people about your story. Tell your community about the wins your FFA chapter has had. Engage with those different than you and understand their story as well.

Serve. Today, we often get caught up with titles. This person has this degree or has this job. That person got elected to that position or has “Secretary” written on their jacket. While those things are all important to those individuals and may be “cool”, in all reality, it is incredibly important to serve wherever you are at. Whether that is volunteering at your local food bank, serving as a State FFA Officer, or being the CEO of John Deere, servant leadership is vital to not only your success, but those around you. If you find a group of yours is struggling for some reason, first look at yourself. How can you serve that group better or differently?

Give. It has been quite a few years since I have zipped up my blue corduroy jacket, but I still find myself trying to come back to the organization. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t try to sneak into State Convention with my suspenders and tie on, but I find myself wanting to give back. For me, that has meant serving on the Iowa FFA Foundation Board of Directors, giving back to local FFA chapters, and training rock stars for FFA State Officer Interviews. This could mean something totally different to you, but here is my ask: give back to FFA. There is such a need on the local, state and national level for support. This can be monetarily, as a judge at sub-district convention, or as a chaperone to an event. If you are reading this as an FFA member, you are probably thinking, “Josh is meaning this for someone else”; but you are dead wrong. Find a way to give back to FFA as a member. Mentor a freshman in their first ag class. Present your prepared public speech to your local Rotary Club. When you aren’t a member anymore, remember the opportunities you had and give back so future FFA members can have that same opportunity.

I leave you with this: FFA is an organization that has allowed me to have so many opportunities. In fact, it is still giving back to me. Commit to something you love doing. Engage with those around you. Serve where you are when you are there. Give to FFA in whatever capacity you can. If we all do these few things, not only will we be successful as individuals, but FFA will continue to be the best student-lead organization in the world.

Forever Blue,

Josh Earl

2013-2014 State President

Advocate to Educate

When someone says or believes something that we disagree with, it can be easy for our emotions to get the best of us. We don’t understand why they would think something like that at all. I will admit that I am 100% guilty of this. In these situations, my competitive nature says, “you’re wrong. Let me tell you why I’m the one who’s right.” In agriculture, we see differences in beliefs all the time. We hear about it on TV, social media, even in people’s conversations at the grocery store. We see it in the non-GMO labels scattered all throughout the aisles as a marketing scheme. Of course this upsets us, but what approach do we take in confronting these misconceptions?

While I was in Spain earlier this year, we visited a beef cattle farm. At first sight, the facilities didn’t seem a whole lot different than what we might see here in the United States. Once we began our tour and stepped through the day to day operations of the farm, we started becoming much more aware of the differences in practices. Because Spain belongs to the European Union, the agricultural industry of the country faces several regulations and restrictions. During our tour we were able to learn about the regulations within the realm of beef cattle. The first one the owner and manager of the farm spoke with us about was the use of “stimulants.” He explained that the EU strictly prohibits the use of antibiotics and hormones throughout the duration of an animal’s life. When asked how the cattle are kept healthy, the farmer replied that they are able to vaccinate animals within the first four months of the individual animal’s arrival on the farm. After that, everything is completely natural. The beliefs behind this practice suggest that the said “stimulants” affect the quality of the meat. Aside from stimulants, bulls are also not castrated at any point in the production process. The farmers believe that this creates a stress-free environment. At the end of our visit, the farmer encouraged us to keep everything natural in the process of cattle production as it results in clean meat.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks later and I’m back in the United States as the Starbucks milk fiasco is in full force. I’ll admit, I was kind of upset about it too. I don’t normally go to Starbucks, but I was upset to hear about another business displaying miseducation of the agricultural industry which affected the beliefs of consumers. While some people were threatening to boycott Starbucks, instagram user @brandibuzzard had a different approach. She posted a video on instagram encouraging agriculturalists to do the exact opposite of boycotting. She said that the next time she goes to Starbucks, she’s going to ask for REAL milk to show that there is in fact a demand for it.

These two stories might not seem like it, but they actually have a lot in common. Two different parties are miseducated on an agricultural topic. Now in the first example, we kind of blew off the final remarks of the farmer and thought to ourselves, “yeah whatever we’re going to do what we want.” We didn’t think to stop and have a conversation with the man about why we use the practices that we do. In the second example, the simple answer was, “I’m never going to Starbucks again.” Again, we didn’t think about sitting down and having a conversation about it. In both cases we were frustrated and upset. As agriculturalists, we have a choice to make. When we hear these things that frustrate us, there’s two options. We can be mad and storm off, or we can respectfully provide education on the topic. Instead of saying, “I’m never going to Starbucks again,” we can actually go to Starbucks and politely tell them why it is that we want real milk in our hot chocolate or whatever it is that we might order. As advocates for the industry, we accomplish nothing by responding with an eye roll or a boycott. If we provide education, we open minds.

Advocate to Educate,

Hope Brecht

Southeast State Vice President

Iowa FFA Association

Perfectly Imperfect

Over the past couple of months, I’ve driven countless miles down unfamiliar roads as I’ve traveled across the state of Iowa. Everywhere I go is slightly different, but has a uniquely beautiful view. Whether it was watching the sunset as I drove by lake Red Rock, seeing the snow sparkle in the high noon sun while on a state highway, the reflection of countless taillights in the bigger cities, or watching the sunrise over the rolling hills on my way down to Mount Ayr, I’ve been able to see some pretty beautiful sights. This love for nature’s beauty is something I got naturally.

Even at 103 years old, my great-grandma Doratha loved to paint. She painted everything, including snowy winter wonderlands, rustic farmhouses, trees filled with colorful fall leaves, and of course, all of the little critters that she saw roaming around outside. Each of her paintings were beautifully crafted down to the smallest and simplest detail. My favorite painting of all time was one she did of a raccoon. The little raccoon had big, round eyes and a full belly. He laid next to an empty watermelon rind and a couple remaining shiny black seeds. I was amazed by the detail in the little raccoon’s big, beautiful eyes and his happy little face.

Despite my love for nature and its inner beauty, I was never able to paint like my great-grandma. While trying to teach my cousins and me to paint, she used to tell us to look at the details because everything we see is made perfectly imperfect. Everything has its flaws, and that’s what makes it perfect. Even the tallest, widest, and most beautiful tree has missing limbs and broken branches. These broken and missing pieces don’t make the tree any less beautiful, but instead, make it unique and perfect. Just like how our battle scars and imperfections make us beautiful to those around us. We are perfectly imperfect, just like we were meant to be. Love yourself and embrace your imperfections.

Find the Beauty in Everything, 

Mickayla McGill 

2019-2020 South Central State Vice President 

Against the Odds

    Staring at the grey walls of the Scheman Building on Iowa State's Campus is a favorite pass time for extemporaneous speakers during state convention. Rumour has it, some of the best speakers to come through the competition have all participated in the age-old tradition of counting the specs on the walls waiting for their turn to prep their speeches. 

*A little about the contest: Extemporaneous speaking or Extemp for short is a contest we as an FFA offer to students for them to hone in on their ability to think on their feet and handle a wide range of agriculture topics. Contestants are presented three ag-based topics, they select one and are given thirty minutes to prep a four to six-minute speech based on the topic. Like any speech, there needs to be a beginning, middle and end all with a personal flare and research to back-up claims made. Students are allowed to have up to five materials such as a textbook, magazine or a notebook with printed off articles to help provide facts and sources for their speech.*

    My senior year of high school I sat in Scheman staring at the walls when a gruff stout man came in and slammed my notebooks of materials in front of me.

    “There’s something wrong with your notebook,” said the stout man with Jolly Ranchers on his breath.

    “Okay, and that is?” I replied puzzled. Did I overly care about my notebook? No, but it was one of those nice things to have just in case I had a brain fart.

    “You don’t have any page numbers.” I coulda swore it was Blue Raspberry on his breath but it was hard to tell.

    “I need page numbers?”

    “Yes. Do you have another copy?”

    “No.” Maybe it was Grape. Eh, probably a mix of both.

    “We’re taking your notebook from you. You can’t use it because you don’t have page numbers.”

    “Okay.”

    “Like now. We’re taking it now. You’re not going to get to use it for the competition.”

    “Great. Go ahead.” He seemed floored by my response. He must have been expecting a sob story, maybe for me to barter with him? Whatever he was looking for I wasn’t giving it to him.

    He glared at me, grabbed my notebook, and placed three notecards in front of me. I thought I heard him mumble “Good Luck” but I doubt it.

    Snatching the “How will Technology change Agriculture in the Future?” card I set to work on my speech. I was excited to simply be competing at state. My advisor and I had had multiple lengthy discussions about me competiting in this contest. The principle of more or less doing a speech improv style in front of a group of people who are clearly more informed on the subjects terrified me. Being one of two who competed at sub-districts I hadn’t put much hope in me getting past districts, yet here I was.

    Thirty minutes up, I collected my things and set out to the competition room with the Courtesy Corps member. Outside the doors, I was prepped by a kind woman on how it would work once I got in there. She led me in and in the audience was my family and advisor with some other members in there just to watch. In my head, I was setting the Over/Under on how long until they figured out I was flying by the seat of my pants on this speech.

    The speech felt solid, I conveyed my message and the audience seemed engaged. I couldn’t really ask for more. After being berated by the judge’s questions for five minutes I stepped outside. My family seemed shocked about me losing my notebook and my advisor chuckled a “Told you you could do it” to himself. Oh well, it was over now.

    Cut to later that afternoon, I found out I had gotten a gold! Holy cow! Up on stage in the bright lights, they called my name as the winner! To say I was surprised was an understatement.

    Why do I tell you this story? As I’ve traveled the state, interacted with members from all over, and seen where they’re all coming from a theme stands out to me. We sometimes get so focused on making sure everything “goes right” that we don’t appreciate what we have right in front of us. Life doesn’t play fair and the situations we find ourselves in can sometimes be overwhelming. But it’s what we do in those moments that define our character. I could have easily scratched myself from the competition then and there and walked away because things didn’t go according to plan. Heck, I could have told my advisor I wasn’t competiting that year and not even listened to him. But then I would have missed the ride, the adventure of competing with some of the best speakers in the Iowa FFA with only what I had learned in ag class and time spent in the barn to go off of. Yeah sometimes its uncomfortable and we don’t always win, but as Babe Ruth once said, “It’s hard to beat someone who never gives up.”

Go Get Em,

Chandler Jahner

State President

Me and the State Champion Plaque. Can you see the disbelief on my face?

Try a New Leadership Development Event!

Coming back to school after winter break is always difficult. Many high schools jump right back in at the end of the semester, making the weeks after break stressful and filled with getting caught up on work you swore you were going to do over break but didn’t and studying for looming final exams. 

During my time in high school, I also spent hours and hours in the weeks following winter break in the ag room, preparing for whichever Leadership Development Event (LDE) I was participating in that year. Whether it was reciting the creed over and over my freshman year to get my hand motions just right or researching hot topics in agriculture to prepare for extemporaneous speaking, I have some amazing memories of late nights and early mornings spent in my high school ag room preparing for contests.

Participating in LDEs was one of the most valuable, memorable and enjoyable parts of my FFA career. They made me more confident in my ability as a speaker and gave me experience sharing the story of agriculture. Sub-district contests are rapidly approaching for most of the chapters in the state, but it’s not too late to take advantage of some of the great opportunities these contests provide. In Iowa, there are nine LDEs that begin at the sub-district level for you to choose from. I have included descriptions of some of my favorites below.

Creed Speaking - “I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds…” This LDE is for members in seventh through ninth grade. Participants are judged on their ability to present all five paragraphs of the FFA Creed from memory and then answer three questions related to it. I participated in this LDE my freshman year of high school.

Extemporaneous Speaking - In this LDE, participants showcase their agricultural knowledge and ability to think on their feet by giving a speech and answering questions with limited prep time. To compete, members draw three agricultural topics and choose one to craft a speech on. They then have 30 minutes to prepare a four to six minute speech on the topic and are able to use 100 pages of resources. After their speech, participants answer five minutes worth of questions on the topic they just presented. I participated in this LDE my junior year of high school.

Prepared Public Speaking - Participants in this LDE write and deliver a six to eight-minute speech about a current agriculture-related topic. Members are allowed to choose and research their own topic and then put together a creative, informative speech. The speech is presented to a panel of judges, who score the student based on the speech’s content, composition and delivery. I participated in this LDE my senior year of high school.

Conduct of Meetings - The purpose of this LDE is to introduce members to parliamentary procedure as they learn how to conduct efficient meetings and build their communication skills. A team of seven students from one chapter demonstrate correct use of FFA opening and closing ceremonies. Members assume various officer duties (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, reporter, sentinel and advisor) during the presentation that is evaluated by a team of judges. They are also asked to answer related questions as a team.

These LDEs also start at the sub-district level and descriptions of them can be found at these two links: http://www.iowaffa.com/leadershipcdematerials.aspx and https://www.ffa.org/participate/cde-lde/. (LDE descriptions above were created with the help of these resources).

Job Interview
Parliamentary Procedure
Ag Broadcasting
Ag Sales
Program of Activities

Take a step outside your comfort zone this year and try a new LDE! No matter the outcome, you will make memories and learn skills that will help you grow inside and outside of the classroom.


In Blue and Gold,

2019-2020 State Reporter

Grace Long

Giving the creed at my chapter's banquet during my freshman year.

Four generations of creed speakers from the Ballard FFA Chapter.

The Best Time of The Year

We are closing in on the most wonderful time of the year. Yes I know Christmas has passed, I’m talking about calving season! Calving season is the most strenuous yet rewarding time of year for most cattle producers. Getting up at the crack of dawn everyday, going from feeding to driving through cows, and going home late at night can start to wear down on producers. But seeing the calves grow from birth to yearling to sale time is the most rewarding thing in my opinion. Watching my calves run around in the middle of March in the snow covered fields and seeing them transform in feeder cattle the next year and watching their growth makes me feel like I did something important. Reasons like that are why I want to stay on the farm and continue to raise cattle.


But there is the stress that comes with cattle. Everyone knows that no two years are the same. Going from the winter of 2008 to 2019 there has been every type of condition known to man. These types of conditions can wear people down. The amount of sleepless nights followed by large amounts of work during the day can make producers extremely worn down. If you have cattle try to have someone cover your chores every once in awhile and catch up on your sleep. I myself have and will continue to spend the winter with little sleep and can tell you firsthand how hard it is to do this everyday. Take time to rest. The work will always be there, but you might not.


To all cattle producers in Iowa and across the U.S. I wish you a safe and successful calving season, and let’s pray for no snow.

To the Cowboy In All Of Us,

Tyler Comes

2019-20 SW State Vice President

A Fresh Start to 2020!

As the final days of 2019 wrapped up I began to reflect on what a great year it has been. We celebrated another inspiring year of FFA events, presented Paul Hassmen with his FFA jacket (Click Here to read that story), and celebrated 50 years of women in FFA (Click Here for media surrounding that event). We have been blessed by many sponsors, alumni, and our advisors. I am very thankful for all who provide us the experience to write our own story in the blue jacket, however, this year is over and we have a new path to walk down.

As we step into the new year and decade we have the opportunity for a fresh start. The new year looks different for all of us, for some, it is New Year’s Resolutions, for others it is a new set of classes at school, and for others, it’s a chance to set goals for the new decade. As we make our way back to school these next few days what are we going to change? Without change, we won’t see any progress in our goals and ambitions. What will the new year look like for you? I challenge you to answer these following questions!

This year I will focus on…
This year I will serve others by...
This year I want to get better at…

As I take the time to answer these questions, I can’t help but get excited for the new year! We have so much time to make new friends, discover new places, and make a difference. For me, the new year is always a time to set goals and start working! This year I am excited to start a new set of classes at Iowa State University, travel to new FFA chapters, and meet more FFA members. These new experiences will shape the start of my new decade. As Jonathan Estrin once said, “The way we spend our time defines who we are.” We are given 365 days to make a difference in the world. What’s stopping you?

Aspire to Inspire,

Shelby Westhoff

Northeast State Vice President