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