Stick out the Course

Having 200 cow-calf pairs is never fun during the winter months to maintain. Getting up at 7:00 in the morning to feed cattle, tagging calves, eating lunch, then tagging more calves turns cattle producers into creatures of habit. Add a four letter word to their schedule and they will become upset. Snow and snow and more snow. This winter we saw record snowfall amounts and record cold temperatures.

Just when we thought the winter was awful, mother nature continued to pile on precipitation with excessive amounts of rain that flooded parts of the state. Farmers all over Iowa are still dealing with flooded acres with complete loss in some areas.

If there is one thing that agriculturalists know better than anyone else, it’s that things don’t always work their way. So many factors all working against one person, yet they stay the course. They know things will get better and refuse to abandon ship when things get tough.

Something my dad always told me was that if farming was easy, everybody would be doing it. As young agriculturalists, we get the opportunity to feed people and have fun while doing it. One thing I’ve learned from working on a farm my entire life, is that change may be hard, but is necessary when things can never be the same. Be willing to change, but never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and stick the course.

In life we will be handed obstacles and challenges that we may not be prepared for or we don’t want. They may deter us from completing our objectives, or even help us. When times get tough, and we think we can’t go anymore, persevere and keep fighting. If you don’t get elected to chapter office, get more involved in FFA. Go to a new conference and redeem yourself so next year you can get better. Always remember to stick the course.

In Blue and Gold,

Tyler Comes

2019-2020 SW State Vice President 

Help

“I have to write a paper for class, feed my livestock, schedule a meeting, finish a scholarship, wash the dishes, and it all has to be done in the next hour.”

A list that goes on and on, it seems that we are always incapable of completing every task. So they pile onto the next day and we go through the same process. A mere look at our to-do list ignites stress and anxiety. How will it be possible to live a life of joy if we are always experiencing this?

Let’s take a look back at an experience in our lives when we felt we had so much to do and no time to do it. For me, this was last year at the county fair. I had 2 cows and 3 heifers that all had to be ready to show by 8 o’clock in the morning. That meant getting up extra early that morning to wash, care, and prepare 5 animals all by myself. It didn’t take long before I was completely stressed out. I was not able to get all the animals washed in time and I wasn’t sure what to do next. The day that I had looked forward to for the last few months had turned for the worst.

As I was frantically trying to complete tasks, one of my FFA peers asked what I needed help with. I stood there shocked for a moment. I had never thought to ask for help. I thought that I had to complete every single task. I sat in a world of my own struggle when there were people all around me waiting to help me. I thanked my friends and they all began to assist me. The stress was lifted off of my shoulders and the rest of the day was filled with joy.

This day taught me an important lesson, ask for help. In life, we get so caught up in completing every task by ourselves. If I would have continued to try prepping all 5 animals by myself, I would have failed. My goals were completed because somebody reached out and helped. As we enter into the second half of summer, how could you be a helping hand for someone? Maybe you could ask your advisor if they need assistance at the county fair, helping out your parents with chores, or lend a hand to a friend. I want to challenge you to ask for help in your own life and ask others what they need help with!

Living to Serve,

Shelby Westhoff 

Northeast State Vice-President 

State Officers Reflect on COLT

Chandler: I had a chance to visit 3 COLTs this year and was amazed at the level of leadership that chapter officers brought to the table. Those I had a chance to interact with brought to the table a level of genuineness and determination that encouraged me to be a better leader! Hats off to the facilitators who volunteered their time to not only learn the curriculum but connect with members on a personal level. I am positive it left a bigger impact than they will ever realize! I cannot wait to see what our chapters tackle this year!

Tyler: Getting the opportunity to meet members across 3 districts was amazing. Getting to see so many new faces and interacting with all of you was something I genuinely enjoyed! I can’t wait to meet even more of you throughout the year makes me excited beyond belief! Continue to do great things in you chapter, district, and the entire state of Iowa!

Natalie: I loved getting to be a part of COLTs this year! We have so many incredible chapter officers this year. I can’t wait to see the awesome things Iowa FFA can accomplish this year through the service of leaders all across the state. I am so glad I had the opportunity to facilitate at these events and learn from the members who are leading their chapters. I am looking forward to seeing the impact our chapter officers make throughout their year of service!

Shelby: One word comes to mind after interacting with chapter officers this week, blessed. Our chapters are in great hands for this upcoming year. One of my favorite parts of COLT is having the chance to hear members share what makes there chapter unique. I also love seeing officers network and find skills to bring back home. I am very excited to watch as our chapter officers make a difference in their communities this year!

Mickayla: Over the past two weeks, I have attended 4 COLT Conferences, traveled nearly 1,000 miles, made tons of memories, and met some of Iowa’s most influential leaders. I absolutely loved being able to get to know all of our amazing chapter officers from all across the state! The amount of potential, determination, and leadership ability that our officers possess is extremely inspiring! I am super excited to witness all of the incredible things that our talented officer teams accomplish throughout the next year!

Grace: The thing I love most about our amazing organization is the people that comprise it, and attending three COLTs in the past two weeks showed me just how exceptional our members are! My favorite part of COLT season was definitely meeting all the different chapter officers from across the state. It was incredible to hear their thoughts, stories and ideas as we went through workshops together; we had lots of laughs and learned a lot along the way too! I have no doubt that these dedicated leaders will put what they learned to use in the upcoming year to better their chapters, schools and communities.

Nole: By far my favorite part of COLT is interacting with members and connecting with them. That’s something I really enjoy doing and COLT is a perfect opportunity to do so. Having the opportunity to attend three different COLTs really opened my eyes and showed once again, that this year's chapter officers can accomplish big things. Getting to know all of you throughout the year is the thing I’m looking forward to the most! Another big part of why I enjoy COLT so much are the road trip jam sessions, spontaneous Walmart runs, and all of the other memories made the nights before, are ones that I will hold on to for the rest of my life.

Hope: What I enjoy most about COLT was all of the behind the scenes work that goes into it to insure that the members had a successful experience. It was a wonderful feeling to witness all of that work get put into action. I was beyond excited to see all of the chapter officers taking full advantage of this opportunity. I have so much pride in the outstanding leaders within this organization. Iowa FFA, we are in great hands!

Lukas: The part that I enjoyed the most was bonding with chapter and district officers over the past two weeks. From driving 15 hours looking at all the new scenes and cool places while singing all the new songs and meeting members that made an impact on my life. I cannot wait to see the transformation in members lives from all of these amazing officers. You’ll all do great things this year!

Living to Serve,

The 2019-2020 State Officer Team

The Little Things

I’m sure most of us have heard a coach blame a bad loss on the little things that happen in a game. They huddle us up in the locker room at the end of the game and let us know what we did wrong. More often than not, the coach tells us the little things is what got us. “You guys didn’t hustle up the court” “You didn’t hold your blocks long enough” “You didn’t finish that move when you had the chance” You guys get the gist. On those long rides home from away games or meets, I had time to reflect on what I did and didn’t do. Did I do those extra little things that could have impacted the outcome? Was I giving my best effort?

After four years of playing sports, I realized that the little things that happen in games had the biggest influence on the outcome of the game. I realized this had a direct relation to things that go on in our everyday lives. I know all of us have had those days where the last thing we want to do is wake up to our alarms. We think to ourselves “Hitting the snooze one time won’t hurt” That snowballs into a big mess that leaves you late for school. Then you think back “Were those few extra minutes of sleep worth it?”

Even the little gestures that you display in the real world. Things such as waiting a little bit longer to hold the door for someone. Minding your manners by saying please and thank you to those who do things for you. In the moment you don’t think anything of it, you just think you’re being polite, but in all reality, you could have just made that person’s day. That, in my opinion, is the most satisfying reward a person can get.

One of the greatest American educators, Booker T. Washington once said: “Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the every day things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon.” Think about it. How are you going out of your way and making that extra effort to see a better outcome? Are you doing those little things in life that seem so meaningless?

I challenge you, the members of the Iowa FFA, to make those extra efforts in times where they might not seem relevant. Go out of your way during your everyday life, to see lasting the impacts it has on others. Don’t get caught up in the big picture trying to pull off big gestures and start focusing on the little things.

Yours in blue,

Nole Bochmann

Northwest State Vice President

A Calf and A Challenge

Growing up on a small cattle farm, calving season was always my absolute favorite time of the year! There was nothing like going outside during odd hours of the day and night to see if a new baby had made its way into the world. While calving season was an exciting time, it was also very stressful and challenging.

This year, on a sunny March day, my family farm welcomed a set of twins. One was a white-faced heifer, and the other a black bull. The little white-face calf picked up on nursing right away and took to wobbling around the pen; however, her brother wasn’t learning as fast. Shortly after, I noticed that he was unable to stand. Every time he got his back legs underneath him, his front legs would wobble forward and collapse. As it turned out, the calf who we called “Mo”, had weak ankles that made it very difficult for him to stand.

Since Mo was unable to stand on his own, he was brought into our basement where he could be taken care of. I held Mo up as he drank a bottle and struggled to stand in the basement. My brother and I worked together to hold Mo up as he wobbled across the basement floor. With a little bit of tender loving care and encouragement, Mo was able to build up enough leg strength to be able to stand on his own. He was able to run and jump just like all of the other calves, and you couldn’t even tell that he had been unable to walk.

Almost three months later, Mo enjoys running through the yard, chasing chickens, and going on long walks. All of these activities are things that seemed impossible at first. These were things that no one thought he would be able to do, but that didn’t stop him. Instead of giving up when presented with a challenge, Mo continued on with the help of those around him. While Mo may have just been a calf, it doesn’t mean that we can’t learn something from him.

Throughout our lives, we will have to face many challenges. These challenges range in capacity, but nevertheless, they are still challenges. Whether it’s stepping outside of your comfort zone, trying something new in FFA, a major life decision or a bad day that seems to be getting worse, take a moment to tell yourself you can. You are capable of way more than you ever expect, and no obstacle is ever to big if you are willing to give it your all. Just like it took Mo a little while to get his footing, it might take a little time to overcome your challenge; but with the help of those around you, any difficulty can be overcome. 

In Blue and Gold,

Mickayla McGill

South Central State Vice-President

Small Town Proud

At last, the time has come. Summer is right around the corner. The time to go swimming in the lake, driving 30 minutes to go to Walmart only to walk around, and driving around your small town looking for something to do. The late night talk sessions while driving around with the windows down are where we will spend most of our nights. We all have that one thing we look forward to each summer. Personally, mine is the time spent with my FFA chapter that has my towns name on the back of their jackets.

Although I love to go swimming with my friends, going to Walmart just for something to do, driving around Nashua, going down the same street over and over for hours, I look forward to getting together with my chapter and decorating our float for the annual Water Over the Dam Days parade. The meetings, the grill outs, the kickball tournaments, each summer, we have a lot to look forward to. However, sometimes things don’t go as planned. Sometimes our activities will get rained out, or being in Iowa, they could get snowed out. With our chapter being in a small town, activities can sometimes get doubled up. If our FFA monthly meeting is at 6:30 in the Ag room, you better bet there is probably a football meeting in the library at the same time!

Being from a small town, everybody knows everybody. When I go into the local Casey’s or Kwik Star, I am greeted with a “good afternoon Mr. Bucknell, how are you doing today” or a “How is FFA treating you.” The advantages of being from a small town is that everyone sees your accomplishments or failures. It is up to you to decide what you want to be known as. Everyone knows the athletes, drama stars, band/choir kids, art kids, Ag kids, they know everything you do.

Being from a small town, doesn’t mean that no one can/will be successful. It means that those that are, face harder challenges. If you fail, everyone will see you as the person that failed but not the person who refuses to give up, but if you do succeed, everyone knows your accomplishment, it is in the town’s newspaper, all over your social media timelines, and in many other places. The community rallies behind your success(s) and looks at you as a role model and for advice. I can personally say that I am proud to be from our small town where my friends have turned into family.

Create your Legacy,

Lukas Bucknell

North Central State Vice President

The Next Chapter

Graduation. The point in our lives that we either can’t wait for, or the point that we dread. Whichever perspective we hold depends a lot on our personal experiences. If you are like me, you are the person who can’t/couldn’t wait to leave high school in the past.

I’m sure we’ve all heard someone say, “high school is the best time of your life.” Maybe this is true for some of us, but not for all of us. And that’s okay. It’s okay to love high school and it’s okay to not. What’s important to remember is to respect each other’s feelings on this matter. There was nothing I couldn’t stand more than someone trying to change my mind whenever I said anything about being excited for graduation.

Most of us have attended a commencement ceremony. We’ve seen the graduates who can’t stop the tears from flowing, the ones who check on stage to see if their diploma is signed, and the ones who are yawning in the front row. Although there are widespread feelings and reactions among these graduates, they share one commonality. They have reached a new beginning.

There seems to be a common misconception around graduation. Some look at this time as one story ending and a different one beginning. Graduation instead signifies the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new chapter. Life is not separated into two different eras, “before graduation” and “after graduation.” Life is one story with several chapters.

It’s okay to be excited to start a new chapter. Think about how you feel when you’re reading a good book. Everything that has happened in the book has led you to this moment. You can’t wait to see what happens next. This can also be applied to our lives. Our years of school that seem to drag on forever lead us to our graduation. We don’t know exactly what lies ahead after our graduation, but we’re excited to find out.

Just because we have left one chapter, does not mean we have to dwell on it. As the cheesy Dr. Seuss quote goes, “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” It’s okay to be ready to start your next chapter. The pages are blank. They are yours to fill in.

Living to Serve,

Hope Brecht

Southeast State Vice President

Iowa FFA Association