11 minute read
On the Edge of Common Sense
Progress
Imagine you were a livestock man in medieval England a thousand years ago. It’s early spring. Snow on the ground, mud in the cow lot. You walk the small pasture where the heavy heifers are kept. It’s hard to see much with just the moonlight. But you spot one that’s down in a swale. She’s on her side in the process of calving. One foot is showing.
You check the rest of the cows the best you can and go back to the heifer. No progress. You wait a little longer, then resigned to your duty, you walk back to the cow lot and set the gates.
On your way back to get the heifer, the wind blows down your neck and you shiver. Using a long stick you get the heifer up and drive her into the cow lot. There’s some straw scattered behind the windbreak. She finds it and lays down.
You walk to the earthen-roofed shed to collect your tools. You manage to ease up on her and drop a homemade halter over her head and tie her loosely to a post on the windbreak.
There is tepid water in your oaken bucket. After takin’ off your tunic you wash yer arms and kneel down behind her.
Taking a three-foot leather thong, you slip a noose around the protruding foot. Following yer father’s advice, you next slip a hand inside and search for the other foot. You attach a second thong to it, take a wrap around each hand and begin to pull.
By pulling when she pushes, resting when she rests, you and she finally deliver the calf two hours later. You rub him down, get him under the flank to suck and get to bed at daybreak.
Sound familiar? However, we have made some progress in a thousand years. We’ve traded the moonlight for a flashlight, a (grass-hemp) rope for a nylon, wool underwear for goose down, leather shoes for rubber boots, leather thongs for chrome-plated O.B. chains and we’ve traded patience for a ratchet calf puller.
But for the most part much of the process remains the same. Cold feet, bare arms, sweat in your eyes, small heifers and big calves, manual labor and dogged determination.
Progress has mechanized, modernized and computerized much of our world from farming to pharmacy, from coal mining to dentistry, from astronomy to architecture. But those of us who practice the ancient art of birthing livestock could trade places with our counterparts a thousand years ago, or even two thousand years ago, and we’d be interchangeable almost immediately. Sorta like horseshoers, acupuncturists, dog trainers and herbal medicine salesmen.
Makes ya think, doesn’t it?
Thinking BIG! Going Beyond ...
Virtual Midwinter Retreat 2021 was unlike any other Retreat!
The Retreat ended with an appearance by Destin Sandlin (top left), a Huntsville engineer and science communicator who has become a YouTube sensation with his video series, “Smarter Every Day.”
The Midwinter Leadership Retreat is usually held at the 4-H Center in Columbiana. This meeting gives 4-H’ers another chance to improve their leadership skills, explore new and exciting opportunities in 4-H, reach out to other young people, help others through community service, motivate senior 4-H’ers to stay active in the local level and make the best better.
With the pandemic, however, Alabama’s 31 State Ambassadors could neither meet to plan this event nor gather together at the 4-H Center. This did not stop 31 enthusiastic Ambassadors, however. Even though they had never met face to face, these amazing young people used Zoom and conference calls to plan and implement one of the most memorable Midwinter Retreats ever!
The Ambassadors chose a space theme, “Think Big. Go Beyond!,” and this is just what they did! They planned virtual workshops focused on team building, managing a budget, exploring new 4-H projects and handling difficult conversations. Seth Tuttle secured a $4,000 grant, so that each participant could receive a Midwinter Retreat box, filled with a water bottle, snacks, notebook, pen, T-shirt, sunglasses with a cord, cellphone holder and space-themed cutouts to color and decorate their own rooms for the
Seth Tuttle, Alabama 4-H Foundation Fund Development Officer, spoke about his first job and how it taught him to work hard, communicate better with customers and be on time.
virtual conference. Special surprises were the “Happy Grams,” special hand-written notes from the State Ambassadors.
The Midwinter Virtual Leadership Retreat opened online on Feb. 5 with 131 senior 4-H’ers (ages 1418) from 39 counties. On Saturday, Feb. 6, the virtual workshops began, with each session rotating hourly. The Retreat ended with an appearance by Destin Sandlin, a Huntsville engineer and science communicator who has become a YouTube sensation with his video series, “Smarter Every Day.”
During breaks, Warren Williams, from Barbour County, entertained the 4-H’ers by playing their requested music and inviting everyone to get up and dance. Members bonded as they sang and danced together, right in their own homes! 4-H Leadership and Citizenship Specialist Joy Scott thanked Rusty Presley, who handled all the technical issues for the Retreat. “To pull off this conference virtually was amazing,” Joy said. “It was a youth-adult partnership, but it was all youth-led by our 31 State Ambassadors!”
“Midwinter was all virtual, yet it had the same energy as in-person 4-H events,” observed Marion Bell, president of the State Ambassadors. “Although each of us were in a room alone, it was easy to forget, because it felt like we were in a room with 131 of our closest friends!”
First-year Ambassador Luke Stephens from Clarke County added another perspective: “I had never been to the ‘in-person’ Midwinter events, but Virtual Midwinter lived up to the hype! I cannot wait for the hopefully ‘in-person’ event next year!”
Colton Cook, Vice President of the State Ambassadors, was proud of the positive feedback from the Retreat. “COVID has done everything but stop the Alabama 4-H State Ambassadors from putting on a spectacular Midwinter 2021!” he said proudly. 2021 Virtual Midwinter Retreat went beyond all expectations to become not only a “virtual first” for 4-H’ers, but also one Retreat they will never forget!
Kylee Dunn participated in the Retreat from her bedroom in Fayette County. She took notes at each workshop.
Jessica Duck, State Ambassador, shows the Midwinter Retreat box she received. Each box was packed full of “goodies” for the members to enjoy during the Retreat.
Dr. Gary Lemme, Extension Director, welcomed students and told them how proud he was of all their hard work and how well each one represented Alabama.
Dr. Molly Gregg, Assistant Director of 4-H, provided words of encouragement to the youth on Friday night.
Luke Stephens, a first-year Ambassador from Clarke County, joined in to Midwinter 2021 from Mayor Mike Norris’s office in Fulton, where he often Zooms for 4-H. Luke thought Midwinter was a very unique event, thanks to the pandemic, but he still found it to be amazing!
Aisha Nasser holds a notebook that was part of her box. The Ambassadors had filled the boxes with gifts that were practical and could be used during the Retreat.
Alabama PALS is pleased to welcome Bessemer City Middle School to the Clean Campus Program. The seventh-grade students at Bessemer City Middle recently had the opportunity to meet with me for a virtual lesson on the environment. The presentation included information about the negative effects of pollution, and the students also learned about how much time it takes for items that we normally throw away in the trash to biodegrade. Many students do not realize that once the “garbage truck” picks up their trash, it goes to a landfill to be buried.
After our Zoom call, the students brainstormed using all the information they had been given. Some of the ideas the students decided to pursue were as follows: starting a Clean Campus Group at the school with the supplies provided by Alabama PALS and starting a recycling program on campus. In fact, they have already contacted their local waste vendor about starting the recycling program! As soon as they get the necessary approval from their school district, they will begin by collecting aluminum cans and plastic drink containers.
The students also discussed the long-term goal of applying for the Adopt-a-Mile program so they can have more outreach in the community. The Adopt-aMile signs are a great way for local residents to be reminded of the importance of good environmental stewardship and that people of all ages can make a difference. The students at BCMS also plan to reach out to local businesses to help make some of their ideas come to fruition systemwide! These students are reimagining Bessemer to become a truly litter-free community!
Litter prevention is key, and it is so important to instill good habits at a young age. If a school near you would like to learn more about the Clean Campus Program, please have them give me a call at 334-2637737 or email at jamie@alpals.org. We would love to work with your local schools to create an even more beautiful Alabama!!
Making Lemonade
Making the Best of a Difficult Situation
Brianna Payne teaching a lesson to a pre-K class before COVID-19.
hen life gives you lemons what do you do
Wwith them? 2020 was full of lemons and we are still getting them in 2021. The fact is, it was a crazy year for everyone, from virtual competitions and conventions to canceled events and quarantine. The way FFA works may have been altered but our mission is still the same: To promote the agriculture industry. Lincoln FFA has been striving to make a difference in the lives of members in hopes that we would soon get back to a sense of normalcy. Our chapter has held a membership drive, helped run a horse show through COHA, run in-person meetings, and held a voter registration drive all during the first semester.
Last year, I created an ag literacy program at Lincoln Elementary school for preschool to fifth-grade students where I create lessons and activities to teach the kids. This year the program has worked a little differently, so instead of teaching the lesson myself, I began sending the lesson plan complete with all the materials to the teachers for them to show to their kids since I wasn’t able to go to the school myself due to COVID-19 regulations. Before school let out for Christmas break, I decided I wanted to move
28 Cooperative Farming News
Brianna and fellow members celebrating their achievements after last year’s virtual contests.
Brianna’s chapter knows how to keep members involved, even amongst a pandemic. Here members participated in a Turkey Toss. the program to a virtual platform so that students would be able to access them, even at home. This idea transformed into the Facebook page “Rooted in Ag.” On this page, I create mini-lessons that are agriculturally related and film them. From there, I edit the videos to make them appealing to younger kids and then post the finished product on Facebook. The chapter officer team has helped me to film these videos and taught me different editing techniques. A few members have been featured in the videos participating in the activity that goes along with my lesson.
This project is a part of my SAE in Agriscience education and started out as just a project, but now it has developed into a part of my purpose. My purpose is to educate others and let them know that they are important through friendships and communication. This project has helped me expand my purpose far beyond what I had ever imagined. “Rooted in Ag” has enabled my chapter to stay involved in the lives of our members and bring awareness to agriculture, even through these difficult times.
Lincoln FFA has pushed through to create an educational and memorable year for their members, but has also done the same for the community. Our chapter has been working towards a farm day, competing in CDEs and LDEs through FFA and completing community service hours. COVID-19 has given obstacle after obstacle, but my chapter has learned to face the challenges head on to accomplish our purpose as FFA members, to promote the agriculture industry and be an ally to those involved in the industry. Now when life gives you lemons, what do you do with them? Well as for the Lincoln FFA, we made lemonade!
