MO FFA Today - Fall 2021

Missouri

FFA TODAY Contents 1 3 4 5 6 9

Back to Farm Safety president’s perspective It’s Time to GEt Started blue jacket brief TOP TIPS FOR SAFETY ON THE FARM OUTSTANDING IN HIS FIELD

ON THE

calendar

Aug 12-22 Missouri State Fair - Sedalia SEPT 11-18 SEMO District Fair - Cape Girardeau SEPT 16 National Teach Ag Day SEPT 19-25 National Farm Safety & Health Week SEPT 16 National Teach Ag Day SEPT 23 Missouri Cattlemen Foundation Farm Safety Day, MU Beef Research Farm, Columbia

Back to farm safety ffa chapters make safety practices a top priority he turning of a new season brings more than back to school.

As the weather cools in the coming months, crops continue to mature and harvest time nears. While the focus will be on prepping combines, grain carts and augers in the meantime, FFA chapters are also equipping their students with reminders on farm safety.

Some chapters, like Silex FFA, host farm safety days each year in conjunction with

Drive Your Tractor to School Day. Others, like the New Madrid County Central FFA Chapter, have seen its importance and plan to host an inaugural safety day this year.

Elementary, middle school and high school students in New Madrid County will explore tractor safety during FFA Week 2022. Ethan Hunziker, New Madrid County Central

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FFA advisors like Kabel Oaks (below right) instill the importance of farm safety in their students during on-farm visits. Some chapters also host a farm safety day to further review proper safety techniques. National Farm Safety & Health Week is Sept. 19-25, 2021.

OCT 1-3 Ozark Fall Farmfest - Springfield

missouriffa.org @Missouri FFA @missouriffa #MOFFAisHOME

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2021-22 State ffa officers Officer • Chapter Kaitlin Kleiboeker • Pierce City President Abigail Miller • Eldon 1st Vice President Emily Hoyt • Audrain Co. R-VI Secretary Vice Presidents Chris Ebbesmeyer • Paris Vanessa Enslow • East Newton Meagan Forck • Blair Oaks Rachel Grimes • Archie Seth Hansen • Chillicothe Trenton Jones • Higginsville Izabella Hutton Kidwell • Troy Caitlyn Kleffner • Rolla Kraysen Leonard • El Dorado Springs Grant Norfleet • Mexico Hannah Shanks • Vienna Riley Spurgeon • Cuba Anna Triplett • Memphis State Officer Mentor Dakota Pemberton Department of Elem. & Sec. Education P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102 Phone: (573) 751-3544.

District Supervisors: Leon Busdieker, Marie Davis, Keith Dietzschold, Lisa Evans, David Higgins & Jim Spencer.

President’s

Perspective

Good morning. You give me strength. You give me just what I need, and I can feel the hope that’s rising up in me. It’s a good morning.”

If you have been to any summer activities with the state officers this summer such as FFA Camp, Public Speaking Academy, HYPE, or HYMAX, you will recognize these lyrics to the song Good Morning by Mandisa. At each activity this summer state officers would play this song to wake members up and get everyone hyped for what the day had to bring. However, if we look closer at the lyrics a deeper meaning can be found. Throughout the song, Mandisa talks about starting each day off with a fresh start and positive attitude. She discusses living in the moment and absorbing all the new experiences the day has to offer.

Throughout the summer I have watched FFA members do exactly this. They woke up with energy flowing ready to learn, absorb and put their best foot forward to serve those around them. The FFA members I met this summer

have been an inspiration to me as I see the pure passion for agriculture and leadership that runs through their veins. I look forward to seeing several of these members again at the state fair and watch their passion flourish in the show ring and around the barns. As the summer comes to an end, we must remember that these experiences and lessons do not end with the season. It is our responsibility to continue flourishing, learning, and serving those around us.

Even though we will soon be waking up to go to school instead of sleeping in until noon, every morning is still a new day. Go to school with a smile on your face and the same energy I saw from members at activities throughout the summer. Go to school ready to share your summer experiences with fellow chapter members. Go to school ready to continue learning and absorbing new information. Go to school ready to have a good morning!

Kaitlin

Missouri FFA President Kaitlin Kleiboeker takes time to meet with members before a leadership session during week one of State FFA Camp.

Missouri FFA Association Joann Pipkin, Director of Communications Email: joann.pipkin@missouriffa.org Phone: (417) 827-2756 Brandelyn Martin Twellman, Social Media Manager Email: brandelyn.twellman@missouriffa.org The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, mental or physical disability, or any other basis prohibited by statute in its programs and activities.

Inquiries related to department programs and to the location of services, activities, and facilities that are accessible by persons with disabilities may be directed to the Jefferson State Office Building, Director of Civil Rights Compliance and MOA Coordinator (Title VI/Title VII/Title IX/504/ ADA/ADAAA/Age Act/GINA/USDA Title VI), 5th Floor, 205 Jefferson Street, P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480; telephone number 573-526-4757 or TTY 800-735-2966; email civilrights@dese.mo.gov

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It’s Time to get Started s I watched the Tokyo Olympics from the comfort of my couch, I saw a Toyota commercial play on the television. The commercial showcased several young athletes from different walks of life contemplating the decisions. While seeing their idols succeed in their ventures, they felt lost and unsure of their direction. The negative thoughts rolled through their minds . . .

During my junior year, I was determined to try something new. I reached out to my advisor about the possibility of competing in the Employment Skills contest. However, after watching COVID bring cancellations, the shutdown gave me negative thoughts making me wonder if what I was doing was worth the effort. Although I had to compete virtually, I was still able to learn how to present myself while gaining many skills that will be valuable whenever I apply for a job.

“Am I good enough?”

Throughout the next year, there will be countless opportunities to take advantage of. Career Development Events will push us to learn more about an industry or challenge us to grow our leadership skills. Other events will allow us to network and grow friendships. Each of us has the choice to rise or sink through the actions we take each day, to move a step closer to our goals or to sit stagnant.

“You’re not going to make it.”

“Just quit.”

Later in the commercial, the athletes find their motivation to push through their adversity and reach their goals. The commercial concludes with the phrase “You don’t have to be amazing to start, but you have to start to be amazing.” It begs the question: “If not now, when?”

Choosing to make a positive difference in our own lives allows us to take that next step to fulfilling our goals. All we have to do is get started.

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FROM PAGE 1

TOP TIPS

FOR SAFETY ON THE FARM ATV Safety

1. Ensure tires and wheels are in good condition.

2. Wear appropriate riding gear, 3.

4.

5.

including helmet, goggles, boots and long pants.

Do not operate the ATV on streets, highways or paved roads.

Double check the chain has slack and is properly lubricated.

Never carry any riders on an ATV.

Tractor Safety

1. Always wear a seatbelt when operating a tractor.

2. Equip tractor with Rollover Protective Structure.

3. Shut down equipment, turn off

4.

5.

engine, remove key and wait for moving parts to stop before dismounting equipment.

Check that lights and flashers are operational.

Ensure PTO master shield is in place.

Grain Bin Safety

“I like to remind my students to always be aware of their surroundings and be patient drivers with the increased slow moving equipment on the roads.”

–Ethan Hunziker, New Madrid Co. FFA Advisor agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor, said the intent is to share safety messages with students both on and off the farm.

“Generally, students who farm with their families learn a lot of the farm safety things they need to be aware of, but there are a lot of kids in our school district who have no agricultural background,” he explained. “It is my job to make sure they are aware of those safety hazards before we go on a tour of a farm or they get a job working in the agricultural industry to ensure they are safe while around dangerous equipment and tools.”

Lessons learned during the planned tractor safety day will serve students well beyond their time in school.

“Farm safety is very important because farming can be a dangerous career,” Hunziker said. “There are a lot of machines, animals

1. Install ladders inside bins.

2. Do not enter bins that are being

3.

4.

5.

loaded or unloaded, as flowing grain can trap and suffocate in seconds.

Use a safety harness upon entering a bin, and have several people available outside in case help is needed.

Check grain conditions prior to entering bin.

Keep children away from grain bins.

—Tips provided by the National Safety Council 6

and safety hazards that can critically injure or even kill you. Being in a rural area like New Madrid County, our students will all encounter some form of farm safety issues, be it getting behind a tractor on the highway or eventually operating some heavy machinery on a farm. This will help them realize some of the hazards they need to watch out for.”

The FFA chapter hopes to bring in local businesses in the industry to further the safety curriculum taught at the field day. As students prepare to dive deep into tractor safety lessons during FFA Week, Hunziker said he is already sharing some safety tips with his students preparing for harvest.

“I like to remind my students to always be aware of their surroundings and be patient drivers with the increased slow moving equipment on the roads,” he explained. “For farm kids who will be taking part in harvest, always make sure your combine or picker is powered down before trying to unclog headers and always wear proper harnesses while inside grain bins.”

The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety shares similar messages during National Farm Safety and Health Month, this year September 19 - 25. Those interested in learning more about farm and tractor safety can visit https://www.necasag. org/safetytraining/.

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LEON BUSDIEKER Home FFA Chapter: francis-howell What LEON does: Leon is past director of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. what LEON LEARNED IN AG EDUCATION: Leon could see value and application in what he was learning in ag education because agriculture is applied science and all about food and fiber.

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OUTSTANDING in his FIELD Leon Busdieker retires after more than four decades in the business of student success

hen Leon Busdieker graduated from Francis Howell high school in 1974, he didn’t have a career plan. In fact, his high school agriculture teacher stopped by his family’s farm about a month after graduation and told the young Busdieker he had an appointment at the University of Missouri (MU) Recruitment Office.

“Someone there would sign me up for ag classes in the fall, and all I had to do was show up,” Busdieker recalled.

Looking back, Busdieker said he knew agriculture education had made a tremendous difference in his life, affording him countless opportunities he would not have otherwise experienced.

Finding the Value Busdieker was raised on a small, diversified crop and livestock farm in western St. Charles County. He realized early on that returning to the family farm was not feasible. After graduating from MU, he began his teaching career in 1978 at Warrenton High School.

After two years there, he taught at Francis Howell for four years before returning to Warrenton. He retired from there in 2006 with 28 years under his belt.

director until retiring on June 30, 2021, capping off his 43 years in the field.

Then, Busdieker spent five years as DESE’s Northeast District Supervisor and Missouri FFA Executive Treasurer. After Terry Heiman’s retirement from DESE in 2011, Busdieker was tapped to lead Missouri agriculture education and served as state

Cultivating the Opportunities As an educator, Busdieker said he was a source of information for his students. Yet, that role expanded over the more than four decades he spent in the field.

“I really think the reason that I stayed in ag education as long as I did was because I wanted to provide those opportunities for others,” he explained. “That’s really been the 43 years of my life.”

As the immediate past director of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Leon Busdieker has been in the business of what he calls “student success,” showing young people they could do anything they wanted to do.

“The agriculture classes I had in high school challenged me as much, if not more, than any of the math, science or other courses that I took,” Busdieker explained. “I could see value and application in what I was learning.

Agriculture is applied science, but it’s applied science in a way that I could relate to because it’s all about food and fiber.”

continued on NEXT PAGE

Leon Busdieker (right) retired June 30 after 43 years in ag education. Since 2011, he served as Missouri State FFA advisor and director of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“Today, students have so much access to information early on,” Busdieker said. “As an ag teacher the first thing you’ve got to do is to find that student’s baseline and then dispel the misconceptions that they have related to agriculture before you can teach them or before you can provide them that information.”

Teaching today often takes place in a much shorter time, Busdieker said, because students have greater access to both information and technology. “The challenge is making sure they access the right information,” he added.

As a high school student, Busdieker never saw himself earning a four-year college degree. Yet, he credits his own agriculture instructor with knowing he could achieve it. And as a teacher, Busdieker said he was able to instill the same beliefs in his students.

“As a teacher, I tried to help my students realize that if they had a little bit of success,

“I really think the reason that I stayed in ag education as long as I did was because I wanted to provide those opportunities for others.”

–Leon Busdieker

then could build on that,” he said. “Then, the sky is the limit.”

Paying It Back Less than 60 days into his retirement and you won’t find Leon Busdieker sitting back in the easy chair. He’s anxious to get back to his

roots, helping his brother on the family’s crop and livestock operation.

You’ll still find him in the sheep barn at the Missouri State Fair and serving in a variety of capacities in agricultural organizations as he isn’t ready to give up serving the industry.

“That will give me an opportunity to stay engaged,” Busdieker said.

Busdieker and his wife, Pam, have two married daughters and two grandchildren.

“Ag education was a great opportunity for me,” Busdieker said. “It provided a lot for me and my family, both personally and professionally. I believe that any young person today – male or female – that wants to live in any part of the state of Missouri, contribute to the local community and grow themselves, ag education is the way to go.”

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