Missouri FFA Today December 2022

A Job Well Done

Four ffa members earn top national proficiency awards

issouri FFA members showcased their dedication to growth in the agricultural industry through proficiency award areas at the 2022 National FFA Convention in October. Seventeen proficiency finalists from Missouri had the opportunity to share their passion projects at the national level, with four being named national champions in their award areas.

Emily Hoyt, Agricultural Education

A drive for educating elementary students about the agricultural industry both locally and across the globe led Audrain County R-VI FFA member Emily Hoyt to develop a multi-faceted Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE).

“Freshmen year I was heavily pushed to take charge of our chapter’s monthly Food for America program.” Hoyt shares. “After doing that for one year and spending two weeks in Europe, I decided to switch up the program to “Ag Around the World.” During my sophomore year, I also joined the Ag Ed on the Move Program through Missouri Farmers Care and began teaching curriculum and lessons to third grade students at a neighboring elementary school. I continued to do that up until COVID hit and forced me to think outside the classroom. Therefore, Little Farmers Learning More was born.”

Audrain Co. R-VI FFA member Emily Hoyt earned a National Proficiency Award for her Agriculutral Education SAE. Working with the Ag Ed on the Move Program through Missouri Farmers Care helped her earn the honor.

Officer • Chapter

Colton Roy • Trenton

President

Hannah Rice • Brunswick

1st Vice President

Jodi Robinson • Richmond Secretary

Vice Presidents

Grace Doss • West Plains

Katie Fredrickson • Carl Junction

Cody Garver • St. James

Cooper Hamlin • Crest Ridge

Jason Holland • Eldon

Aubrey Jung • Perryville

Jacob King • Dadeville

Emily Nelson • Joplin

Kate Rogers • South Harrison

Allison Schneider • Silex

Malerie Schutt • Hermann

Annamarie Stone • Centralia

Morgan Watkins • Fort Osage

State Officer Mentor Hannah Shanks

Department of Elem. & Sec. Education

P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102 Phone: (573) 751-3544.

District Supervisors: Teresa Briscoe, Marie Davis, Keith Dietzschold, Lisa Evans, Phil Fox, David Higgins & Jim Spencer.

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

President’s Perspective

ith the holiday season upon us, it isn’t unusual to notice changes within our environment: the weather turns cold, the lights go up, and almost unnoticeably, the holiday spirit comes alive. As a child, without failure, the holidays always brought a sense of harmony, joy, and unity. Traditions shaped the season. Typically, these customs surround the benefit of others in some type of way.

Starting in November, it isn’t uncommon to find my family at church peeling potatoes, making noodles, or baking pies for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner. On Thanksgiving Day, you can find us out and about delivering the hundreds of meals, in which we spent weeks helping prepare, to those that are less fortunate.

Throughout December, service- oriented activities become more and more prevalent as Christmas approaches. Although there are many to choose from, my all-time favorite holiday service project has become helping

developmentally disabled community members secure Christmas presents for their family. These community minded activities happen around the nation and world, lifting up the ones who need it most.

It’s crazy though, we put others at the forefront of our mind during these select months, but as the new year rolls around we abandon the service oriented “holiday spirit” and revert to our normal selves. If we are truly being honest, we should carry this attitude throughout the entirety of the year and live up to the standards we have set for ourselves. There is a reason that this short time brings joy to all. It’s simple. Helping others brings a sense of fulfillment and purpose to our lives. This fulfillment is great in the moment, so why not reap this feeling year-round? As we let the holidays dictate our doings, we must ask ourselves: are we truly living to serve?

Colton Roy

Missouri State FFA President Colton Roy met with Sheldon FFA members during a recent chapter visit.

plants and seeds and bugs, Oh My!

North Shelby TOPS Agronomy CDE

issouri FFA was well represented at the 2022 National FFA Convention and Expo in October. With nearly 20 different Career Development Event (CDE) teams competing, one walked away first in the nation — the North Shelby FFA Chapter’s agronomy team.

According to North Shelby FFA Advisor Harold Eckler, “The agronomy contest is very diverse and made up of many parts. There’s seed identification, plant identification, entomology, a soils practicum, an oral current event practicum, grain grading, the written test and a team activity. The seed identification, plant identification, entomology and soils practicum were all virtual this year, completed before National Convention.”

Eckler encouraged the team to set specific goals and strategize for nationals. That strategy included taking a look at the point break down and prioritizing their timeline. This year, they took some extra time, too, to focus on the team activity portion of the CDE.

“The team activity consisted of combining fertilizer, seeding rate, pest management and economics,” Eckler says. “The national agronomy contest is challenging because it so different from our state CDE in Missouri. There are many more parts and there is more identification. It makes the national level more challenging.”

North Shelby’s integration between curriculum and CDEs helps ensure students have the background needed to excel on their chosen teams.

“We base CDE teams on curriculum and what class the students are in,” Eckler explains. “These students were in Ag Science II, which has a plant science-based curriculum. We do the same for other teams like Ag Mechanics and Conduct of Meetings, for example.”

Eckler has been training agronomy CDE teams for nearly 40 years. While each team studies the same material, the students make each unique.

“These four students were on a national-winning team together last year,” Eckler says. “So, they have worked at that level before this year. Three of the four on this team have parents I’ve coached on contest teams competing at a high level. They have that drive and know what to expect from a national contest.”

Eckler’s advice on preparing for a national CDE is to ask for help.

“I’m not an expert, I’m asking people to help fill in gaps,” he says. “Ask those who are knowledgeable for help and ask for advice on how to train your team.”

Bringing in professionals could help students look beyond their time competing on the CDE team.

“I have several students on this team who are now looking into future careers in agronomy because of their participation in this contest,” Eckler says.

Electric co-ops are different. We have pride in our local community and support people who live here. Why? Because we live here too. We exist to provide the best service possible to help our community thrive. We put our Members First.

interested in more than just cows and tractors proud to be living to serve

I am learning to be a great leader a future member of a co-op that shares my values

North Shelby FFA members earned first place honors in the National FFA Agronomy career development event.

BEN & ALLY TRAVLOS

Home FFA Chapter: Ashland (Ben); Willard (Ally)

What Ben does: Ben is director for state and legislative affairs at Missouri Farm Bureau. what Ally does: Ally is the regional partnership program coordinator for Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service.

What They Learned in FFA: Ben says FFA taught him to accept moments of failure with humility.

FFA helped Ally fine-tune her communications skills and prepare her for a career.

that defines Opportunity

t helped her find her voice. It exposed him to opportunities he never knew existed.

Today, Ally and husband Ben Travlos look back on their time in the blue corduroy jacket as key in pushing them out of their comfort zones and in helping define who they are today.

A former member of the Willard FFA chapter, Ally is a former state FFA officer and state proficiency award winner in nursery operations. Currently, she is the regional partnership program coordinator for Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service.

“When I first joined FFA, I was extremely shy,” Ally says. “FFA helped me find my voice and confidence in myself. I was pushed out of my comfort zone to do things and make connections that I never would have done on my own.”

According to Ben, FFA helped him learn how to operate a business through his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) and taught him skills that he still uses today.

“By being involved in FFA, ‘Living to Serve’ has been instilled in me,” Ben explains. “I learned early on that being a part of FFA meant being a part of something bigger than myself. It meant finding ways to serve others to the best of my ability in whatever role I found myself in.”

As director for state and legislative affairs at Missouri Farm Bureau, Ben assists the organization’s members with issues important to farmers and ranchers.

Originally a member of the Ashland FFA chapter, Ben’s SAE included growing sweet

Find out how FFA helped former FFA members Ben and Ally

(Hultgren) Travlos define their future.

By Joann Pipkin

corn, chrysanthemums and poinsettias and mowing lawns. He is also a former National FFA Agriculture Ambassador.

He says FFA helped him learn that success is not just given; it is earned.

“FFA taught me to accept moments of failure with humility and to simply carry on with the same enthusiasm as before,” he explains. “Doing so allows you to learn, and it makes those moments of success that much more special because those moments were earned through countless failures.”

(Hultgren) Travlos, Partnership Program Coordinator, Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service

Because of the never-ending opportunities available in FFA, Ally encourages members to get involved and not sit on the sidelines.

“Through FFA, I was able to find the confidence I needed to be willing to put myself out there and push myself beyond my limits.”

–Ally

“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there because you never know what you might learn about yourself and the experiences you will have,” she says. “Through FFA, I was able to find the confidence I needed to be willing to put myself out there and push myself beyond my limits. That has carried on into my current personal and professional life.”

While Ally doesn’t work directly with FFA members in her career, she does give back by helping judge speaking contests and helping prepare members for interviews or speeches.

Ben says he seizes every opportunity he can to work with FFA members.

“I remember what it was like to be a young FFA member, and I remember those older

than me who reached out to offer guidance and mentorship,” he explains. “I hope I can offer even half to current FFA members what those individuals offered me.”

Ally says FFA can help you discover what you’re passionate about, and her advice to members is to experience as many new opportunities as possible.

“FFA helped with my career preparation and development because I was able to learn many things from interview skills and giving larger group presentations and trainings to helping develop and fine-tune my communications skills,” she says.

Both graduates of Missouri State University, today Ben and Ally live in Ashland. Ally’s undergraduate and graduate

“FFA taught me to accept moments of failure with humility and to simply carry on with the same enthusiasm as before.”

–Ben Travlos, Director for State and Legislative Affairs Missouri Farm Bureau

Did you know?

degrees focused on Plant Sciences with an emphasis in horticulture. She holds a minor in agronomy. agronomy. Ben received a bachelor of science degree in agriculture business. He completed his master’s degree in May 2019 in agriculture economics.

While both Ally and Ben participated in a variety of FFA career development events and speaking opportunities, Ally says serving on the 2014-15 Missouri State FFA Officer team was a blessing to her and she recognizes that experience as having made a pivotal impact on her life. For Ben, serving on the 2014 National FFA Agriculture Ambassador Team was instrumental in guiding his future.

“FFA exposed me to opportunities I did not know existed,” Ben concludes. “It presented opportunities to meet people across the nation and around the world. I look back at my involvement in FFA and I am thankful for the organization helping define the man I am today.”

Former FFA member Ben Travlos (center, opposite page) is director for state and legislative affairs at Missouri farm bureau. his wife and former ffa member Ally (hultgren) Travlos (above) works as partnership program coordinator for Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service. Both are graduates of Missouri State University’s Darr College of agriculture.

Little Farmer Learning More took agricultural education beyond the traditional classroom setting.

“I created a virtual platform on Facebook for parents to join at no cost to sign up their students to complete activities and post about their findings,” Hoyt says. The new platform integrated agriculture into the everyday lives of elementary students and allowed them to share what they learned with their families.

These efforts combined to not only further agricultural education in Hoyt’s community, but also ignite a deeper passion for sharing the story of ag.

“If you would have asked me at the beginning of my SAE what my goal was, I would have said to appease my ag teacher and to fulfill the grade of my record book in class,” Hoyt says. “However, if you asked me now, I realize that it was to help bridge the gap from pasture to plate or farm to grocery store, to not only elementary students, but also their teachers, admin, parents at home and my peers.”

Hoyt’s time spent teaching others about agriculture has led to her future career.

“I was able to see that my passion lies in the classroom and around agriculture. Now, I look forward to furthering that passion in a few short years when I become an agricultural education teacher and watch my own students grow and find success in and out of my classroom.”

Trenton Jones, Diversified Horticulture

A passion for plants drove Trenton Jones of the Higginsville FFA Chapter to pursue diversified horticulture, both working for a greenhouse and starting a business of his own.

“My SAE was in the area of Diversified Horticulture placement and entrepreneurship where I worked for a Greenhouse at C&M Farms, as well as owning my own business, Trent’s Tropicals,” Jones says. “I sold houseplants and tropical plants at my location in Higginsville as well as online.”

He focused on learning more about the industry to fuel his business’s growth.

“Whenever I first started at the greenhouse, I had to work quickly to familiarize myself with the plants that C&M had available to offer,” he shares. “This took a lot of walking through our aisles, studying care tags and research because I not only had to memorize scientific names, but also common names, as well as different varieties of the plants we offered.

“Whenever I first started working at C&M Farms, I had not taken a greenhouse course yet through my high school, so any knowledge I had was just from what I had picked up from others as well as my love of plants. There were many days and weeks where I would work with my supervisor and boss to learn about the plants we offered, their needs, prices, as well as the number we had in stock. I spent hours going through the greenhouse aisle by aisle in order to learn every plant. I would also work with my coworkers to quiz one another on a plant, learning its scientific and common names, growing zone status in our region, as well as the care level, and price.”

This growth did not come without its challenges.

“My biggest challenge I had to overcome in my entrepreneurship SAE was when I outgrew my small greenhouse at home and had to find a bigger space,” Jones says. “I ended up renting space from C&M in order to expand and grow my business.”

While he learned a lot about the horticulture industry, Jones gained just as many skills in business.

“The biggest lesson I learned with my SAE was time and money management,” he shares. “Balancing a business and being in school wasn’t always easy, but it was the challenge and problem solving I enjoyed.”

Justin Duenke, Diversified Ag Production

Row crop and livestock operations combined to form Audrain County R-VI FFA member Justin Duenke’s Diversified Ag Production SAE.

“My SAE consists of 2,000 acres of row crop ground where we rotate corn, soybean and wheat,” Duenke shares. “I also raise 50 head of registered Haflinger horses, 50 acres of alfalfa and a 350 head cow-calf operation. I have a small cow herd and a few show cattle, as well.”

He set his sights on growth and had clear goals from the beginning of his SAE career.

“My main goal was to win state in my SAE category,” he says. “I knew that I had a pretty special SAE and I wanted to make it very

Learning more about the horticulture industry helped national proficiency winner Trenton Jones grow his business, Trent’s Tropicals. He’s a member of the Higginsville FFA chapter.

successful, so I spent a lot of time working on the farm, helping my dad and asking questions to understand why we did certain things the way we did.”

These questions led to many challenges overcome and lessons learned.

The single greatest challenge I have faced with my SAE has been dealing with Missouri’s winter Weather,” Duenke shares. “Winters fluctuate in temperature and moisture, making calving season very difficult for our cows to battle the elements. It was heartbreaking to help pull a calf, then have it get down in the mud or catch pneumonia and lose it. Duenke Farms is also located on land that is very flat and there aren’t any trees to use as wind breaks.

“The wind and blowing snow storms are deadly to the newborn baby calves. Combine this with the amount of snow and rain in central Missouri, the mud due to melting snow and very poor drainage also posed a huge challenge to calves in the winter months. In 2020, I was able to assist Duenke Farms overcome this challenge when both of our 60 x 300 foot long confinement barns were completed. The flooring is all concrete, making it easy to clean and remove bedding when it becomes too damp. Calves are born under roof, which has drastically reduced our death loss percentage in the first week of life by 90%. In addition, feed loss has been reduced by 75%.”

The greatest lesson he learned through these trials? Hard work pays off if you put in both the time and the effort.

Trent Dowell, Wildlife Production and Management

Trent Dowell of the Gallatin FFA Chapter found his niche in the agricultural industry through wildlife production and management. His SAE is multi-faceted and filled with lessons of growth.

“My Wildlife Production and Management SAE involves wildlife habitat management and DEER-A-MAX mineral production,” Dowell

says. “I take raw products and grind them into a palatable mineral treat for deer to consume. This mix of ingredients boosts the immune system and deer are better able to fight off illnesses such as Blue Tongue and Chronic Wasting Disease. An added bonus is that antler growth is positively impacted because of the increased calcium in the mineral.

“In addition to mineral production, I also operate a wildlife habitat management business. The majority of my customers are hunters with leases that want wildlife habitat improved for the upcoming hunting season. I transform overgrown, vacant ground into an area that wildlife will use and thrive in. I also plant fruit and nut-producing trees to draw in and feed various species of wildlife.

While his operation has grown over the years, these strides were not made without overcoming challenges, including those of owning a business.

“The greatest challenge with my SAE has been the changes in what my customers ask for and making sure I am meeting those demands,” Dowell says. “When I first started, customers were wanting mineral and seasonal food plots. I bought the equipment needed to till and plant these plots. I learned about managing invasive weeds in the plots during the spring and summer months. While I still provide tilling and planting food plots, my customers started to demand better access to hunting areas. Meeting the demands of my customers will continue to challenge me as a business owner.”

He plans to make a career out of his SAE.

“My passion for wildlife has made each day at work incredibly enjoyable and in turn, my career path is set for me. I plan to attend college and focus on wildlife biology and business to help improve my growing business as my future career.”

—By Brandelyn Twellman

A row crop and livestock production SAE helped Jacob Duenke earn top proficiency award honors at the National FFA Convention in October. Duenke is a member of the Audrain Co. R-VI FFA.

Gallatin FFA member Trent Dowell plans to make a career out of his award-winning Wildlife Production and Management SAE.

BAKING UP A BUSINESS

FOUNDATION FUNDS SAE GRANTS FOR FFA MEMBERS

s Addisyn “Addi” Glauser from Savannah contemplated a project for her class required supervised agriculture experience (SAE), she knew she wanted something that tapped into her passions. Time spent in the kitchen preparing desserts was an activity that made her happy. Because she likes a challenge and enjoys sharing the things that make her happy with others, she decided she should start a custom order baking business.

To launch the business, Addi identified specific supplies, utensils, tools, and small appliances to purchase. She realized she needed outside financial assistance to start off on the right track. That’s when she applied for an SAE grant. The Missouri FFA Foundation funded Addi’s grant request and her business became a reality earlier this year.

The plan was to launch her business featuring carrot cake cupcakes with a goal of making five sales in the first month. Doing so would allow a reinvestment of the sales money in ingredient supplies to expand product offerings.

“I blew this goal out of the water and sold four times my goal,” Addi said. “I made 20 dozen carrot cake cupcakes for the grand opening of my business and made more than 20 sales.”

Strong opening sales allowed Addi to tackle another goal for her SAE — expanding the flavor profiles and products offered. What started as a cupcake

business quickly expanded to include cakes, cookies, pies, and breads. Her experiments with nontraditional flavors has been successful, especially the cinnamon toast crunch cookies and white chocolate raspberry mini bundt cakes, which are her best-selling item. Business has been brisk and grown quickly; Addi now has a website where new flavors and dessert options are added regularly.

Keeping up with the baking orders while maintaining her grades and participating in FFA and other extracurricular activities has helped Addi hone time management skills. Promoting her business and providing excellent customer service has strengthened her communication

skills. She’s also become more financially savvy in order to maintain the cash flow needed to buy the ingredients for new orders, while replacing any tools or others supplies that may have worn out. Additionally, Addi has learned some goals take more work than others to achieve.

While two of her goals for her SAE have been reached, her third was to improve her cake and cooking decorating skills. Addi has made some gains towards this, but it is an area outside of her comfort zone and she recognizes she needs to devote more time to practice decorating in order to achieve a higher success level. Based on these skills and others she believes she has acquired through her SAE business, Addi

says the experience will play a key role in her future success.

Addi says the SAE grant from the Missouri FFA Foundation helped make her business possible. It allowed her to be self-sufficient in launching it and is why it will continue growing as a well functioned business in the future. She is eager to see it continue to thrive and for all she will learn as the business grows.

According to Addi, it’s important for people to recognize that agriculture offers career options outside of crop and livestock production and impacts our lives in numerous ways. She encourages people to fully explore the agriculture field and see if they can “find their passion within it because there are truly so many opportunities”. Addi plans to continue sharing her experiences with baking and gardening and the positive impact those agricultural activities have had on her life.

Addi’s SAE grant was funded by a gift to the Missouri FFA Foundation from the MFA Incorporated Charitable Foundation. You can support programs for Missouri FFA members such as the SAE grants, by making a donation at https:// donorbox.org/moffafoundation.

—By Heather Dimitt-Fletcher

A Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) grant from the Missouri FFA Foundation helped support Savannah FFA member Addisyn Glauser’s custom order baking business.

Greenhand Conferences

DATE LOCATION

TIME AREA

Jan. 9 Jefferson City —Lincoln University 9 a.m. 8

Jan. 10 St. Joseph —Missouri Western State University 8:30 a.m. 1

Jan. 10 Sullivan —Sullivan High School 8:30 a.m. 14

Jan. 10 Sedalia — The Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center, State Fair Community College 9 a.m. 7

Jan. 10 Sedalia — The Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center, State Fair Community College 12 p.m. 6

Jan. 10 Waynesville — Waynesville Career Center 1:30 p.m. 13

Jan. 11 Trenton —North Central Missouri College 8:30 a.m. 2

Jan. 11 West Plains —Missouri State University 8:30 a.m. 13

Jan. 11 Trenton —North Central Missouri College 12:30 p.m. 2

Jan. 11 Springfield —Missouri State University, Darr Ag Center 9 a.m. 9

Jan. 11 Springfield —Missouri State University, Darr Ag Center 12 p.m. 10

Jan. 11 Poplar Bluff —Three Rivers Community College, Tinnen Center 2:30 p.m. 16

Jan. 12 Kirksville —Truman State University 9:30 a.m. 3

Jan. 12 Springfield —Missouri State University, Darr Ag Center 9 a.m. 11

Jan. 12 Cape Girardeau — United Methodist Church 9 a.m. 15

Jan. 12 Springfield —Missouri State University, Darr Ag Center 12 p.m. 12

Jan. 12 Bowling Green —Bowling Green High School 4 p.m. 5

Jan. 13 Columbia —University of Missouri 9 a.m. 4

As the next generation of agriculturists, we can't wait to see what you do. You show us every day that you are young leaders setting an example, serving communities and reaching goals. Let us help you on that journey to success. Give us a call or visit myfcsfinancial.com to learn more about the opportunities available through our youth support programs.