MO FFA Today - June Issue

May 9 MU Invitational Agriscience Fair,

June 16-18 HYMAX Academy, FFA Camp Rising Sun, Kaiser

June 27-29 HYPE Academy, Jefferson City

Ready, set GROW!

Tips to help you Cultivate Your SAE this summer

t’s summer! While daily routines take a back seat for the next couple of months, you can use the classroom break to hone your skills and grow your Supervised Agricultural Experience. (SAE) project.

Now is the perfect time to re-evaluate SAE projects. Follow along for some tips and tricks from a past FFA member and state officer, a current long-time advisor, and a first-year teacher for insight on how you can step up your SAE project.

Like any other type of growth plan or goal setting, it’s necessary to first determine the ultimate purpose or plan for the project.

According to veteran FFA advisor Stacy French SAEs can be a difficult balance. “One of the most common blocks is just getting started, especially for those members who are starting from scratch,” she says.

Some students will have a great idea, but it might be a big project, so getting it off the starting blocks can be challenging.

First-year FFA Advisor Natalie Koch says personal mindset can be one of the biggest obstacles. “We need to take the time to plan and be creative in students’ own individualized SAE program,” she explains.

2022-23 State ffa officers

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

o be honest with you all, one year ago I was a little bit terrified of what the next year of my life would bring. After all, I was leaving home for the first time, starting college in the fall, and had taken on the tremendous responsibility to selflessly serve you, the members of our association. Above my anxieties, I was disheartened to leave the individuals who had become my family.

It wasn’t too long before I realized that I had taken the community I had been immersed in for granted, and I didn’t recognize the value they added to my life. Still, I quickly found that regardless of where I was or what I was doing, not only were they in my corner but you all were, too. Throughout this past year, you have shown me more love and support than I could ever have asked for, and you have truly exemplified what it means to ignite, to embrace, and to empower.

By now, you may have asked yourself why I chose to reiterate my first column,

which was published back in August. To that, I can undoubtedly say that this theme was so prevalent throughout the past year that it would have been unjustifiable to not share this message one more time: We can find community in almost every aspect of our life and, typically, it is essential to our growth and development.

This past year, I have traveled to every corner of our state and around the nation, interacting with FFA members as I went. And with every one I met, the idea of community and principle of brotherhood were reinforced. These simple ideas not only made me feel like I belonged, but also allowed me to grow and flourish. As we live our lives, it is essential that we find our community, just as I found mine in you. Moving forward, thank you for supporting me, for having my back, for making my bad days better, and for becoming my family.

With lots of love and a grateful heart,

Colton Roy

T he 2022-23 Missouri FFA State Officers wrapped up their year of service in April at the Hearnes Center on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia.

Blue JacketBrief

Grace Doss

West Plains ffa Missouri State University, Agriculture Education / agriculture communications

MY sae:

My SAE is centered around diversified livestock production, which includes more registered and commercial Red and black Angus cattle as well as a small herd of Boer goats. My project also includes labor exchange by assisting with hay harvest, cattle working and various other farm chores. I show cattle and goats every year at the fair.

why i wanted to be missouri ffa officer:

I want to help give other members an opportunity to be the best they can be. I hope to inspire others so they can in turn inspire someone. I also want to advocate for agriculture and help change the world for the better.

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CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS

ith plenty of opportunities to connect, and re-connect, with people you meet at summer activities, here are some tips to help you make certain you put your best foot forward to create lasting relationships that will make a difference in your life for years and years to come. It is never too early (or too late) to focus on connecting with people you meet along the way. Use these tips to help you develop lasting relationships:

1. Make the time to say hello. Get in the habit of saying “hi” to people when you see them. Give them a smile, too! Both of those actions don’t cost you anything, and they can make a great first impression.

Will you maybe feel awkward? Yes. Will it be worth it to initiate and break the ice? Yes! Next time you feel the urge to say “hi,” I hope you will choose to be brave and “show some leadership!”

2. Be considerate of others. Show interest in what is important to them by asking questions. Congratulate them on a success they’ve had. Encourage them by complimenting the efforts they’ve put into their animals or other responsibilities. Ask what they’re most excited about for this season.

3. Ask for help when you need it. Learning is a great way to get to know someone. If there is someone who is doing something you’d like to learn about, ask them for insights. Show curiosity about how they do something, or ask their opinion or advice. Whether from adults or peers, you can learn so much by asking questions.

4. Tell them thank you. Have they helped you before? Let them know you are thankful. Do you appreciate their friendship? Tell them. Have a special memory you have that you’ve been reflecting on lately? Let people know they are special to you. It will mean so much to them!

5. Plan ahead. Are there people you know you will run into at a specific event? Think ahead about what you’d like to discuss with them. You can prepare a specific question or topic of conversation to bring up if you spend 5-10 minutes ahead of time thinking through your intentions. Being prepared does not stop you from being authentic and forming real relationships. Being intentional with preparation simply helps you form quality and intentional connections.

6. Put your phone away. We miss so many valuable opportunities to build connections with people who are standing right in front of us, because we are distracted and distant. Your phone is the number one culprit, so make a goal that you will not scroll or check notifications when you are surrounded by people you want to form connections with face-to-face.

—By Whitney Kinne

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STEPHANIE (MORGAN) WHITE

Home FFA Chapter: LAMAR FFA

What STEPHANIE does: A farmer, freelance agricultural journalist and author, Stephanie raises cattle and hogs and grows crops alongside her husband Andrew. In addition, she writes for agricultural publications and authors children’s books.

What STEPHANIE Learned in FFA: Connection is key, Stephanie says. And, try again when you don’t succeed. FFA was the motivator to keep going.

advocate

for agriculture

s a high school student, Stephanie (Morgan) White remembers animal activism taking center stage.

“Proposition B was right around the corner, so we were feeling the steam, and everything we were doing in the ag community was preparing us for a fight against extremists and our livelihood,” White recalls.

The timeframe made a huge impact on the former Lamar FFA member. In fact, it provided ample opportunity for her to attend meetings and network with others about the importance of agriculture.

“That gave me the opportunity to see and connect, share the story and learn how to share the story properly,” White says. “Connections and FFA are so valuable.”

White grew up on a diversified crop and livestock operation in Barton County. Her parents were both fulltime farmers and made sure she was involved in many activities throughout high school. In FFA, White took part in career development events as well as speaking contests. She credits her home community with providing an extended support base to help her succeed.

“They were there to share new ideas or open their farms up whenever we needed to practice judging,” White explains. “My parents also made sure that (my siblings and I) jumped in and were involved in a lot of different contests, some of which were not always the most comfortable positions, but we did it anyway.”

Find out how FFA helped former member Stephanie White learn to advocate for agriculture.

By Joann Pipkin

While White says she didn’t always succeed, each opportunity she took part in served as a learning experience for her moving forward.

Extemporaneous speaking was just one example of how she was encouraged to step out of her comfort zone.

“They knew it was important for me to make sure I learned something new and took the chance to do it,” she says. “I wasn’t overly successful in my extemp speech, but I now am grateful that I’m able to put myself out there in ways that I don’t want to and them pushing me to do that gives me the confidence to do it now.”

With a keen interest in radio, White job shadowed at a radio station, which she eventually went to work for doing live

reports and filling in for the agricultural director. After high school, she attended Missouri State University in Springfield where she majored in agricultural communications and mass media. At the encouragement of a college instructor, White began freelance writing during her undergraduate studies. She worked for the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association before going solely freelance.

“I did that by just sending out my portfolio,” White explains. “And that’s something I still do today, send out my portfolio to different businesses, whether

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from page 9

they’re wanting help with marketing or a ghost-writing position.”

In addition to her work as a freelance agricultural journalist, White authors children’s books and operates a diversified livestock and crop farm with her husband, Andrew, near Warrensburg.

“I want this to be my lifestyle forever,” White says. “Anything that I’m doing is just sharing our stories to the world.”

As an author, White writes children’s books to help share her passion for agriculture so that children can better understand where their food comes from. She often travels to schools, helping in the classroom with her books used as an educational tool for elementary students.

“Sometimes I go and actually teach the kids hands-on,” White explains. “This is how we do a workshop for the kids, and each one of my books has a coloring sheet, a worksheet, a craft, and a hands-on activity. FFA chapters can use that in the classrooms as well with younger kids.”

She continues, “So, my goal is for the kids in the classroom to see that farmers are just everyday people, just like their parents are. When someone opens one of my children’s books, I hope that they are not only making the connection that their food comes from a farm, but also that real people with real feelings are the ones producing their food.”

“I’m really grateful that I had people who were willing to push me out of my comfort zone, but still made sure that the work was mine and that I developed what I did.”

–Stephanie (Morgan) White Former Nevada FFA Member

Did you know?

Former FFA member Stephanie white has authored six children’s books since 2019. She expects to complete three more by the end of the year. with each book, white provides a hands-on activity for kids.

White says the FFA creed is a great segue into other career and leadership development events.

“I really encourage anybody that’s just starting out to not be scared to get up in front of the class and give the creed, but also to dive into an SAE or CDE that you might not have though you would be interested in. Diversify yourself.”

An advocate for the industry, the spark that ignited the fire in White to share agriculture’s story was lit more than a decade ago as an FFA member.

“I’m really grateful that I had people who were willing to push me out of my comfort zone, but still made sure that the work was mine and that I developed what I did,” White says. “I feel like that really set me up for the future and for my passion, and I am really grateful to FFA for those opportunities.”

F ormer Lamar FFA member Stephanie White advocates for agriculture by writing children’s books. Her goal is for kids to learn where their food comes from and that real people with real feelings are ones that produce their food.

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So, how do we overcome the challenges of developing an SAE?

One great way for members to get started is to create a plan of action (POA), with steps that they need to do in order to accomplish their SAE goals.

“I try to help students set realistic goals for their resources, and we work together to get started,” French says.

She adds that if you’re struggling to find what direction you want your SAE to go, then perhaps create a vision board for what your SAE could be. Once you have a possibility of change visualized, then you can go at it and create a t-chart, pros and cons list.

Koch agrees that one of the best ways to visualize this is to get it on paper and write it down. She advises FFA members to think of “things questions” such as: what can we do with the resources, (financial, space, time, etc.) that we are dealing with; what are you excited for; and perhaps what you can use post-graduation.

Once you have an idea of what you would like your SAE to look like, then it’s time to take the next step and determine what challenges are preventing you from reaching reaching that point. Former FFA member and past Missouri FFA state officer Dakota Pemberton had an SAE that encompassed backgrounding feeder calves, a double crop rotation of corn and rye forage production, and a transportation company where he hauled agricultural products.

Looking back on his time in FFA, Dakota realizes he could have implemented steps to help enhance the growth of his projects, including researching and incorporating new tools into his projects.

“Each industry changes every day, and I wish I would have stayed more up to date on some of the ideology that was being talked about to help grow my projects,” Pemberton says.

Pemberton isn’t alone in his thinking.

“You never know where your SAE will take you,” Koch says. “Whether it’s back on the farm, in the classroom, or into a specific study.”

Once you have a plan in place for your SAE, it’s time to set specific goals and establish a plan of how to reach them.

“You should not start with a state winning SAE as a freshman, but build your project to be successful,” explains French. “Starting small and building is the goal for our SAE projects. Members with the most successful SAE programs have a growth plan at the beginning of their project; this might be written down in their SAE plan.”

If you are curious about how to write an SAE plan, think of it as an outline to your whole project, like a business plan.

French says if you aren’t sure how to further your goals, reach out to and work with community members or ag professionals who can help you guide your projects. Remember, the most successful goals are those that are specific, measurable, accurate, realistic, and timely. Set some initial goals, and then dream bigger. Plan some goals that you can work toward once you have met those initial goals, she says.

“Set goals, evaluate them regularly, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from your ag teacher or industry professionals.” French notes.

One of the most critical steps toward reaching your growth goals is putting the plan into action. Some goals will be bigger and harder than others, and that’s okay. Several resources are available to help you grow your projects. Not only is the community more than willing to help you reach your SAE goals, but your advisors are also great resources.

If you are on the search for financial help to get your projects started, or give them an extra boost, French says the Missouri FFA Foundation has done a tremendous job getting SAE grants to Missouri FFA members.

“There are a lot of opportunities for members to contact their local FFA alumni to seek out local SAE grants that help support local members,” French says.

According to Pemberton, small interest loans can also assist members with costs associated with growing an SAE project. Don’t be afraid to research local bank loans or FCS Financial to determine if their offerings fit your situation.

Your SAE project can be whatever you are willing to make it, and each member has the possibility of greatness.

Pemberton reminds members to be flexible. “One thing I wish I could tell myself is to keep an open mind and be willing to change and adapt my project to any circumstance.”

Koch concludes, “Your SAE is made to spark an interest and grow over the years you are a member in the FFA association. Don’t be afraid to take a chance on trying something new.”

—By Riley Spurgeon

Summer is a great time to grow your SAE project. Former FFA member and past state officer Dakota Pemberton reminds you to be flexible and keep an open mind when building a successful SAE.

SAE Grants:Nurturing a Woodland Legacy

udson Murray, a member of the Columbia FFA Chapter, has always loved being out in the woods. Through his FFA activities, he has found his passion in forestry. He participates on the Forestry Career Develelopment Event (CDE) team and his Prepared Public Speaking topic is forestry. When it was time to choose a Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) project, it seemed only natural that he would choose something in forestry management. Looking at his family’s land and woods, Hudson realized it wasn’t in prime condition. He decided to change that and focus on improving the health of his family’s forest as his SAE project.

For Hudson’s SAE to be successful, he had to build his knowledge base in identifying tree species, recognizing tree diseases, eradicating the diseases, and creating a safer and more hospitable forest for small animals.

Through his participation in the Forestry CDE team, Hudson was broadening his knowledge on tree and disease identification. As he kept learning that invasive and badly diseased trees should be cut down, he realized he would have to learn to operate and to maintain a chainsaw.

Hudson applied for, and received, an SAE grant from the Missouri FFA Foundation. He used the grant to purchase a chain saw that cuts trees larger than 15 inches in

diameter. In addition to properly starting and stopping the saw, he now can put a chain on and sharpen it. Developing these skills, he can cut down invasive, diseased, and damaged trees. This also allows him to expand his SAE to include cutting and selling firewood, along with milling and selling lumber. In the future, he plans to build a woodworking shop where he can make and sell items from his own lumber. Hudson also uses the tops of the trees he cuts to create a natural habitat for small animals in the forest.

His SAE project has cemented Hudson’s career goals of going into the forestry or the construction fields. If Hudson chooses the forestry route, he wants to attend Mizzou’s School of Natural Resources and participate on their timber sports team. He would also like to join the wildland firefighting crew and be a sawyer on a hotshot crew

When asked why he felt SAE grants were important, Hudson shared that SAE grants through the Missouri FFA Foundation are important for students who have a dream but do not have a way to fund the start of their project. With the grants, students can start and grow a business which can be a source of lasting income. In his case, the grant is also protecting a family legacy as it’s helping him improve and save his family’s forest for future generations.

Hudson’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 SAE grants, by making a donation at https://donorbox.org/ moffafoundation.

—By Heather Dimitt-Fletcher

C olumbia FFA member Hudson Murray received an SAE grant from the Missouri FFA Foundation, helping him to not only grow his SAE, but also improve and save his family’s forest for future generations.