Early every morning and long after sundown students in Future Farmers of America, (FFA), tend to their animals, feeding them, washing them, cleaning their pens, and training them for shows. Hours of hard work goes into these animals and students balance their academic and agricultural life. But what motivates students to join FFA?
“Just the environment and wanting to raise animals is my passion,” Natalie Marrek said.
FFA can offer a community for animal lovers to connect and offers the resources needed for animal care. Anyone can get involved with FFA, with many options of animals to choose from. Heifers, steers, lambs, goats, pigs, chickens, bunnies, guinea pigs, turkeys, and horses can all be raised to be shown.
“I chose goats because lambs are so much more work,” Addison Cochran said. “But with goats all you have to do is just condition their legs and walk them everyday…with goats, you only wash them before a show so it doesn’t ruin their hide.”
FFA students are free to choose whatever animal they want to care for.The Payoff of a student’s hard work is seen through both their livestock, and their character.
“Being able to come up here and work with animals everyday competing in competitions has helped me a lot with responsibility and leadership skills,” Callie Whipppo said. “Getting able to progress in those [skills], along with learning how to use them in the real world.”
FFA has the right challenges to prepare any student for their future, whether they want to be a farmer, veterinarian, or go into a completely different field. Students are encouraged to join FFA to learn valuable experience working and showing animals.
“It is a lot of commitment but it is so rewarding no matter which way you go,” Ms. Philen said. “Whether you are showing animals, just competing in LDE, just competing in CDE wanting to be a member, there’s a lot of ways that you can get involved, a lot of ways you can earn scholarship money, and a lot of ways to make new friends.”
FFA is the Organization to join if you love animals, and want to meet like-minded friends. The rewards are bountiful, and the lessons are life-changing.
