One of my great regrets as a high school student was not participating in the local FFA program. Granted, the times were a bit different then as they are now. After all I didn't live on a farm. I was a 'city kid' (I guess if you consider living in a town of less than 100 a city kid). Nevertheless I operated under the presumption that living on a farm or being a farmer was a prerequisite for participating in the organization. It clearly isn't now, and more than likely wasn't then either. Based on my observations of our local FFA chapter, my lack of participation probably had more to do with me being lazy than not living on a farm. Frankly I didn't pay too much attention to my classmates who wore those blue jackets around the high school. It wasn't something that interested me all that much, and I was too naive to really understand what it was I was missing. If I could go back in time and give my former self a piece of advice, it would be to join the FFA.
Last week I had the honor of attending the annual FFA banquet. Truth be told, it is an event that I look forward to annually, and not just because of the outstanding meal! As a start, we should once and for all set aside the myth that FFA exists only for farm kids. There are numerous students in the chapter who liver right here in the the city limits. Granted, the focus is agriculture but as Mr. Deppe preaches to his students and anyone who visit the agriculture room, farming and food production is but a small slice of a gigantic agricultural industry. Much of what we do, particularly here in Iowa, touches this industry. While each project or presentation is very thoughtfully tied back to the agriculture sector, there is so much more to FFA than meets the eye. I'll start with the less obvious.
How about acting? The 'Ag Issues' team created what I'll call a skit (the term skit doesn't really do it justice) surrounding the topic of cell cultured meat. Admittedly when I first heard about this I thought, wow this is pretty heavy stuff and likely not all that interesting. However, when they performed the skit, not only was it entertaining, it was incredibly educational. After I saw it the second time, I asked one of the members of the team if they came up with this all on their own. Yes, they did, with some help from Mrs. Deppe to create the script. The students did the research, legwork, and with some 'character development' assistance completed a project that was outstanding. I'm a bit biased, but have to believe they will qualify for Nationals. Along that same vein of acting, (while a bit reluctant to call a student out by name), I was very impressed with Joel Herring's recitation of the FFA Creed. It was no doubt one the best I have ever heard!
Perhaps one of the most important aspects that is taught in FFA has to do with leadership skills. The banquet is a perfect example of this. The success of the banquet rests largely with the students. They are in charge, and have full responsibility for ensuring it goes off without a hitch. I saw these skills on display during those unscripted moments of the program. When a table needed to be moved. A serving line shifted. A patron needed assistance. When something needs to happen, these kids aren't looking around to see who is going to take care of it. They simply spring into action without being asked and make sure the job gets done. Without a doubt, the development of these leadership skills starts at the top with Mr. Deppe. He has quite the gift of nurturing and developing these youngsters into leaders. Numerous times I have had conversations with Mr. Deppe over the years about the program. That conversation may spark an idea for program development. His response has always been, that's great; but let's make sure the kids are the ones asking and leading the charge.
For a long time, many Iowa high schools were mission focused on preparing students for college life. Courses were geared toward college preparation and we instilled in students and parents the idea that the pathway to the middle class drove straight through a four year degree. During that time period, career and technical education programs in high schools became a casualty. We began to see the decline in industrial arts programs, agriculture program, and family and consumer science programs. These programs were discarded because students were no longer interested in them. Instead they opted for the courses that would put them on the right track for acceptance into a four year institution. The by-product of this mindset was a declination in a high skilled labor force, and we are paying the price for that now with a shortage of labor. Thankfully programs like FFA clearly demonstrate the depth of opportunity that exists in the workforce for young people. The program drives home the ideas that hard work, perseverance, and patience will unlock doors for them.
These days, high schools are becoming more focused on ensuring our students are college and career ready. You may have heard such buzz words as 'Future Ready Iowa' or 'Regional Planning Partnerships' being used to describe these initiatives. The fact is, we need our young people to graduate high school and be prepared for whatever comes next for them. For some, it is college. Others may go to trade school, community college, the military, or enter directly into the workforce. No matter what they decide to do, a membership in the FFA will provide them with transferable skills that will serve them well in whatever career they choose to pursue.
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