The Next Generation of Agriculturalists: (Part 2)

This video was the opening theme video for state conventions across the U.S. in 2014 and for the 2013 86th National FFA Convention. While the end of the video's sole purpose is to pump up members and get members excited, the beginning of the video really speaks the message of what the FFA believes in.

In the title of this post and its previous counterpart, I use the word 'agriculturalist.' Merriam-Webster's definition of 'agriculturalist' is this:

 

"[Someone who partakes in] the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products."

 

However, this formal definition seems stiff and gives the impression to people that they don't apply. They aren't farmers, therefore they are not agriculturalists. This couldn't be more wrong.

 

Everybody can be agriculturalists. You don't have to raise cattle. You don't have to grow soybeans. You don't have to subscribe to the stereotypical view of 'farm life.' Being an agriculturalist is as simple as sharing this post, or sharing a link to this blog, on any form of social media. Advocacy is a fancy word for spreading knowledge and information.

 

I bet you have done this multiple times in your life--whether it's by sharing an article you read on Facebook, or tell your friend about the video you watched on YouTube. The same idea applies to agriculture. Reading up on the headlines or talking to people from the industry are ways to gain knowledge, but it takes that extra step of sharing that information to become an agriculturalist, and, in turn, an advocate.

 

Being an FFA member is all about being advocates. Every FFA member became that when they put on the blue jacket. The members of this organization serve their communities and help further the industry in ways that is almost unbelievable for youth to do. Not only that, but the FFA helps to prep students entering the work force, whether it's agriculture or another industry. The skills learned in this organization are skills that can be used for the remainder of the member's life.

 

It's not just an organization about farming. It's an organization about preparing for the future and what that entails. Think back to some of my previous posts.

 

The world is growing, and it needs someone to step up and provide for it. Food has to be put on the table for billions of people, and there is only one industry that can accomplish that.

 

The FFA organization is about preparing the next generation of agriculturalists, because those agriculturalists are the ones who will be providing for the world.

The Next Generation of Agriculturalists

(wynnewood.k12.us)

 

"I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds -- achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years." (https://www.ffa.org/about/who-we-are/ffa-creed)

 

These words are more than just words. They embody a special meaning to a group of people across the nation. Just like these words are not just words, this group of people is not just a group of people. They are a powerhouse organization based on education, advocacy, growth, leadership, community, job preparation and family.

 

This organization is the FFA. What once used to be the Future Farmers of America is just now the FFA, only standing for Agricultural Education.

 

That passage that began this post is the lead-off paragraph in the FFA Creed, a piece of writing by E.M. Tiffany that expresses the beliefs of this organization and its members.

 

So there you have it. An organization of youth striving to learn and advocate about agriculture while building life skills.

 

Maybe you've never heard of the FFA. That's fine; many people haven't. Here are some numbers that will blow your mind a little bit about this organization of which you've never heard. (https://www.ffa.org/about/what-is-ffa/ffa-history )

• There are 610,240 FFA members nationwide who are anywhere between ages 12 and 18, plus those who choose to pursue FFA into their collegiate career.
• Across the nation and including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, there are 7,665 FFA chapters.
• The FFA was formed in 1928 when 33 members gathered in Kansas City, Missouri.
• Women were not allowed to join until 1969, and now women make up over 45 percent of the membership, as well as half of all state leadership positions.
• Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, Easton Corbin, Bo Jackson and Jordy Nelson were all FFA members. Nelson was a member of a Kansas chapter: Riley County. Sam Brownback, Governor of Kansas, was also an FFA member. Even Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States was an FFA member. (http://www.porknetwork.com/e-newsletters/pork-daily/Lighter-Side-Taylor-Swift-and-other-famous-FFA-members-254371491.html )

With this in mind, it's likely that a good fraction of the people you are friends with, or just come into contact with, are members or are alumni of the FFA. Wearing the blue corduroy jacket isn't just a phase of life; it's a way of life.



Photo by Ally Burr



In the Headlines

In the previous post, we touched on media as portrayed by the media. This post will be taking that a step further.

The article below is an example of GMOs making an appearance in today's news, and, unexpectedly, in the presidential election. They are quickly becoming an issue that is being more and more talked about.

This article will provide just a little more knowledge to go into the files of your mind and expand the perspective with which you look at the industry. It is important to hear many different viewpoints, especially about topics like GMOs. Take a look about candidate Rand Paul's outlook on GMOs.

http://dailycaller.com

(dailycaller.com)

A Few Clouds and Controversy

The voice of Paul Harvey resounded across the nation in February 2013 as attention was called back to one of the largest industries in the United States.

Media has played different roles for the agricultural industry, whether it's networking about pest management practices, advertising equipment or, in this case, shedding light on the industry when the most people will be there to receive it.

However, ag in the media is not always a positive thing. In the last several years, organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have seized every opportunity to spread rumors and propaganda, most of which goes against what the industry is about. PETA has even begun to target young children, and have even produced comics made for kids called "Your Daddy Kills Animals" and "Your Mommy Kills Animals." (http://vegcourtesy.blogspot.com)

 

Aside from the inappropriate comics, PETA is constantly producing commercials and videos, as well as making appearances at state fairs across the nation.

Another key player spreading falsehoods about the industry is one that not many would think of.

Chipotle.

Yeah, they have awesome burritos and scrumptious bowls but they have been throwing around some not-so-savory words about the agricultural industry.

Within recent years, Chipotle has launched campaigns like "Food With Integrity" and the Cultivate Foundation. Their main focus is "advocating" for free-roaming animals that are raised "properly" and without antibiotics, synthetic food, etc.

Also recently, Chipotle has launched a series on Hulu called "Farmed and Dangerous" that they consider to be "satire." The main focus is about what animals are being fed, which, according to Chipotle is straight petroleum tablets.

When faced with propaganda, whether good or bad, it's essential to seek the facts. It's also important to keep in mind that every industry has flaws; ag is not excluded from that. But that's why the facts and becoming informed matters. That's why this blog matters.

It's up to each of you to keep your seed growing. Seek the facts and let it grow.

Getting Exposed to Sunlight: Late Morning Rays (Part 2)

So the seed seeks sunlight.

Last post, we introduced one of the problems facing the agricultural industry: lack of knowledge. Also last time, we briefly touched on some misconceptions in the dairy farming industry. This post will be focused more on the crop production side of the industry.

In recent years, headlines exploded into the news with differing views on a new technology called Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs, for short. A GMO is, according to the FDA (Food & Drug Administration):

 

"Genetic engineering is the name for certain methods that scientists use to introduce new traits or characteristics to an organism. For example, plants may be genetically engineered to produce characteristics to enhance the growth or nutritional profile of food crops. While these technique are sometimes referred to as "genetic modification," FDA considers “genetic engineering” to be the more precise term. Food and food ingredients from genetically engineered plants were introduced into our food supply in the 1990s." -http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodScienceResearch

 

 

Crops are not altered to make people act differently or to brainwash them or even to give them cancer, as some people think. Crops are altered for the well-being of the crop, and on a larger scale, the well-being of the world population.

 

Some modifications include changing a crop's resistance to a certain type of moth that has been damaging the yield more and more each year. Another example may be changing the genetics of a crop to be more resistant to low water intake. Crops engineered to live and grow steadily on little water are what keeps the industry alive in times of drought, the likes of which Kansas experienced these past few years.

 

Below is a graphic that gives insight on to which types of crops have undergone consultations with the FDA to become genetically modified. This graphic was current as of April 1st, 2013.

("Figure 1. Number of Consultations on Genetically Engineered Crops." http://www.fda.gov )  

 

 

Corn, as is obvious, is a heavy hitter. It's pretty common to see corn when it is in season because it is a large part of the ag market in Kansas. But just how large?

 

566 million bushels large.

 

Think about the number of people that corn feeds. It's hard to imagine. But a lot of that corn was made possible because of genetic modifications to increase resistance to insect pests. Where would Kansas be without that crop?

 

The price of corn would rise. Kansas is a large producer of corn, and without Kansas, the corn industry would take a hit. Corn chips would rise in price. Simple canned corn would rise in price. Corn on the cob may become extremely hard to find. All of these things affect the consumer. They affect you.

 

GMOs aren't just a headline to be looked over the next time you see it. Stop and take a look, and feed your growing knowledge.

Getting Exposed to Sunlight: A Few Rays (Part 1)

One of the greatest divides in today's society is that between the agricultural society and the rest of the population. Today, it seems that the gap continues to widen and the average American is more likely to subscribe to untruths and rumors than get to the root of a source to learn the facts.

The agriculture industry faces this problem more than any other industry out there. Many Americans don't know where their food comes from, and instead assume it comes from dirty, unethical corporate farms. Many Americans don't understand the science and benefits of genetically modified crops, but believe that they are harmful.

But hopefully, one day that will change. That's why blogs like this one exist. Everyone in the agricultural industry is an advocate for the education of the general public about the industry that is the backbone of the world.

Below is a video taking a quick look at one of the spokes in the giant wheel of the agricultural industry: dairy farming.

For more information about dairy farming and related topics, go to http://www.uddertruth.org/ and give the seed in your mind more nutrients to grow on.

Animal farming is not the only part of the industry to come under fire. Recent technological advances have given us an insight into the genes of some of the crops that are a staple in the United States market, as well as the market here in Kansas. The next post will look into the crop production side of the most common misconceptions, as well as the involvement of big corporations in the heated debate about GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms).

Until next time, keep the seed growing.