Planes, Trains and Automobiles...

At 6:00 this morning, the Minnesota FFA Delegate team was up and ready to go... after cramming all of the additional clothing, books and other merchandise we bought at national convention.
I was hoping to BLOG during my time at National Convention, but Internet cost $10 a day and I get WiFi here in the airport.

I shall BLOG and do my best to bring back the excitement of National Convention to all who were unable to attend. Then again, it is difficult to bottle up the excitement, leadership and passion of the over 53,000 FFA members. I hope, if you were fortunate enough to attend National Convention, that you bring back that energy you got from being at convention, and not let it be limited to 3 days out of one year.
It would be unfair to not share the stories of Mike Rowe, humor of Josh Sundquist or inspiration of a National Officer retiring address. It would be unfair that the only time you get excited about FFA is when you are in Indianapolis, or in a blue corduroy jacket.

Whether or not you still wear jacket, your passion, curiosity and commitment to this organization does not end at National Convention. I see it more as a time to renew and revitalize the roots of our desire to serve and be involved in this National organization.
The plane is leaving, so I better catch it!
See you back in MINNESOOOOOOOTA.

So long, Farewell , Auf Wiedersehen, GOOD BYE!

Not too much to say but...

Dustin, Mike, Liz, Emily, Katie, Crystal, Kyle, Labecca & I are leaving today for NATIONAL CONVENTION!!!!!!

I hope to see you there! If not, I will try to keep you all posted on some happenings at convention. AND if I'm too boring, check out RFDTv or http://www.ffa.org/ for the latest on the convention.

We need BREADSTICKS!!?!?!!!

For the 7th straight year the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted FFA Chapter has dedicated their time to prepare a delicious pasta meal. For the 1st time, I got to help out!
Crystal told me about the event earlier this week, and I was sold on going the moment the words came out of her mouth. Today, I got the opportunity to hang out, reunite and meet members of the HLWW FFA Chapter! The focus of the time was to prepare lots and lots of pasta, meat sauce and bread sticks for the number of auto-racers gathering at the Stockholm Motorsports Park near Cokato, MN. Justin, Rebecca, Crystal & I were in charge of the transportation of the epic amount of bread sticks that Sarah, Ariel, Becca & Linda were making in the kitchen of the HLWW Middle School. We drove back and forth from Howard Lake and Cokato making delivery after delivery of bread sticks. They smelled incredible.
After making bread sticks, driving and even having a non formal tour of the Middle School, (the old high school) we got to sit down and eat the meal everyone else had been feasting on.
We have lots of extras! In fact I have a saran-wrapped container of bread sticks to bring back to college.
As for now... I am sitting on a couch at Crystal's with Doreen, Ariel & Sarah chilling, watching a movie, looking up stories from MyLifeIsAverage, watching YouTube videos, eating Honey crisp apples and having a good time.
According to them, I need to stop being 'ANTI-SOCIAL', so I shall leave this computer..............NOW.

Chapter Visits in Menahga/Sebeka !

Both the Sebeka and Menahga High School Agriculture programs are taught by Mr. Oyster. I just clarify, Sebeka and Menahga are two separate schools. After our breakfast with the Malikowski's in Detroit Lakes, we traveled Southeast to Menahga Senior High School. It was there that we got to spend the morning with the freshman and sophmores enrolled in the Intro to Agriculture class. To most of them, FFA was a brand new concept, but for 4 students, FFA is something they are currently active in. One of the students is currently serving as the chapter treasurer.

With the time we had, we did a few activities including my favorite: PAPER AIRPLANES!

When driving down the highway, Crystal and I were brainstorming for activities and I thought, "Hmmm.... let's make paper airplanes!" Instead of just the typical paper airplane, we all drew a triangle divided into 3 parts. In each space we drew a picture of something that was important to us. We then folded our own paper airplanes for a little competition!! I learned that my original method of making paper airplanes wasn't very effective, so I just watched Crystal to give directions. Finally, after adding the final touches to our planes, we launched them down the hallway, picked up a different plane other than the one we made and read what was inside. This was a great way to learn more about those around us.

After our time in Menahga, we followed Mr. Oyster to Sebeka and visited another freshman class. The difference was this class had about 20 less students. After spending some time with the Intro to Ag. class, the Sebeka chapter officer team came down and helped us out with some other activities and started getting ready for the Cook-Out. It was great to see some familiar faces like Ally and Louise in addition to some new faces like Sam and Allan. Mr. Oyster and the officers grilled hotdogs, made juice and served chips and cookies for not us, but for the whole chapter. After visiting with some of the members from Sebeka, it was evident that Forestry and Dairy Judging are a pretty big deal!

Just as we were driving home, we came by this BISON farm!
Total mileage : 36,305,280 inches/3,025,440 feet/922 kilometers/573 miles !

Dodge,Dip,Duck,Dive,Dodge... Chapter Visit Detroit Lakes!

Following our short time in North Dakota, we came back to the light (Minnesota).

We made our way to Detroit Lakes to visit the Detroit Lakes FFA Chapter during their chapter meeting. Items discussed included:

• The DL FFA members that are going to be attending National Convention!
• The beginning of Fruit Sales! They currently have the goal of selling over $10,000.
• Upcoming participation in CDE's.
• Buying the chapter t-shirt. (I bought one, and they look great!)

Crystal and I got to share during the meeting about the importance of service, being leaders for your community and why we can all be proud FFA members. BUT, we didn't want to spend too much time gabbing about that stuff, because a game of dodge ball was to follow the meeting.

I'm not sure who won, but I do know that I pwnd Crystal!!!! [ For those who may not know, pwn is a term synonymous with defeat, beat or own. =) ] This fact is based on the number of times I fired the dodge balls from my canons. (my arms) My team was pretty strong with Blake, Mike and Saunders on my side. Then again, Greg and Alli seemed to be able to get me out quite a bit too... =\ After a few rounds, we rested ourselves and sat down for some refreshments. AKA = doughnuts, cookies and Hawaiian Punch!

That night, Crystal and I were fortunate enough to stay with the Malikowski family. Both Greg , a senior, and Sarah, a freshman, are current FFA members and chapter officers. If you think you love the outdoors, you should most definitely get to know these two! They were both willing to share their trophies, experiences and venison... Oh yum. Alli, another chapter officer came to hang out with us for awhile.

Alli ... is currently serving as the chapter secretary for the DL FFA chapter. If you have any questions about what is going on with the chapter, ask her! Crystal was sweet and even gave Alli and Sarah a ride in her 2009 Mustang. BE JEALOUS.

Greg ... is serving as a Region I officer for the 2009-2010 year. He came to SLCCL this summer and made his talent debut with Blake, Eric and Brett with their own rendition of "Jump On It." Aside from his dancing skills, Greg is quite the athlete, and hunter. Just check out his room, with two bear mounts, a rack of antlers and a 5 lb large mouth bass to name a few. I enjoyed getting to know him more, and can't wait to see what his leadership will continue to do for those that he serves within the organization.

Sarah ... is just getting her feet wet in the world of FFA. Most Greenhands are pretty shy when it comes to FFA, but she is no exception! Sarah received the honor to serve as the chapter historian, and will be the only freshman to travel to National Convention this year from DL FFA. The night we stayed over, Sarah, her mom, Twila, and Greg made sure that we didn't go hungry. We ate Sarah's favorite fruit, pomegranates, in addition to fresh clementines and some venison. They even took us out for breakfast to Perkins. Soo good. I hope that Sarah gets involved with the Creed Speaking contest!!

I loved the time we were in Detroit Lakes! There are many strong leaders within their chapter that take their desire to serve to a level beyond themselves. In addition to service, these leaders share the positive difference that FFA has made in their lives with others.

I have asked myself this question... Will a state officer come from Detroit Lakes? I say, yes and I think soon. I hope that they realize the individual strengths within each of them are not only strengths for themselves, but strengths for the benefits of others and our organization as a whole.
Hopefully, I can get some action shots from dodge ball up soon. Right now, I do not have them.

I want to go back.
Now...Oh look a giant (awkward) TURKEY!

Actually, it's pronounced "BIZON, not BISON." ... Chilling with the North Dakota State Officers!!

Earlier this summer, at FFA Day @ the Dome, I met the North Dakota state officer team. It was great getting to see them at the event, but one time wasn't enough, so Crystal and I road-tripped across the border (Gasp...) ... to Fargo! I knew that we would have some free time, so I called my friend Andi and told her we would be in the area, at the North Dakota State University campus.

The time we were there was informal, and we just had fun chatting with their team, going "people watching", talking about National Issues for the upcoming convention and getting decked out in Bison gear. SPEAKING OF BISON...

Me - "Hey, is there a bison statue we can get a picture with?"

Hope (ND Officer) - "A what??"

Me- " A bison statue, we want to take a picture..."

Hope- "No, I heard you, I'm just wondering what a bison is? You see, our team mascot is the Bizon."

Me- "Umm, no I'm pretty sure it's pronounced : BY-SON"

Hope- "BY-ZON!?!?"

... since we couldn't decide what was right we decided to settle our score with an

EXTREME CAGE FIGHT!!!!!

... that would have been sweet. Buuuuttttt, it didn't happen.

I don't know who is right, but I do know that even though North Dakota is our next door neighbor, we seem to speak another language! So we stopped the chat about BIZSIZSON (how ever you say it), and just had some fun around campus!

I can't wait to see them at National Convention!

... and we got hungry.

"Oh, look a dog. Let's RESCUE it! "... Region I FFA Visits DAY #1

In the past two days, including today, Crystal and I both returned to the northern part of Minnesota to finish our Chapter Visits! We were up early to make our first stop at Norman County East High School in Twin Valley, MN to begin at 11:15 AM. To get there in good timing, that meant we left St.Paul, MN at 6:30 AM !

The day greeted us with some interesting obstacles beginning with the multitude of snow and Metro traffic. Not even 15 minutes of driving and Crystal's mustang starting beeping meaning, "I have low tires." So we pulled over and I checked the air, and we pulled into a gas station to pump up her tires.

No big deal!

The rural parts of northern Minnesota have quite the diversity of agriculture ranging from dairy cattle, beef cattle, soybeans and corn to sugar beets, sunflowers, Christmas trees, pheasants and bison.

Here is a picture of some sunflower fields!

Our timing to Twin Valley wasn't the best because, aside from the winter weather, we encountered construction and detours. We knew we would be later than anticipated, so I called the advisor, Ms. Fickes. Not even 20 minutes from Twin Valley when my friend Crystal said, "Oh look a dog on the road, should we save it ?"

... I say, "No, we need to get to Twin Valley, we are late."

... "But it will probably get hit!"

... "Okay, fine let's pick it up and take it to the nearest farm and then leave."

No big deal!

THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

We took the dog to the first house, but he chased us down the highway, so we picked him up again. Then, brought him to another place that knew where he belonged, BUT didn't want to hold him for their neighbor. NEXT, we tried to find the house and went off-roading in Crystal's mustang through mud, dirt and what I would call the worst place to get stuck. Finally, we called the Hawley vet clinic to find the home of this dog and we found it! YES, we are totally late now. But, this dog reminded me of my own dog. He was a beagle and was unfortunately struck by a car when I was younger. I think about it, and I'm glad we decided to help him because I would hope someone would do the same for my lost dog! ... For the remainder of the trip I wouldn't let go the idea of Crystal's natural rescuing instincts, so whenever we drove by road-kill I would shout, "Animal in need! Pull over Crystal, let's RESCUE it!"

We got to NCE high school at 12:00 noon, just when the class ended. Thankfully, we didn't need to be in Detroit Lakes until 6:30 PM, that night, so Ms. Fickes asked us to come back at 2:00 for another class. YES! Crystal and I went out to the "Good Food" diner, and each ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger, Fries and a Chocolate Malt. It was the perfect comfort food for our emotions. On top of the good food, we had excellent service from a sweet old lady and angel. AKA... Audrey Peterson. Audrey grew up in Ada, Minnesota and then married and moved to Twin Valley. She has lived here for the past 42 years. Thank God for her! She made my day a lot better.

*NOTE: All pictures are the product of the 10 second timer on Crystal's camera...

Once at NCE I learned some interesting things about the current Intro to Ag students:

Kareena ... just got a horse the other week for her birthday. She loves animals! Kareena lives and works on her family's beef and hog farm near Gary, MN.

Dylan ... is a young sugar beet farmer from the area. No snow can get in the way of him harvesting this year's over 2,400 acres of sugar beets that were planted! Dylan and I seemed to have a lot in common because we have the same laptop, compete in the same contest and both enjoy reading.

SUGAR BEETS!

Ms. Fickes... is the Agricultural Education instructor for the Sparsely Populated areas FFA Program. She travels from Crookston to Twin Valley to Baudette to teach agriculture to the students. She is a former Sebeka FFA member, Region II officer and competed in the National Forestry contest where her team placed 3rd in the nation.

White snow tastes good, yellow doesn't...

We had a great beginning to our Chapter Visits in Region I! After Twin Valley, we called our North Dakota state officer friends to meet them at NDSU...

I found some pictures... part 1

Within the past 2 weeks, I traveled to the heart of Minnesota FFA in Region VI. Region VI includes chapters from the Southwestern part of the state including my home Chapter: MARSHALL!

My very first exposure to FFA happened at the beginning of my sophomore year in high school when I attended the Region VI Greenhand Day. BUT, I actually didn't go to Greenhand Day because I mixed up with groups and accidentally went to the Chapter Officer Workshop (COW). I don't know whether or not being at Greenhand Day would have made a difference, but COW Day got me hooked to what FFA had to offer me. I decided that I wanted to run for Region office, and maybe even state office that day. After 2 years serving as a Region VI officer, working with Greenhands, it was now my privilege to be invited to work with the chapter officers during COW Day as well as give a send off speech to the over 300 Region VI FFA members present.

Here are some pictures that I uncovered from the Marshall FFA website, so thank you!

We worked as teams to discover what we, as individuals, have to offer our FFA chapters and others beyond our time in FFA.
... and you can't have a good time without a good game of NINJA! Caleb from WWG dominated in the first game.
Marshall FFA member Brady, gave an interactive presentation with Greenhands about the Meats Judging Contest.

I loved having the time to be with the Region VI FFA leaders.

My favorite activity of the day was all about influence. Think about it...

What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of...

George Washington

Saddam Hussein

Mother Theresa

Adolf Hitler

Abraham Lincoln

Michael Vik

Martin Luther King Jr.

(and just for some fun...)

Brett Favre

Depending on the information that you have about these people, you may have a positive view or negative view. When I think of MLK Jr., I think of "peace" MLKJr. made a positive and peaceful difference in the way we as the United States treat the Civil Rights of each individual. If you and I were having a conversation about Abraham Lincoln, or George Washington- wouldn't you think that the tone of our conversation would be a positive one, shaped around the patriotism and leadership they brought to our country.

Now, think about Michael Vik. He is an outstanding football player and athlete. However, due to his actions within the past year, when Michael Vik's name comes up what do you think? Conversations, I believe, are not just about football anymore. They are laced with his negative actions linked to animal abuse and dog fighting. Just because of the one mistake he made, his name will forever have a bitter connotation with it.

When YOUR name comes up in the everyday conversation,

What do people think of YOU ?

Here is what some members said...

"A great athlete."

"Someone who sticks up for what they believe in."

"Smart."

"A good influence because ___ is involved and respects everyone. ___always works hard to accomplish ____'s goals."

"Strong willed."

"Tall, athletic baller!"

"FFA."

Just in our short time of about 4 hours, I has able to identify the individuals who are going to make a great difference on their chapter level. I also recognized individuals who will make great Region VI officers NEXT YEAR!

A big thank you to the Region VI officer team for inviting me! You did a great job with your organization of a successful event.

part 2...to be posted later.

OOFDAH...!

Today was EXTREMELY eventful.
While I don't intend to break down the nitty-gritty details of each hour, I will give you a list of the 5 Big events of today!

1. The U of M Invite! (part I) ... today was an early morning! I up and down to the State Fairgrounds from my home in Bailey hall at 7:45 this morning to help with the Minnesota FFA , University of Minnesota Invitational. Over 1,000 FFA members from chapters across Minnesota and Wisconsin, came to test their knowledge and skills in Soils judging, Poultry Evaluation, Dairy Cattle Evaluation, General Livestock Evaluation and Horse Evaluation. I had a great time working with Sara, Trevor and Justin in the Poultry Eval. contest. I was in charge of the room with the: Keep/Cull class, Carcass Evaluation, and parts identification. I also got the perks of watching the Dairy Cattle competition because it was held in the same proximity of the poultry contest. It was great to see familiar faces from camps, conferences and state fair competing!
2. Norman Borlaug Memorial ... After dedicating part of my school day to the U of M invite, I then hopped on the campus connector to the Minneapolis campus, to the McNamara Alumni Center. Today was the day that a memorial was held for Nobel Peace Prize winner, Green Revolutionist, U of M alumni and father- Dr.Norman Borlaug. Dr.Borlaug passed away just one month ago.I have always wanted to meet him, but I had the privilege to meet his daughter and listen to others speak about his life. It was a great program, and Dr. Borlaug's favorite song by John Denver, "All this Joy", was played while nostalgic photos were projected on a screen. I feel blessed to have lived on the same planet as a person like Dr. Borlaug. His daughter spoke of some of her "daddy's" last words being..."Africa.I didn't get to complete my mission in Africa..." His words still resonate in my mind, even though I never heard a single word he spoke himself. It is because of people like Dr. Borlaug that I aspire to take my talents and gifts to places where war, politics and environment account for the decline in agricultural prosperity. I want to serve others on a level bigger than myself. Thank you Dr. Borlaug.
3. BLOOD ! ...no I didn't get attacked by mutant a pack of ninja walrus, causing me to bleed. I took part in the University of Minnesota's Homecoming Blood Drive. I gave blood! I love doing it, and can't wait until the next. (I heard there is a plasma bank near Baily Hall...)
4. U of M Invite (part II) ... the CDEs and contest in FFA are my favorite part. CORRECTING them: not my favorite. I helped correct the Soils contest right after class at 5:00 until about 8:00. In that amount of time, I memorized the entire key to Pit #2. I have gained a true appreciation for those who dedicate their time to organizing CDEs and making sure (our favorite part), the results are posted. Thank you Mrs. Addington and Mr. Doug Hanson!
5. Pomp, pomp, pomp ... this week is the "Ultimate Homecoming" at the U of M. A pretty big deal is the parade, in which the Greek life (fraternities and sororities) make floats. I have been bouncing in between helping the FarmHouse Frat and Alpha Gamma Rho this past week with pomping. It's basically taking two pieces of tissue paper and sticking them ever-so precisely onto the design of the float. The floats are COVERED! Tomorrow is the parade and I'm excited!
6. ... no #6, I'm exhausted.

You have 30 seconds... GO!

Just 2 weeks ago, on September 18, 2009, our state officer team as well as the other national convention delegates, Kyle & Liz , received an important mission.

Write your 30 second FFA elevator speech.

I had a rewarding experience spending my time with the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation at their head office in Eagan, Minnesota. While the day served as time for us as delegates to prepare for National Convention, it was first and foremost time for us to meet the faces of MfBf and further understand what we as FFA members can do for them. Staci Bohlen, National Issues Specialist, shared with us the current national issues that Farm Bureau and agriculture are facing. Based on what Staci described about her job, I would like to try it out myself some day! Kristin Harner , Public Relations and Foundation Director, additionally shared with us what her daily job is like, including the publication of the newspaper "The Voice." Besides learning more about Kristin's role, it was great to talk with her and see her being she is my MENTOR for the year!

Kevin Paap, President of the Minnesota Farm Bureau and good friend of Minnesota FFA, gave us a challenge: Write your 30 second FFA elevator speech.

What is the elevator speech? Here is my interpretation:

Think about it...

Whenever you wear you FFA jacket, people are going to notice.

What is going through their mind ?

"What is this 'FFA' they have on their jackets?"... "Are they security guards?"

Think about a time you have been in an elevator, wearing the good ol' corduroy.
State Convention.. National Convention.. A conference.. Traveling.. wherever...

You get into the elevator, and the people in the elevator give you one look and ask,

"What is FFA ?"

You don't have much time- 7 floors- 30 seconds.

This is your time to share what you believe about the organization, what you know and what is important.

What do you say ?

I encourage all, whether or not you still wear the jacket or not, to think about what you would say. If you would like, and it would be really cool, please comment with "YOUR 30 Second FFA" speech.

Here is mine,

FFA is a dynamic youth organization that engages students enrolled in agricultural education by providing opportunities for premier leadership, personal growth and career success. Since its beginning in 1928, the National FFA Organization has grown from just 33 farm boys to over 507,000 young men and women with the common desire to lead, learn and serve. Because of this organization, I have become a stronger leader with a positive vision for my own future in agriculture. It has changed my life, as well as many others.

I am grateful for people like those at Minnesota Farm Bureau. People who are passionate about what they do and willing to share their knowledge and passion with others. THANK YOU for your outstanding support and partnership with Minnesota FFA!

... (Thank you for Jimmy John's and raspberries too!)

Wrapping things up... BI&E Little Falls /Royalton!

Ever heard the phrase, "Go big, or go home." ?

After my 3 days visiting chapters from Region I & II, I was most certainly NOT READY to go home. Labecca and I went big and visited Little Falls. (oh irony)

It was Homecoming week at Little Falls high school, so the halls were buzzing with the excitement of the upcoming football game and as to who would be crowned Homecoming Royalty. Little Falls, Minnesota has its claim to fame as the birthplace of Charles Lindbergh. It is also a small town with a large passion and connection to the dairy industry. Most of the students we met, including Frank, either grew up on a dairy farm or worked on a dairy farm.
While visiting the Animal Science class at Little Falls, we started thing out with a 'little' game of "Skin the Snake", followed by class discussion and activities about CDE's , SAE's and Leadership.

Megan... looks to become an even more active member in the chapter. Lucky for Megan, her mother helps run and coordinate all FFA activites within the chapter. Her sister, Natalie is serving as the chapter president.

Sarah... has her sights set on going to school, after she graduates this year, for Agricultural Education. It was clear, even though she was humble about it, that she is a great leader not only for her FFA chapter, but for those around her, like her peers.

The leadership and potential for leadership within this classroom was evident . And I'm not talking about your typical FFA leadership. Most of these students lead while on the football field, during cross country practice, at home with younger siblings or simply by volunteering or raising their hand in hte classroom. The number of leaders in this school is great, it's just of a matter of getting them to become leaders for their FFA chapter. I can't wait to see where this chapter goes!

Just after Little Falls, we drove further down state, back towards the Twin Cities, and to Royalton, Minnesota. Royalton opened up their chapter meeting for Labecca and I to watch, learn more about their chapter as well as provide activities. Royalton is another strong chapter with a pretty good dairy influence being their Dairy Cattle team has placed 2nd in state for 2 consecutive years. Here is the rest of the scoop:

John... has the best last name ever. SCHMIDT. (And it's spelled correctly). John is quite active on the chapter and state level. He is currently serving as the Royalton chapter president, and has been honored on the state level for his accomplishments in Dairy Cattle Evaluation. (1st place individual, 2nd place team 2008) ... not bad at all...

Katie... clued everyone in at the meeting about the current budget for the chapter. She is currently serving as the chapter treasurer, ontop of being an athlete in cross country. Katie also shared with me her interest in horses.

Royalton is has an outstanding Agricultural Education Program thanks to the students, community and administrative support. But above all, their FFA program would not be of as high quality without the advisory of Mr.Voyles. It was truly an honor to see this great educator in action with his students, and the desire for them to learn.

When the bell rang, school was out-practices started and people left. When that bell rang, it chimed the end of one incredible adventure through the Agricultural Programs of northen Minnesota. I wish it didn't go by so fast, but it makes me excited for future visits with agricutlural education programs throughout the state of Minnesota.

Recap: St.Paul->Duluth->Grand Rapids->Baudette->Northome->Blackduck->Wild Acres-> Brainerd-> Little Falls-> Royalton -> St.Paul.

TOTAL MILES: 705 miles and over 14 hours on the road! ... 100% worth it.