Illinois FFA officers reflect on own involvement

During FFA Week, officers in the Illinois FFA are promoting the youth organization through visits to chapters around the state. In addition to encouraging younger members to get involved in the FFA, officers have their own stories about what caused them to become involved.

Illinois FFA President Amie Burke from Fithian, Illinois, was part of a family tradition, becoming a member after her brother and uncles were first members.

“I just decided to give it a shot, and when I got in, I really realized that there was something in [FFA] for me,” Burke told Brownfield Monday. “I was able to take that experience and just go from there and grow.”

AUDIO: Amie Burke (5 min. MP3)

Illinois FFA Vice President Caroline Bremer of Metropolis, Illinois, joined to compete in public speaking. As a freshman, she was mentored by a senior student who saw potential in her.

“I got more active and I really saw some of the opportunities that [FFA] had to offer, and I think that FFA is kind of addicting like that,” said Bremer Monday. “Once you are able to embrace your own potential and do something with it, it just seems like more and more opportunities pop up for students. I think that’s kind of how it happened to me.”

 AUDIO: Caroline Bremer (6 min. MP3)

Bremer, Burke and the three other state officers each take a year away from college studies to serve the Illinois FFA. Bremer, however, doesn’t view that as a missed educational opportunity.

“I think that the experiences I’ve gained this year as a state officer are experiences I could never gain in a classroom,” she says.

“Fuel Up to Play 60″ is gaining steam

Dairy Management Incorporated (DMI) the National Football League (NFL) and the USDA continue their effort to fight childhood obesity. The three joined together in September to launch “Fuel Up to Play 60” a campaign to improve food choices and achieve 60 minutes of physical activity each day among children. More than 58,000, or 60 percent, of the nation’s 96,000 private and public schools are currently enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60. All 32 NFL teams are participating in the program through local dairy councils and schools in their respective markets.

Paula Meabon is a dairy producer from Pennsylvania and serves on the DMI Board of Directors; she says the program empowers kids to choose healthy foods and then exercise. “The star-power of the NFL brings the exercise component in there and that helps fight obesity”. NFL players have been featured in television commercials promoting “Fuel Up to Play 60” during NFL games for the past couple of months. Meabon says by the end of 2010 the program will have 60,000 schools and 55 million kids enrolled, “The kids are getting the nutrition that they should, exercise they should, the dairy that they need.”

Students and schools can sign-up for the program at the Fuel Up to Play 60 website. Points are awarded and students and schools can win prizes by tracking their healthy eating and physical activity. The first round of competition ran from October 15th through December 15th, prize winners for the round will be announced this month. The second round begins February 1st and runs through March 15th. Individual prizes include an iPod touch, $50 NFL Shop gift certificates and hanging out with and NFL player for a day. Schools can win a complete makeover of their cafeteria and gym.

AUDIO: Paula Meabon talks about Fuel Up to Play 60

New Wisconsin FFA Alumni Executive Director

The Wisconsin FFA Alumni has hired Regina Oldendorf of Blair to be the organization’s Executive Director/Treasurer. Oldendorf is an American Degree recipient and was a state FFA officer. A graduate of U.W. River Falls with a degree in ag education, she was an ag instructor for three years. She starts her new position on December 7th.

Wisconsin Assembly passes Fair Coordinator bill

The Wisconsin State Assembly unanimously passed Assembly Bill 418 on Thursday. The bill requires the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to maintain the position of Fair Coordinator.

Wisconsin established a full-time fair coordinator in 1945. In 1972 the position was moved to DATCP. The position was reduced to part-time and limited-term when current Director Bob Williams retired in 2000. Williams continues as Fair Director and says he has no intention of slowing down. Vruwink’s bill is designed to make sure the position continues should Williams’ status change at some point in the future.

Representative Amy Sue Vruwink, who authored the bill, says it will not cost taxpayers any money. “We all realize how important are these fairs are to our agricultural community, and that’s why I introduced this legislation. The position needs to be put into the statutes so our fairs will remain represented throughout the state.” The Milladore Democrat hopes the State Senate will pass the bill within the next few weeks.

Wisconsin FFA execs fill national posts

Some people who help the FFA in Wisconsin will be helping on the national level as well. State FFA Executive Director Cheryl Zimmerman is the new president of the National Association of Supervisors of Agricultural Education. State FFA Advisor, Jeff Hicken has been elected to a three-year term on the National FFA Board of Directors and the new national president of the FFA Alumni is Diane Amera of the Stoughton FFA Alumni.

U.W. Madison names interim CALS dean

Irwin Goldman, vice dean and associate dean for research has been named Interim Dean for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Goldman will assume the post on November 9th when Dean Molly Jahn starts a one-year leave of absence to serve as deputy undersecretary for research, education and economics at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Goldman has been on the U.W. Madison faculty since 1992 when he joined the Department of Horticulture. He has served as associate dean for research and vice dean in 2006.

Goldman holds a bachelor’s degree in ag sciences from the University of Illinois, a masters in crop science from North Carolina State University and a doctorate in plant breeding and plant genetics from U.W. Madison.

Forest and wildlife professor Ray Guries will serve as CALS interim vice dean and associate dean for research.

Wisconsin FFA officers are busy in Indy

Wisconsin State FFA Reporter, Caitlin Roberts is keeping us informed on what the Wisconsin FFA delegation is up to at the National FFA Convention this week.

The Wisconsin State Officer team and delegates arrived in Indianapolis on Monday and got right to work on Tuesday, dividing up to attend and testify at six Delegate Issues Committees. The topics were submitted by state associations and their importance was determined by those in attendance at the State Presidents’ Conference. The top issues were then chosen by the National FFA Officer Team:

Inclusion and Engagement of All Students

Post Secondary Retention and Engagement

Global Engagement

Program Affiliation Options

Alumni Engagement and Outreach

New Horizons Delivery Options

The committees will make recommendations to the delegate body at the Convention later this week.

AUDIO: Caitlin Roberts talks about the first day at convention 2:42

Convention theme implores, ‘Lead Out Loud’

Young people are encouraged to Lead Out Loud, which is the theme of the National FFA Convention, opening Wednesday in Indianapolis. While tens of thousands of young people attend the annual meeting, National FFA Advisor Larry Case maintains the days away from school are well spent.

“These kids go from daylight to dark and beyond and they’re learning things,” Case told Brownfield at the convention site Tuesday. “They’re meeting each other, they’re learning how to operate and conduct meetings and they’re also really identifying that they are a part of something bigger than themselves.”

AUDIO: Larry Case (5 min. MP3)

This convention marks the fortieth anniversary of women being allowed into the FFA. That has added significance for California FFA President Adrienne Bradley.

“It’s actually really funny, because my [current FFA] advisor was one of the men who voted against women being involved in FFA once upon a time,” said Bradley, to Brownfield Tuesday in Indianapolis. “Me and him are very good friends, but it’s an honor and I’m really excited because I think there are actually more women than men in the organization today. It’s exciting that women have this kind of opportunity and to make a difference just a much as men do. I actually got my pin today!”

AUDIO: Adrienne Bradley (3 min. MP3)

The convention, the 82nd annual, culminates Saturday with the election of new National FFA officers.

Brownfield reporter Tom Steever contributed to this article.

Wisconsin Agriculture Dean takes USDA post

The Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is accepting a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Molly Jahn has been granted a one-year leave of absence from the University to become deputy undersecretary of research, education and economics at USDA. Jahn will begin her new duties on November 9th and will be responsible for leading The Ag Research Service, Economic Research Service and the National Ag Statistics Service. There are three ARS research centers at U.W. Madison.

Jahn has a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University. She was a professor of plant breeding, genetics and plant biology at Cornell before becoming Dean at CALS in August of 2006.

National FFA Secretary visits WDE

National FFA Secretary Nessie Early was one of the visitors at World Dairy Expo on Tuesday. The Californian has been in the Badger State for a couple of days working with the Wisconsin FFA Officer Team and their Sectional officer training sessions. This is her first visit to Wisconsin and World Dairy Expo and she notes, “There are happy cows everywhere.”

She got involved in FFA “Because there were 83 students in my high school and 77 of them were in the FFA, I don’t know what the other 6 were doing.” She went on to be a state officer in California and then decided to seek the National office. With about a month left in her year as National Secretary, she says the team is getting ready for the National Convention. At one point at that convention she will step on the stage for her final address, “Entitled Nothing Left, I’m going to talk about what we have to give to this world and the people around us.”

After that, it will be back to school at Cal-Poly pursuing a degree in animal science with the ultimate goal of being a professor in animal science.

AUDIO: Nessie Early talks about her year

Next Page »