June 2008, FFA New Horizons

ffanewhorizons.org

Take Note

( )

Cowgirl shows no fear when training horses and buffalo

Just Unveiled! See the 2008 National FFA Convention logo at

tips for keeping good records

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E N A T I O N A L F F A O R G A N I Z A T I O N | J u n e 2 0 0 8NEW HORIZONS

®FFA

Need a past

issue? Click on

Virtual Magazine

for current and

archived editions.

See the 2008 National FFA Convention theme at ffanewhorizons.org

It’s time to plan for the 81st National FFA Convention. Visit our

convention page at ffanewhorizons.org to fi nd out the latest news!

ffanewhorizons.orgRead special inserts from other associations in State Scoop.

– Ashley Nodine, McDonald County, Mo.

Go online to read more member letters.

Photo slideshows

FFA NEW HORIZONS

HELPS FFA MEMBERS AROUND THE COUNTRY KNOW

THAT OUR ORGANIZATION IS OUT TO HELP EVERYONE. I BELIEVE THE

OFFICERS AROUND THE NATION SHOULD SEND IN A MAGAZINE ARTICLE TO LET THE OTHERS

KNOW WHAT THEIR CHAPTER DOES.

Test your career

knowledge in our

online quizzes.

to comment on articles and submit story ideas.

Kim Newsom

Submit your best chapter activities to be shared in the

Editor’s Blog

WEB POLL

What FFA event will you be attending this summer?

Vote online at

FFA Volume 55 Number 5

The magazine of the National FFA OrganizationNEW HORIZONS®

JULIE WOODARD Editorial Director KIM NEWSOM Editor JOYCE CARUTHERS Copy Editor JESSY YANCEY Editorial Assistant ANDREA BLOOM, CAROL COWAN, Contributing Writers CHRIS HAYHURST, RAVEN PETTY KEITH HARRIS Creative Director JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT, Staff Photographers ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, BRIAN McCORD NATASHA LORENS Production Director CHRISTINA CARDEN Assistant Production Director HAZEL RISNER Pre-Press Coordinator MELISSA HOOVER, JILL WYATT Production Project Managers LAURA GALLAGHER, VIKKI WILLIAMS Senior Graphic Designers CANDICE HULSEY, AMY NELSON Graphic Designers MEGHANN CAREY, SARAH MILLER, Ad Traffic PATRICIA MOISAN GARY SMITH Distribution Director SHAWN DANIEL Web Design Director ANDY HARTLEY Web Project Manager RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ Web Designers CORY MITCHELL Color Imaging Technician KRISTY MEYER, AMBER STRIEGEL FFA Communications RAY LANGEN Executive Vice President CARLA H. THURMAN Sr. V.P./Sales CASEY E. HESTER Sr. V.P./Operations MARK FORESTER V.P./Visual Content TEREE CARUTHERS V.P./Editorial Director JEFFREY S. OTTO Photography Director BETH MURPHY Custom Advertising Sales Manager KATHLEEN ERVIN Marketing Director KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JOHN LACEY Integrated Media Managers PATTI CORNELIUS Custom Sales Support

For advertising information, contact Kimberly Johnson, (800) 333-8842, ext. 277, or e-mail [email protected].

National FFA Officers ZACH KINNE, MO President BECKY SULLIVAN, KS Secretary TYLER TENBARGE, IN Eastern Region Vice President MORGAN PARKER, CO Central Region Vice President BRADY REVELS, FL Southern Region Vice President KARI BOETTCHER, OR Western Region Vice President

National FFA Staff LARRY CASE National Advisor, Chief Executive Officer STEVE BROWN Executive Secretary DOUG LOUDENSLAGER Chief Operating Officer MARION FLETCHER National Treasurer MARK CAVELL, DALE CRABTREE, Division Directors TOM KAPOSTASY, JANET MALONEY, DENNIS SARGENT, KENT SCHESCKE, VICKI SETTLE, LEE ANNE SHILLER, TONY SMALL, BILL STAGG, WILL WAIDELICH

National FFA Board of Directors – Members LARRY CASE Chair, USDE, VA STEVE BROWN Secretary, USDE, VA MARION FLETCHER Treasurer, State Supervisor, AR ROBERT B. CALVIN Agiculture Teacher/USDE, MO THOMAS DORMODY Teacher Educator/USDE, NM DENNIS FISCUS State Supervisor, AZ STEVE GASS State Supervisor, TN IKE KERSHAW State Supervisor, OH JASON LARISON Agriculture Teacher/USDE, KS JOEL LARSEN State Supervisor, MN

Subscription Information:FFA New Horizons (ISSN 1069-806X) is published Feb., April, June, Aug., Oct. and Dec. by the National FFA Organization, 6060 FFA Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46268-0960. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art or any other unsolicited materials. For subscription information contact: FFA New Horizons Subscription Services, (317) 802-4235 or e-mail [email protected]. Periodical postage rate is paid at Indianapolis, Ind., and additional mail offices.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to FFA New Horizons, P.O. Box 68960, Indianapolis, IN 46268-0960.

C U S TO M M A G A Z I N E M E D I A

Copyright© 2008 by the National FFA Organizationand Journal Communications Inc.

The National FFA Organization is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

On the CoverAshley Travis, Bakersfield, Calif. Photo By Brian McCord

14 17 20

1FFA NEW HORIZONSFFANEWHORIZONS.ORG

JUNE 2008 Contents

8

4 cover story

Best in ShowVirginia member earns livestock ribbons, learns life skills

Grab Life by the ReinsAshley Travis shows no fear when training horses, cattle and buffalo

2 ScrapbookRead news, jokes and more.

12 FFA FacesWin a Chevy T-shirt.

14 Healthy LifestylesEncourage diversity and win an award.

16 Your MoneyKeep good records for your SAE.

17 What’s HotHave a seat in the new soy-friendly cars.

18 National Officer Q & AMeet Vice President Morgan Parker.

20 What’s OnGrow plants with NASA’s lunar growth chamber.

Why did the farmer plant seeds in a pond? He wanted to grow watermelons.

Myriah Morris Fairhope, Ala.

What do cows do in a barn all day? Listen to moo-sic.

Anna and Alice BeckmanAshville, Ohio

Just Joking

Milk ItStudents and

faculty at West

Hancock High School

in Iowa are enjoying

healthier snacks,

thanks to a milk

machine that arrived

in August 2006. Local

FFA members lobbied

for the machine to be

placed in the school

and the proceeds to

go to the FFA chapter.

Now, nearly two

years later, the

project is still going

strong. Agriculture

teacher Paul Hauge

says the chapter has

made $3,000 to $5,000

so far this year.Breaking Ground

When tornadoes devastated

Enterprise High School in Alabama

– including the agriscience department,

greenhouses and other facilities – on

March 1, 2007, Enterprise FFA members

and their advisor, Alan Waters, wondered

how they’d bounce back. The deadly

twister not only hit the school, where

eight students lost their lives, but also

affected the entire community.

In true FFA spirit, Waters and his

students made the most of the terrible

situation. They planted a fall garden –

complete with cabbage, turnips, onions

and broccoli – all the while learning

about irrigating, fertilizing, harvesting

and even preparing the vegetables.

ffanewhorizons.org

Have a good one? Submit your favorite jokes at ffanewhorizons.org.

2 FFA NEW HORIZONS FFANEWHORIZONS.ORG

FFA scrapbook Express yourself

FYIYOUR TURN

Keep us informed!

This is your chance to

be a part of FFA New

Horizons. Send us a

short article about

your latest chapter

activities, awards

you’ve received or

even your involvement

outside FFA.

Be sure to include

a high-quality color

photo and your

contact information.

Want an easy way to

send your story? Visit

ffanewhorizons.org

and click on Tell Us.

Or, send to:

FFA New Horizons

P.O. Box 68960

Indianapolis, IN 46268

[email protected]

Standing Up for RecyclingFFA member Brianna Bake of St. Pauls, N.C., is a strong believer in recycling.

She promotes it so much, in fact, that she lobbied her local town’s

board of commissioners to create a better recycling program for

their community.

Brianna wants the town to build a site where residents can drop off

cans, bottles and newspapers so they can be taken to larger recycling

centers in nearby towns. The board was impressed by Brianna’s

initiative and gave her the go-ahead to present to local groups about

recycling. Way to go, Brianna!

The Las Cruces FFA chapter in Las Cruces, N.M., has a new sign in the agriculture classroom. One of their members designed and painted the unique mural in FFA colors.

Back in BusinessAfter 40 years without an agricultural education program,

the FFA program at Faulkton High School in Faulkton, S.D., is back!

A survey conducted among students confirmed

agricultural education the top pick. The survey asked students

which new classes they would want to have in the school.

“I am very excited about the opening of a new program

because so many are being cut,” says first-year agriculture

teacher Sarah Stratmeyer.

Stratmeyer says the students have new supplies including

a SawStop table saw, four new welders and a plasma cutter.

“We are just taking it as it comes, and we are very lucky

to have great support from families, communities and

administration,” she says.


Cover Story

Just one student in a class full of

overachievers, Ashley Travis,

at first glance, might not stand

out. In many ways, she’s a lot like

the other top-notch students in the

prestigious North High agriculture

program in Bakersfield, Calif., – smart,

ambitious and, most of all, tireless.

But according to her FFA

advisor, Chris Dickson, she’s also a

bit understated. Or, that is, she was.

“I remember Ashley as a

freshman,” Dickson recalls. “She was

this very quiet girl. She was focused,

but I guess I really didn’t notice it

right away. She just quietly kept a

4.0 GPA and quietly took the rigorous

advanced placement courses.”

Dickson adds, “But now she’s really

come alive. She’s a lot more confident

than she was as a freshman. These

days, anytime we need something,

Ashley jumps at the chance.”

AFRAID OF NOTHING

When you talk to Ashley about

her high school career, one thing is

obvious: She’s afraid of nothing. And

while she may have kept a low

profile in her early days in FFA,

behind the scenes Ashley took

life by the reins – literally.

“I love rodeo,” Ashley says,

“and I’ve been riding horses since

I was a kid. When we moved here to

Bakersfield before my freshman

year, everyone was telling me to

enter the local rodeo, so I did. But

before I could compete, I needed to

train my horse.”

With that in mind, Ashley talked

to a professional trainer at Imperial

Ranch, a horse training, breeding and

boarding facility in nearby Shafter.

“I brought in my horse, but she

couldn’t do what I needed her to do,”

Ashley says. “So I used one of his,

and things went well.”

Spending all that time around

a professional horseman, Ashley

eventually got to thinking – this

work was pretty cool.

“So one day I just asked him if

he could use some help, and he gave

me a job,” she explains. “He put me

to work cleaning stalls, saddling,

Grabbing Life bythe ReinsFFA member Ashley Travis shows no

fear when training horses, cattle and buffalo

North High FFA member Ashley Travis found her dream job at imperial ranch in bakersfield.



Story by Chris Hayhurst Photography by Brian McCord

Riding the horses and teaching them the proper reining techniques are some of ashley’s favorite tasks. She also cleans, brushes and saddles the horses.

Cover Story

washing and brushing the horses.

And I eventually progressed to

riding the colts, starting the 2-

year-olds, and showing. I basically

became an assistant trainer – his

right-hand ‘man.’ Whatever needed

to be done, I did it.”

NOT QUITE HARD WORK

While there’s no doubt her job,

which she juggles with school and

FFA, takes a considerable amount

of time and effort, Ashley refuses

to call it hard work.

“It’s a passion I have,” she says.

“So yes, it’s work, but it isn’t hard –

it’s fun. When I go to work, I have

fun. I’m doing what I love to do.”

Fortunately for Ashley, she’s

been able to apply her time at

Imperial Ranch to her supervised

agricultural experience program

(SAE) in equine science.

“There’s a lot of hands-on

breeding work,” Ashley says. “It’s

a huge process prepping the mare,

getting the stallion ready and doing

the artificial insemination. And

then there’s the foaling, which we

also do. Plus I’m riding and working

the horses, training them to cut.”

Cutting, explains Ashley,

involves using a horse to get one

cow to part from its herd – a handy

skill to have on a cattle ranch.

“We use buffalo for the

training,” she explains. “The cattle

figure out your game so fast that

within three weeks they won’t do it

anymore. The buffalo don’t figure it

out. They think it’s fun. So we teach

horses cow sense with buffalo.”

If the buffalo are slow, Ashley

is anything but. In 2006, she was

recognized at the 79th National FFA

Convention as one of four national

finalists for the equine science

placement proficiency award.

Meanwhile, says Ashley, she

used one of her classes – agricultural

biotechnology – to study endome-

triosis, a condition which afflicted

some of Imperial Ranch’s mares.

“They weren’t getting

pregnant,” she says. “It turns out,

they had this bacteria inside the

uterus that would basically kill the

fetus. I went out and cultured the

horses, sent the cultures to a lab,

collected data, and wrote a paper

about it.”

A true scholar, Ashley enjoyed

her agricultural business

management class and represented

her chapter as its FFA sentinel.

“She’s been a great role model,”

says Dickson. “She’s not only been a

leader in FFA, but she’s also shown

how it’s possible to take your passion

to the next level. She could have just

learned to train horses, and that

would have been great. But she chose

to go further than that. That’s not

something you see very often. She

took that next step.”

A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION

These days, Ashley attends

California Polytechnic State

University (Cal Poly) in San Luis

Obispo. There, she is studying

equine reproduction while

majoring in animal science with

an agricultural business minor.

“I want to open up a breeding

barn,” says Ashley, “maybe here in

California. That’s my goal – to have

my own ranch.”


Ashley saddles a horse at imperial ranch before practicing her riding skills.



in ShowStory by Chris Hayhurst

Photography by Ian Curcio

Brandon Reeves raises show steers on his family’s cattle farm in swoope, va.

Brandon Reeves earns livestock ribbons, learns life skills

Best

If livestock judging is your thing,

here’s a little warning: Facing

off against a team with Brandon

Reeves is not going to be pleasant.

Not that Brandon’s a bad guy.

In fact, he’s amazing. He’s also really

friendly. At Buffalo Gap High School

in Swoope, Va., where Brandon is

a senior and the president of his

FFA chapter, all the students

think he’s great.

“He gets along with everybody,”

says Shirley Kaufman, his advisor.

“I don’t know a single person who

doesn’t like him.”

So what’s the deal? Why is he to

be feared? Well, let’s put it this way.

Should you meet Brandon at a

competition, your chances of

winning – no matter how good you

are – drop like a load of cow manure.

He’s that good. And he’s not there to

take second.

STRONG ROOTS

Brandon, of course, would laugh

at all this. He’s about as modest

as they come. He does admit to a

competitive streak, but he’s really

just in it for fun.

“He’s a great leader and

an awesome team player,” says

Kaufman, who has known Brandon

since he was 9 years old, when she

coached him in 4-H.

When his FFA team from Buffalo

Gap won the 2005 National FFA

Livestock Evaluation Career

Development Event (CDE) in

Louisville, Ky., Kaufman says that

Brandon really stepped up to the

plate. But then, just as quickly, he

stepped down.

“He was high individual, but

he made sure it wasn’t about him,”

she says. “And that’s always the

way it is with Brandon. The team

is always first.”

Raised on a 1,500-head cattle

farm in nearby Mount Solon, Va.,

Brandon and his sister, Laura Kate,

took to the livestock trade early,

starting their own show cattle

business – which Brandon

eventually used for his supervised

agricultural experience program

(SAE) – in 2002.

Brandon says he works with his show cattle daily to help calm and train them for upcoming livestock shows.


“We bought 15 heifers from my

dad and grandpa,” he says, “then

bred them and raised their calves.”

The learning curve for the

siblings was steep.

“We started out not knowing

a whole lot about the show cattle

business,” he says. “But as we’ve

gone along we’ve gotten more

experience and produced better

cattle, and we’ve kind of developed

our own little market.”

Brandon and Laura Kate sell

many of their heifers and some

steers to locals in the 4-H program.

Others are shipped out of state.

He and his sister work well

together, Brandon says, and it’s

a good thing. There’s too much to

do for just one person.

“It’s a big responsibility,” he

explains. “You have to feed your

animals twice a day, and you have

to make sure they don’t get sick.

Sometimes you have to bottle-feed

the calves. You halter break them in

July and August and spend a lot of

time with them there. You’re really

with them every step of the way.”

“It’s great to share everything –

the whole experience – with my

sister,” he adds. “It’s also really

handy because when I’m not around,

it’s nice to know that she’ll get

everything done.”

Brandon thinks his livestock

judging experience has helped

him make good decisions for his

business – especially when it comes

to breeding stock.

“By going around and judging,

you can see what works and what

doesn’t,” Brandon says. “I’ve really

learned to appreciate quality.”

ALL HARD WORK

Needless to say, the work has

paid off. In the last several years, as

the business has thrived, Brandon

has won a lengthy list of awards and

accolades. He’s taken state honors in

Virginia’s FFA agricultural sales

and agricultural business

management CDEs.

In 2007, he was named the

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation

Outstanding Young Agriculturalist

and, as part of his 4-H team, won

the National 4-H Livestock Judging

Competition. Winning big at

livestock judging events has twice

qualified Brandon to compete

internationally. He went to Scotland

after the 2005 FFA nationals, and is

going back in 2008 thanks to 4-H.

Brandon is also an excellent

student, Kaufman says, noting

his membership in the National

Honor Society.

“He’s a good test-taker, enrolled

in AP classes and highly recruited

by colleges,” she says. “He does well

in almost everything he does. And

he’s a great role model.”

Kaufman says other students

can learn much from Brandon and

the way he’s handled himself over

the years, from his days as a novice

in 4-H to his amazing senior year.

“Brandon has shown there

are lots of opportunities out there,”

Kaufman says. “He’s demonstrated

you can be successful at anything

you put your mind to. It’s never been

a cakewalk for him. Everything he’s

done, he’s worked hard for.”

Brandon wouldn’t argue with

that, but he’s quick to point out

that he’s also been pretty lucky.

“I’ve been surrounded with

really good people,” he explains.

“My coaches, my parents and

grandparents have all helped me

to get to where I’m at now. They’ve

spent a lot of time with both my

sister and me explaining what good

cattle look like. They’ve really given

me a good start and pushed me in

the right direction. I’ve worked

hard, but I couldn’t have done it

without them.”

So what’s next? At this point,

Brandon says, he’s not sure. He does

know it will involve school – he’s

traveled to several colleges and

universities with his father – and

that it will also involve cattle.

“I can’t say exactly where my

career is going,” Brandon says. “I do

know that whether it’s full time or

part time, I’ll always keep cows and

raise show cattle. It’s just something

I love to do.”

Brandon credits his grandfather, Earl Reeves, and father, Robbie Reeves, for teaching him about cattle.

ffanewhorizons.org

Click on In This Issue for tips on starting a livestock SAE.


– Andrea Bloom

Vance BrownChapter: Little Lions FFA

Emily HelmsChapter: Wall FFA

A high school senior, Emily has been involved in several FFA

activities to gain career skills. Through her poultry production

SAE, Emily raises layers and sells the eggs locally. She has also

participated in the agronomy and range judging CDEs. Emily plans

to attend South Dakota State University to major in agronomy

and range management.

This high school sophomore grew up on his family’s swine

operation and has now developed his supervised agricultural

experience program (SAE) by specializing in swine breeding. He

participates in many community service activities and recently

worked with local farmers to identify hazards on their farms to

aid first responders in emergency situations.

Kera GiampaoloChapter: Eureka FFA

Kera, a high school senior, has developed an impressive SAE

during her FFA career. She raises market lambs and steers and

shows them at local and state fairs. She also enjoys trail riding

and barrel racing. Kera shares her experience and expertise with

younger kids and helps them prepare for livestock shows by

teaching them to fit their own show calves.

Aaron ThesingChapter: Holmen FFA

Shilyn GuthrieChapter: Tonganoxie FFA

Shilyn first joined FFA to take part in the livestock evaluation CDE.

As a high school senior, Shilyn has participated in many CDEs and

exhibits cattle and sheep at local and state shows. She served as

chapter treasurer and earned her Greenhand, Chapter and State

FFA degrees. Shilyn plans to become a registered nurse and work

in pediatrics.

This college freshman used his FFA experiences to set goals for

himself and his SAE. He served as a chapter officer for three years

and earned his State FFA Degree. In 2006, he became the youngest

cranberry marsh owner in Wisconsin. He is currently majoring in

horticulture and plans to expand his cranberry business into a

commercial enterprise.

Georgia PevyChapter: Grand Ridge Middle School FFA

As a seventh-grader, Georgia has already participated in many

FFA events, including the forestry and parliamentary procedure

career development events (CDE) and the Opening and Closing

Ceremonies contest. She is the president of her chapter, shows

market hogs at the local fair, and hopes to build upon her

leadership skills as she continues her FFA career.

FL

PA SD

Matt NashChapter: Marked Tree FFA

As a high school senior, Matt enjoys the career skills he gained

through FFA. With his chapter, he built chicken coops and a

greenhouse. Matt was selected as his school’s outstanding

agricultural education student in 2006 and is the current chapter

president. Matt works on his cousin’s cotton farm and plans to

eventually start his own cotton operation.

AR

CA

WI KS

Win a Chevrolet T-ShirtChevrolet, the sponsor of FFA Faces, will award

a T-shirt to featured members. Nominate

yourself or a fellow FFA member by sending

us the following details about the nominee:

name, grade, address, FFA and academic

achievements, interests, and extracurricular

activities. To be considered, submissions

must include a high-quality color photo.

Send to:

FFA New Horizons

P.O. Box 68960, Indianapolis, IN 46268

Or e-mail to [email protected]


FFA Faces Members in action

Former FFA H.O. Sargent Award recipient teaches tolerance, understanding

We’re AllUniqueT

he student body at Vanguard

High School in Ocala, Fla., is a

pretty diverse group of kids.

Not only will you find racial and

economic diversity at Vanguard –

you’ll also find a mix of rural and

urban students whose life experiences

and everyday activities differ based

on where they live.

Longtime FFA member and recent

high school graduate Wesley Hunter

didn’t want anyone at his school to be

left out of agricultural education just

because he or she didn’t live on a farm.

So he helped students from both urban

and rural areas get hands-on

agricultural experience, regardless of

where they lived, by developing nontra-

ditional FFA supervised agricultural

experience programs (SAEs).

During his senior year, Wes

mentored about 30 students a semester

in aquaculture, horticulture and

small animal projects.

“We had chickens, geckos,

rabbits, fish, even a cockatiel in the

classroom,” he says. “I helped the less

experienced students do research and

find resources, and I helped mentor

them in all the details of bringing

an animal to show at the fair.”

In his community, Wes helped

get people from different Christian

and other people? Diversity implies

understanding and valuing our

differences in order that all our

lives may be enriched.

The H.O. Sargent Award, a

core program of the National FFA

Organization, encourages members

to initiate activities promoting

diversity in agricultural education

and FFA.

Some activities that qualify for

the H.O. Sargent program include:

students to show livestock.

recruitment program that might

appeal to a wide variety of students.

campaigns, such as NFA Week.

different groups.

To learn more about the

H.O. Sargent Award or to apply,

visit ffa.org and click on Award

– Carol Cowan

WEsley Hunter received $500 and a plaque as the 2007 H.O. Sargent Winner.

denominations together to raise

scholarship money for local

youth. And he participated in a

horsemanship group that included

riders of all ages, from little kids

to senior citizens, teaching and

learning from one another. For his

efforts, Wes was named the 2007 FFA

H.O. Sargent Diversity Award winner.

You’ve probably heard the word

“diversity” a million times, but how

many of us realize the concept goes

beyond just recognizing or tolerating

the differences between ourselves


FFA healthy lifestyles Being inclusive

Tips for keeping good SAE recordsNoteTake

A good grade is just one of

the benefits FFA members

stand to gain from their

supervised agricultural experience

programs (SAEs).

Another is the opportunity to

explore a career and practice the

real-world activities that go with

it – including (sigh) record keeping.

It’s no secret that documenting

SAEs with pages of records isn’t

most members’ favorite part of the

process. But, believe it or not, that’s

part of the SAE learning concept.

Advisor Nyle Russell from

Payson High School in Payson, Utah,

created an electronic Utah state FFA

record book and attaches a lot of

importance to record keeping.

He says, “The better records we

can keep, the better off we’ll be in all

aspects of our lives.”

ELECTRONIC RECORD BOOKS

Students have it far easier

since electronic record books

came on the scene, Russell says.

They are probably the key factor

in successful SAE documentation.

For instance, instead of writing the

same information over and over on

different forms, once information

is entered electronically, it can be

transferred from page to page,

formatted for different award

applications, safely stored,

and easily accessed.

But for many students, the

process breaks down long before

they enter their data into a computer.

The critical step of collecting project

data is often the hardest one.

DATA COLLECTION TOOLS

Hedj Nelson, hog farmer and

owner/operator of Columbia View

Orchard in Kettle Falls, Wash., uses

a few simple tools – notebooks,

receipt files and calendars – to

collect the information that keeps

his operation’s records on track.

“I have a notebook for chemical

spraying, because you have to keep

track of the day, the time, the

weather conditions, what chemical

you sprayed. I keep my notebook

with me, and I always write things

down right away,” he says. “If you

don’t, you’ll forget. You always

think, ‘I’ll write it down tomorrow,’

but you never do. And the longer

you wait, the less you remember.”

Entrepreneurship SAEs call for

analysis of a business’s financial

success. Nelson’s expense records,

and the cash register receipts he

totals at the end of each business

day, show his profits and losses.

“As far as taxes, you want to

keep records of all your expenses

for write-offs,” Nelson adds. “Again,

I keep a notebook with me, and I

just write it down every time I

buy something.”

“At the end of the year, I just

hand the accountant all my itemized

records, and all he has to do is fill in

the numbers,” he explains.

Likewise, as with many SAE

components, some responsibilities

on the Nelson farm have to be done

on a schedule.

“I probably keep more records

for the pigs than I do for the orchard,”

Nelson says. He uses a calendar to

keep track of shots, breeding cycles

and so on.

YOUR CRITICAL ACTION

“The crucial step for [students]

is to write [data] down immediately,”

Russell urges. “If they wait three

months and then go to update their

record book, they’ve forgotten things.”

So, take a few minutes to put

things to paper as they happen.

It will make a huge difference in

whether your SAE record keeping

is painless or a royal pain.

– Carol Cowan


FFA your money SAE Records

Soy Anything! Soybeans are everywhere. The agricultural

commodity is used for candles, paints, beauty

products and even fuel, in addition to its

traditional use as food. And now, it’s in

automobile interiors. Recently, Ford Motor Co.

announced that seats for the new 2008 Ford

Mustangs contain a soy-based flexible foam.

This breakthrough follows seven years of

research and collaboration between Ford Motor

Co. and the United Soybean Board, which

manages the soybean checkoff program.

Now, they are looking to add the soy-

based seating to more Ford vehicles and

increase the percentage of soy versus

the standard petroleum-based

polyol. To learn more about

soybeans, visit

www.unitedsoybean.org.

In the VaultFreezing seeds seems to be the new way to protect the future

of agriculture. Scientists from around the world are working

together to build the Svaldbard International Seed Vault, located

in a mountain near the North Pole. Their goal is to protect

agriculture from the threat of nuclear attack and diseases

from global warming. The vault opens winter 2008. For more

information and photos, visit ffanewhorizons.org.

PHO

TO C

OU

RTES

Y O

F M

ARI T

EFRE

/GLO

BAL

CRO

P DI

VERS

ITY

TRU

ST


Cool stuff to know FFA What's hot

ParkerMorgan

National FFA Central Region Vice President

Hailing from Limon, Colo., Morgan Parker

has had a very unique FFA experience. As a

high school sophomore, he became a charter

member of the Limon FFA Chapter. In his

chapter’s inaugural year, he served as an

officer and planned the annual banquet.

And now, a few short years later, he’s your

national central region vice president.

Q What was the most challenging part

of starting a brand-new FFA chapter?

A Explaining agricultural education and

FFA to people who had never heard of it

was difficult, especially when I didn’t

know a whole lot myself! Working together

with other students, community supporters

and school administration made the

chartering possible – we are so fortunate!

Q Do you have any tips that could help

any chapter increase membership –

whether it’s a fairly new chapter or one

that’s been around for many years?

A Growing membership is about showing

students that FFA is fun and valuable.

Whether it’s chapter trips,

scholarships, career development events,

career possibilities, or leadership and

communication skills gained, FFA has

something to offer everyone. Don’t be afraid

to think outside of the box. Something new

and exciting is always great!

Q Why do you think the H.O. Sargent

Award is such an important part of

the FFA awards program?

A The H.O. Sargent Award program

recognizes that FFA members are

unique and rewards those who create

opportunities for all the members and

promote diversity within their communities.

Learning from and working with people who

are different from us helps us all grow and

strengthen our organization!

Q What are some of your favorite

summer activities?

A Summer is meant for county fairs, lake

trips, iced coffee, and hanging out with

friends and family!

ffanewhorizons.org

Click on In This Issue to learn more about Morgan and his teammates.

FYIMORGAN’S FAVORITES

This Colorado native enjoys snow skiing,and his friends say he’s unique because he lives in his own musical. More of Morgan’s favorites include:

Smell: Fresh rain

CDE: Parliamentary

procedure

Vacation spot: Europe

Color: Kansas

State purple

Hobby: Singing

and playing piano

FFA Memory:

National Chorus

Fruit:

Banana


FFA National Officer Q & A

Plants From Space

In the coming years, plant

growth will be an important

part of space exploration –

especially in NASA’s plans

to return to the moon.

But with a new NASA

program, you can learn about

plants in space right here in

your own back yard. NASA’s

plant growth chamber project

allows you to design your own

lunar module, then conduct

research on cinnamon basil

seeds that have actually fl own

in space! Visit www.nasa.gov

and search “lunar plant

growth chamber.”

Tales From the Road

Want to know where the

2007-08 National FFA Offi cers

have been? Visit their blogs at

www.ffa.org, where each offi cer

shares stories from the road,

posts photos of their favorite

experiences and often gives a

quick motivational thought.

You can even fi nd out how

to contact the National FFA

Offi cers to ask them questions

about their exciting experiences

this year.

web blogs


FFA What's on media buzz

Documents

June 2008, FFA New Horizons