Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Lincoln Students Celebrate National FFA Week
Trenton R. Tash
FFA is Arkansas’ favorite association, and it teaches countless, useful skills and also gives you so many opportunities to branch off into a career or just a lifetime hobby that will never bore you.
So many people get involved, which means it’s a great way to meet different people and no telling the wide variety of information you could pick up. My personal experience with the Lincoln FFA has been very fun. It’s my most useful class. I enjoy being in both Mrs. Hale’s and Mr. Barenberg’s class. Some of my best-in-class achievements and memories are from Ag.
I would like to end this article and personal insight with a huge “Thank you” to Lincoln schools and the Ag teachers.
Mylem Glenn
FFA judging teams can be very beneficial to someone who wants to get involved in agriculture.
Judging teams can help someone find what they want to do in the future. You can join a team that you think might be interesting and go to a few practices and see if you like it. If that team does not seem like something you would like to do, then there are other options, from horse judging, poultry, forestry, flowers, and many more.
Judging teams can be very fun. You get to interact with people who are interested in the same subject that you are, and going on the trips for the team are always an adventure. I especially like going to the competitions and competing to be the best, fighting to make it to state and then to nationals to compete against the best teams and trying to be the best team there is.
Joining the teams is easy. All you have to do is just talk to one of the Ag teachers and they will tell you when the practice will be. The competitions usually start early and end late but it is a small price to pay because you get to go to the competitions and meet new people, see new places and have fun with friends.
David Murray
There are many good reasons for joining an FFA judging team. The community is one. People you meet are nice and friendly. You can meet new people and make new friends. I am on a judging team and it was a great decision because I am learning so much and just having fun. I am on the land team and it’s just fun to be around people with the same similarities.
Ag classes are better and different than normal classes too. In a normal class you are graded by sitting and studying for classes and Ag classes you are graded by what you do and make. You get a hands-on experience and learn a little about life. Ag classes are more active and less homework because you weld and do a lot of projects at school.
There are a lot of competitions and people become very competitive because everyone wants to win nationals. Everyone wants to be the best they can be, and it makes the competitions even more fun.
Nathan Hutchens
Agricultural classes are very beneficial to take. They offer a wide variety of marketable and useful skills. Many people doubt the benefit of agricultural classes because they believe all it is is farming. However, that is simply not true. There are a wide variety of classes that can be taken through the agricultural program. For instance, there are poultry classes, veterinary classes, metal classes, carpentry classes, and more.
There are a huge variety of classes that fall under agriculture that don’t have anything to do with farming or animals. Even if you don’t intend on going to an agricultural career, you can acquire some valuable skills that will certainly come in handy at some point in your life. They also teach you some quality life skills, like the value of hard work and perseverance. That’s why it is a good idea to take agricultural classes. You never know what good might come of it.
Tessa Stout & Brenda Cisneros
Showing animals through my school years, FFA has changed my life for the better. It has taught me so much about agriculture and the benefits of agricultural life. Not only has it been a great learning experience so far, but I have also made so many memories that I would not trade for the world. Showing livestock may seem like just another extracurricular activity to an outsider, but to a showman, parent, or advisor it is truly astonishing. Although placing and receiving awards is always nice, it most definitely isn’t about winning. It is about learning real life skills such as caregiving, picking quality, marketing, monitoring nutrition, etc. It’s about learning to know and train your animal.
I learned that when you start a show animal project, the first thing you learn is animal selection. Over time you learn the requirements of a good show animal and why they are the way they are. But you must keep in mind that show animals cannot train themselves and before training your animal, you must spend time with it. You have to show the animal that it can trust you just as much as you trust it.
Another big part of the show life is building relationships with your peers and the people who surround you. Showing respect for the people around you is just as important as respecting your livestock. I learned that being open-minded to others’ advice is something you must do.
This past year I have learned so much about raising, training, and showing livestock and I can honestly say I cannot wait to learn everything there is to know about the show life.