No "Us", No "Them"... Only "We"

This past week, any work I was doing with the AGvocate program had to be put on hold for my other job with the Virginia FFA Association. I recently took a new position as the State Officer Coordinator, in which I manage the travel, activities and personal growth of the Virginia State FFA Officer team.

2012-2013 Virginia FFA State Officer Team

Last Thursday, another State Staff member and I led a bus trip with 50+ FFA members and advisors to Springfield, MA, where these students participated in the FFA CDE events at the Big E, the largest fair on the East coast. This was the first trip that I coordinated with my new position, so I was more than a little nervous about managing the hotel accommodation, making a shuttle schedule, and trying to not leave anyone behind. And of course, the night before we leave, the cold from you-know-where hit me like a ton of bricks.

However, by Saturday night, I had hit my stride and was able to fully enjoy the awards banquet. Looking around the banquet hall, you could see Virginia FFA jackets scattered among the New England and other Northeastern states. As the results were announced, cheers erupted from the crowd in support of the winners. 

But no applause was as deafening as the Banquet Chair stated that this year's Sweepstakes Winner (which is awarded to the state with most accumulated points across all contests - Ohio almost always wins) was Virginia. It was awesome to see chapters who are normally ultra-competitive with one another congratulating and cheering for each other for a job well done. In that moment, there were no individual chapters, but instead a unified feeling of pride for Virginia.

The Virginia FFA Association Group (with National Officer Cain Thurmond) after winning the
Sweepstakes Award - A first time win for Virginia!

Granted, this was not a Virginia AGvocate event, but there is a strong underlying message in what I observed this weekend.

American agriculture is lucky to have great diversity - in marketing, in products, in consumer options. However, I think this sometimes works against us when it comes to reflecting a positive image of agriculture. In an effort to promote one branch of agriculture, I often observe us publicly degrading another. We have to ask ourselves when we are having inner-industry battles of issues such as Organic vs. Conventional or Small vs. Large Scale Farming: "How does this look to the average consumer? Does this make them confident in American agriculture and it's products?"

As AGvocates, our first priority should be educating consumers in an unbiased manner. There shouldn't be an "us" vs. "them" attitude in agriculture because we are all playing for the same team. By doing this, well informed consumers will be able to better choose the agriculture products that best suit their needs and have confidence that agricultural producers care about the quality of their products.

A Worthy Investment

When I was little, my Meme would pay my brother, sister, and I to do little chores around the house -  sweep the porch, get the laundry off the line, water her flowers. When we finished the chores, we would report back to her and she would reward us with anywhere from fifty cents to a dollar (I know… high rollers). I remember being so excited to dig our empty jelly jars (a farm kid's version of a piggy bank) out from where we hid them in Meme's pantry and put our pay in them.

My brother, sister and I back in the day of saving money in old jelly jars.

However, what we did with the money after it started accumulating varied among the three of us. Once Marshall and I saved just enough money to buy a candy bar, we were ready to go to Deno’s to pick out some sweets. My sister, the youngest and perhaps the thriftiest, was the exact opposite. Madison would get out her jar sometimes just to count and organize her money. Once she was satisfied or her jar was overflowing, whichever came first, she would ask whatever adult was around to take her to the bank so she could put the money in her savings account.

As weird as this might seem for a six year old, Madison knew that saving her money meant that she could later invest it in something that would mean a lot more to her than a candy bar.

As I prepare for the first annual Virginia AGvocates Speech and Essay Scholarship contests,  I’ve been reflecting more on the concept of investing in youth. I have been the beneficiary of many scholarships, but since this program started I am now realizing just how much time, money and effort it takes to get a scholarship program off the ground. Grant writing for VDACS funding started last December, building a network of program supporters is ongoing, and drafting rules, regulations, and rubrics has been a learning experience in itself.

Time, like Madison and her money, should be spent wisely. I am so passionate about Virginia AGvocates because it is an investment in the future of the agricultural industry here in Virginia. Through these scholarship contests, students will have to research agricultural issues, interview industry leaders, and critically think about the importance of advocating for agriculture. This not only promotes agricultural education, but develops strong future leaders that can proudly represents an industry that affects each and every person.

I’d consider that a worthy investment.