Students say FFA keeps modern edge

Students from Le Mars Community School's FFA chapter work in their local test plot during a planting season. This week is National FFA Week, and the local chapter, which was started in the 1940s, is celebrating. FFA members say the organization is as relevant as ever. [Click to enlarge]

But today's members say the club is far from outdated.

"We're still a growing organization, making updates as we go," said Shawn Oetken, a junior at Le Mars Community School and officer in the local FFA chapter.

Oetken has helped out at the FFA test plot west of Le Mars on Highway 3.

"We use a variety of different corn and beans - we plant, we test for yields, we check the soil levels," he said. We keep up on the latest things the seed companies are coming out with."

It's not just planting and harvesting, sophomore Ben Schilmoeller said.

"There are more than 300 jobs in agriculture," he said, pointing out that FFA no longer stands for "Future Farmers of America" because the organization didn't want to single out farming only. The name is simply FFA.

"FFA shows us different kind of technologies we can use - biotechnology, cloning, genetics," he said.

An FFA convention actually changed his life's course. Schilmoeller had been planning to be a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officer after school, but he attended a workshop at the FFA state convention on being an agriculture teacher.

"That really pushed me over the line toward it," he said. "I'm going to be an ag teacher."

FFA also encourages lifelong skills like communication, leadership and teamwork, said junior Angie Breuer. And those qualities, she said, are timeless.

"With FFA, you're being more involved, working with people, meeting new people," she said.

"It's important because you're communicating with people, understanding where they're coming from with different opinions," Oetken added.

FFA students can attend state and national conventions and a Washington D.C. conference.

"FFA doesn't just concentrate on the farm," said FFA member Jake Conley. "It's a whole bunch of different aspects. Leadership skills are probably the main one."

He and Breuer, along with Jacob Conley, Ryan Schroeder of Remsen and Zerick Kuecker participated in the sub district leadership contest held this month at LCS, competing in public speaking events.

All four earned high honors and will move on to compete at the district contest March 7 at Okoboji.

"All of our kids advanced," said FFA advisor Brett Oetken.

These leadership contests are some of the many FFA competitions students can get involved in, including skill competitions like in agronomy, horticulture, livestock, machinery and livestock skills

Another big aspect of the Le Mars FFA chapter is community service, he noted.

"We do a lot of things at the Plymouth County Fair - we build all the picnic tables and benches, and we sponsor the king and queen contest," the advisor said. "We also run the kiddie barn and sponsor the livestock judging contest."

The FFA chapter is also working on an ongoing landscaping project around The Arts Center in Le Mars.

"There are a lot of different choices, a lot of ways to be involved" Brett Oetken said.

This year, the local FFA students are designing a toy semi-trailer with pictures of the charter members of the local FFA and then pictures of recent FFA members. They are working on the truck, a 1/64 scale, with the Le Mars Toy Store and are still hunting down pictures of the charter members in the 1940s.