By Cassime Joseph
This year’s convention was a vital gathering for FFA, the first in-person since the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of the conference was not just to award members’ talents, such as public speaking, quiz bowl, and agriculture knowledge, but also to show camaraderie, teamwork, leadership, discipline, and networking among the self-described “extraordinary” teens.
One of those remarkable teens, 19-year-old District 17 President Collin Ochsner from Kersey, showed gratitude in every answer he gave. Ochsner won the State Star Farmer award during the convention for his hard work and dedication to his family farm and the registered cows and cow horses he shows.
Being in the FFA for five years, Ochsner understood that looking in someone’s eye when speaking is essential. One of the challenges of being in the FFA, Ochsner said, is if you are not into hard work, you won’t be successful.
“In the last four years, I have already logged in 6500 hours of labor,” he said. “I also judge over 12 agriculture events.”
Ochsner pointed out that the FFA is not just for, in his words, “sows and plows.” Instead, he said, it can broaden horizons outside the traditional farm.
Founded in 1928, the Future Farmers of America brought together students, teachers, and agribusiness to solidify support for agricultural education. According to the Colorado FFA website, the youth leadership organization makes a positive difference in the lives of young people by developing their potential for premier leadership. The FFA Motto is “Learning to Do/Doing to Learn/Earning to Live/Living to Serve.” FFA members can compete in career development events that cover job skills such as public speaking. Some events allow students to compete as individuals, while others will enable them to compete in teams. These competitions can happen at the local, district, state and national levels.
Ochsner plans to go to school at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, next year to study agricultural science with an emphasis on business. He hopes to own a few agriculture businesses, some day.
FFA is not just for students who want to be production farmers; it also welcomes members who aspire to careers such as teachers, doctors, scientists, business owners and more. For this reason, the organization’s name was updated in 1988 after a vote of national convention delegates to reflect the growing diversity and new opportunities in the agriculture industry.
