I-CAL: Embrapa Dairy Research Center and Instituto do Lacticínios Cândido Tostes

Today we began our trek to Juiz de Fora bright and early, but only after doing what we have learned to do best–eating. Our hotel in Petropolis had a plethora of breads, pastries, fruits, cheeses, and ham for us to indulge on. The drive to Juiz de Fora was about two hours long and was absolutely beautiful. We were able to see a large number of Nellore cattle grazing atop and alongside the lush mountains. Alfredo informed us that most of the farms we were seeing were hobby farms owned by the big city’s doctor and lawyer types. He said that most of the places raised cattle and race horses, claiming that the altitude better conditioned the horses to have high stamina when racing.

When we finally reached our first destination of the day, Embrapa Dairy Research Center, we were welcomed with coffee, milk, juice and cheese bread. After introducing ourselves to the group that welcomed us, including a mix of researchers, program developers and administrators of the center, our new friend, Sergio, gave us an overview of the center and what projects they are focusing on worldwide. One thing that stuck out was when he said that Embrapa was placing big emphasis on education and communication to explain what it is that they do to the general public. This answered our pre-departure questions of what effort was being made in regard to agricultural advocacy in Brazil. They are even preparing a new educational exhibit for youth to show the process of dairy production from start to finish.

Embrapa supports over 70,000 jobs and in 2011 had a social profit of 8.88 billion dollars as a result of its research in agriculture ranging from entomology to conservation. While we were at the headquarter location, the company is present throughout Brazil with 47 total research centers. In dairy cattle research specifically, they have 72 researchers, 65 research assistants and 178 support staff employees. We toured the facility and had the chance to see many of these people hard at work. Throughout the introduction, we were informed of the focus on strategic tick control in their research and our first lab visit bared witness to petri dishes full of ticks that were at least half the size of a dime.

You’ll know.

At the New York State Convention I was standing there on the track surrounded by the State Officer team and hundreds of fellow FFA Members, parents and guests as we peered into the black sky.  BOOM! The first of many explosions went up into the sky and burst into thousands of tiny particles that lit up the night sky. We were witnessing one amazing fireworks show!

While we were watching, a fellow observer said, “Is this the finale, because it kind of stinks.” I laughed and replied, “When I was little I always used to ask my mom the same question-‘ Is this the finale?’ And every time I’d ask, she’d retort ‘Trust me, you’ll know’.  And she was right, so like my mom use to tell me- trust me, you’ll know.”  We continued watching until finally, BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!  The individual then looked at me and said “You’re right, I know!”

Trust me, you’ll know. As I thought more about the concept, it really is applicable to a lot of things in life. We are faced with decisions, choices and/or when something is the right time. And although we have those feelings of oh this could be it much like various times watching a fireworks show, a moment will come when BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!  It will all make sense, and you’ll just KNOW.

If you are deciding what class to take, what major to have, what school to attend, or what it is you want to do with the rest of your life, take a deep breath.  Be patient, because trust me, you’ll know.

- Lindsey Anderson, National FFA Western Region Vice President

I-CAL: The group’s first day in Brazil

For the next two weeks, participants in the 2013 International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program will be blogging about their travels in Brazil.  Check back often, as they’ll be sharing some great insights from their trip along with some amazing photos! 

We started our journey of Brazil with an action packed day touring museums and eating way too much good food! We arrived at the airport in Rio de Janeiro at 6 a.m. Sunday morning. The weather was unusually cool for a fall morning in Brazil and of course we expected the humidity. We were greeted by our local hosts and translators, Alfredo and Marsha from the U.S. Grains Council. We are extremely excited to spend our time in Brazil with them and are grateful for their expertise and humor.  After loading up our bus for the week we drove to Petropolis where we stopped for breakfast at Pavelka before we got into town. The group ordered sampler platters of fresh breads, meats, cheeses, sausage and papaya.

We toured the Imperial Museum located in Petropolis. The Imperial Museum was once the summer home to Brazil’s royal family. It was neat to see the rich history and the influence of other cultures in the design of the home. We enjoyed touring the gardens and watching folk dancers perform in the courtyard outside of the palace. We made a quick stop at a Catholic Cathedral just as Sunday Mass was concluding. The church’s architecture was breathtaking and set an example of the large role of Catholicism has played in Brazil’s history.

The group then had lunch at Bordeaux, a French restaurant set in a rustic refurbished horse stable. The restaurant was on the grounds of a historic house built with seven architectural errors. Lunch was extravagant and gave us a taste of the European influence on food in Brazil. The group could choose from bacon wrapped filet mignon or fish filet with authentic French side dishes and desert.

After eating lunch we toured the Bohemia Beer Museum of Brazil. We were all surprised to learn about the history and process of beer production in Brazil. We ate, once again, at an Italian restaurant with the choice of a pizza buffet, pasta dishes, or salad and soup. It is time to call it a night so we can rest up for another Brazilian adventure tomorrow!

P.S.  We may be coming home with a couple stray dogs! They seem particularly attracted to American tourists and love to pose for pictures.

By Laura Gorecki (University of Nebraska – Lincoln) and Jenna Vculek (North Dakota State University)

I-CAL participants kick off trip to Brazil

For the next two weeks, participants in the 2013 International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program will be blogging about their travels in Brazil.  Check back often, as they’ll be sharing some great insights from their trip along with some amazing photos! 

During our day of training, I-CAL participants from across the country did mental push-ups and squats as we prepared for the experience of a lifetime!  For the next ten days we will push ourselves out of comfort zones to learn about international agriculture and Brazilian markets.  We couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity to discover everything from floriculture to dairy, and coffee to international trade in Brazil! 

The day started off with a warm welcome from National FFA staff members, Ryan Amaral and Lindsey Calhoun.  We segued into a quick quiz about Brazil testing our knowledge of the country from the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to Brazilian real, which is $1=1.9 reals, to the Portuguese language.  We also heard from Anne Zaczek, the U.S. Grains Council Manager of Global Development Programs about the U.S. Grains Council and recent events such as the 2012 Export Conference held in Minneapolis, Minnesota and a new program gaining speed in Tanzania, Africa!  The rest of the day we listened to each other’s presentations about all of the different aspects of Brazilian agriculture, and set goals and expectations for our journey.  We also spent some time discovering Brazilian history.

We feel well-prepared as our adventure with the National FFA Organization and U.S. Grains Council to South America takes-off tomorrow at 5:30p.m.!

By Ana Schweer
South Dakota State University

I-CAL: The journey begins

And we are off…

The day we all had been waiting for had finally arrived. After several months of planning and preparing, it was time to cross the Caribbean Sea to our anticipated destination- Brazil.

Group leader, Lindsey Calhoun, said it best that morning when she said, “I can’t believe the day is finally here.”

The group spent the afternoon in Midtown Miami purchasing last minute items and exploring the city’s shops. For lunch, we ate at Five Guys Burgers and Yogoberry. A first time taste for some I-CAL members.

Anticipation and nerves rose as we boarded the shuttle from the Holiday Inn to the Miami International Airport. With passports and boarding passes in hand, we handed over our luggage and prepared to pass through security. While standing in line, Florida Senator, Marco Rubio, passed our group, and Clint got Rubio’s signature on the back of his boarding pass.

We boarded the American Airlines plane and snuggled in for our five hour plane ride to Manaus, Brazil. The group watched the red colored sunset through side windows as we dined on either a turkey sandwich or taco salad. The rest of the flight was filled with movie watching and much needed rest for the adventures that lied ahead.

We hit the landing strip in Manaus at 10:30 p.m. and after a short wait in the customs line we all added a stamp to our passports. Brazil, we finally made it! Next stop: Rio de Janiero.

What would the world look like without Moms?

Answer: A disaster!

Kids would show up to school with crust on their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! And no one would have clean underwear. It would be complete chaos. A lot of babies would be aching for a bedtime story. FFA members might not make it to CDE practice on time. There wouldn’t be enough hugs. We’d have only half as many wonderful people in the world. Moms are best friends and role models.

She inspires. She instills the importance of education. She always wanted my life to be better than hers. She empowers me. She worked hard every day and still found it in herself to come home and smile at us. There’s never been a time in our lives when we haven’t felt supported by her. We learn so much from her. We value her, and appreciate her, and look up to her so much. We couldn’t imagine life without her.

We love our moms for reasons too numerous to count. We love them because they show us what unconditional love is. They are the most beautiful women we know. They’ve been there for us every day, every step of the way.

Moms, you mean the world to us.

Happy Mother’s  Day from all of us at National FFA!

A special message to all moms from our National FFA Officers:

“Deep in the Heart” now available on DVD

Did you miss Deep in the Heart when it was playing in theaters?

No worries. You can now pick up a copy on DVD at your local Walmart!

Deep in the Heart is the true Texas story of Richard Wallrath, whose personal demons caused him to hit rock bottom.

After losing everything – job, family, and hope – Richard Wallrath found the strength through faith that made him realize a strong family and the love of his children were the measure of a man’s success. With his sons, he went on to build a successful business and used his success to become the highest all-time individual donor to Texas 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) providing educational scholarships. This is a story of finding lost faith, love of family, and ultimately redemption.

Watch it with your FFA chapter, and let us know what you thought about it!

 

 

 

Make the most of your summer break

In this month’s video update, CEO Dwight Armstrong encourages FFA members to take advantage of learning opportunities during summer break.

Concerts and Connecting: Where does common ground come into play?

A few weeks ago, I headed down south to the land of the pines for the 85th Georgia FFA State Convention. As a music lover, one of my favorite parts is always the convention concert on Friday night. I knew the band was undoubtedly talented, but there was a question I was waiting to be answered: Will they connect with the crowd?

The Farm answered that question quickly with a hand-clappin’, beach ball-bouncin’, beautifully harmonious yes! They played covers. No, not building a fort in the living room with all the sheets in the house, but they played familiar songs. The Farm could have played their entire new album to get exposure for songs few would know; they didn’t. Sure, they threw in a few of their original pieces, but they were amidst popular tunes like “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Ring of Fire.” They hit every style from Alabama to Michael Jackson. The night became less of a performance and more of a campfire sing along where everyone could be a part of the fun. The Farm knew that creating an enjoyable experience for their audience was more important than promoting their name, so they focused on the common ground.

Who will you connect with this summer? Find the common ground. It builds trust to explore and learn from the uncommon ground.

At camp…So what if she’s from the southern part of the state and you’re from the north? Maybe he grew up on a farm and you grew up in town. Focus on the experiences you can share over the next week. Does he play basketball? Start a game of 3-on-3 before supper. Is she already going to that leadership workshop? Tag along!

On the job…You didn’t choose them, but you’re punching the clock with them for at least a few months. Find a way to make it more fun for everyone. Is he competitive? Make a menial task a game. Does she love ice cream? Go celebrate with a scoop or two at the end of each week!

With the sibs…Even if you’re still finding his legos in your backpack or wake up to her rendition of the newest One Direction hit, you’re family. This is a special time we can pour into our brothers and sisters. Read a book together and talk about what you’re learning. Does he like to run? Hit the trail with him. Is she learning to play an instrument? Sit and listen to her latest piece.

As part of the team…The great part of teams is that we all bring something to the table. We all have different ideas of what our FFA chapters should do for the next year, but what do we have in common? Is everyone passionate about the agricultural awareness day you put together for elementary school students? Spend extra time take it to the next level. Looking for ways to increase attendance at FFA meetings? Focus on what FFA members enjoy. Consider adding fun recreation after business – maybe it’s a game of capture the flag or water games. Ask them!

In his book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect,  John C. Maxwell says, “Connecting is the ability to identify with people and relate to them in a way that increases your influence with them.” The FFA Creed challenges us to “exert an influence in our home and community.” Let’s do it! Connect. Influence.

~Kalie Hall, National FFA

National FFA partners with The Agricultural Experience Tracker

We are excited to announce a new partnership with The Agricultural Experience Tracker (AET) to enhance the functionality and experience of the Agricultural Career Network (AgCN).

The partnership with the AET will improve functionality of the National FFA awards application process by providing AgCN users with an Application Management System; a calendar/program of activities; an SAE Explorer; and technical support. These features will provide user-friendly web-based applications and tools to help plan SAE programs and manage chapter activities.

The AET is a personalized online system for tracking experiences in agricultural education. It serves as a valuable tool for tracking the educational and financial experiences of students and agriculture programs. The AET summarizes those experiences into standard FFA award applications.

The partnership with the AET is one of several FFA has formed to enhance the AgCN experience. In June 2012, FFA partnered with Career Cruising and AgCareers.com to provide members with easy access to career information within selected fields of interest. Career Cruising provides online career exploration tools that lead to recommending classwork and hands-on learning opportunities while guiding members along a path tailored to their abilities. AgCareers.com helps members search for career opportunities within their particular fields of study or within selected geographic areas by providing a very robust job board.

Launched in December 2011, AgCN is a nationwide system designed to help FFA members document their educational achievements, build robust portfolios that document accomplishments, and pursue award, scholarship, internship and employment opportunities.