Northwest FFA students celebrate virtues of agriculture
This has been a busy week for FFA members at Northwest High School.
Grand Island Northwest teacher Jerrilynn Lyons (right) is kissed by Calle the camel with some help from Marbu Farms owner Butch Gordon on Wednesday morning during a petting zoo at the school put on as part of National FFA Week. (Independent/Barrett Stinson)
By Robert Pore, The Grand Island Independent
This has been a busy week for FFA members at Northwest High School.
As part of National FFA Week, FFA students have an activity planned each day to celebrate and educate students and faculty about the virtues of the program.
On Wednesday, FFA students sponsored a petting zoo. Last year, it was a warm February, and the event was held outside. This year, the petting zoo was in the industrial arts shop because of the cold weather, which also didn't allow for many of the baby farm animals that were present at last year's petting zoo.
Having a camel, buffalo, two horses, a goat and bulldogs in such close quarters made things a little funky. But that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the FFA students, who had an opportunity to show off their program.
Having a camel, buffalo, two horses, a goat and bulldogs in such close quarters made things a little funky. But that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the FFA students, who had an opportunity to show off their program.
This is the third year Northwest FFA students have celebrated FFA Week by sponsoring a petting zoo, said Jeff Hostler, FFA chapter vice president.
Among the activities planned for FFA Week, the petting zoo is the students' favorite, said Kendall Hostler, chapter treasurer.
"It's something that gets the whole school involved with the FFA chapter and they know what we are doing," Kendall said.
Having a camel and buffalo on campus is out of the ordinary for Northwest High School.
"It is not one of the things that you see every day," Kendall said.
"It's showing what the animals are and what they can be like around people," Jeff said.
Jeff and Kendall live on a working farm, and being around livestock is second nature to them, though you don't see too many camels on Nebraska farms.
Although Northwest High School is a rural school, about 90 percent of its students are urban kids. Many are not all that familiar with the workings of the farms and ranches that literally border the school.
One of the aims of FFA students during their special week is to edify their fellow students that, without agriculture, there would not be much to Grand Island.
One of the aims of FFA students during their special week is to edify their fellow students that, without agriculture, there would not be much to Grand Island.
"We want them to know what people do in the agricultural world and how many things that benefit them in real life that they take for granted wouldn't be there if it wasn't because of agriculture," Jeff said.
A big help to the FFA students in putting on the petting zoo is Butch Gordon of Grand Island, who brought animals, including the camel, buffalo and one of the horses.
A big help to the FFA students in putting on the petting zoo is Butch Gordon of Grand Island, who brought animals, including the camel, buffalo and one of the horses.
"He is a really big help for this because, if we didn't have him bring the unusual animals that you don't see in Nebraska, I'm pretty sure it would not be as big of a hit as it is," Kendall said.
While Wednesday featured the petting zoo, Northwest continues FFA Week today with Hick Day, on which students come dressed in jeans, cowboy boots, cowboy hats and other farm or ranch apparel and accessories. Also today, FFA students are pumping gas at Hy-Vee to help promote awareness of Nebraska's ethanol industry.
To finish the week, country kids will drive their tractors to school on Friday.
Jeff said that's his favorite part of the FFA Week celebration.
"It's a chance for the students to really see what a tractor is like and a chance to show them off," he said.
Kendall said FFA is a popular program with more than 30 students in the chapter. What makes the program interesting and popular with the students is the diversity of subjects that involve agriculture.
"You don't have to be a farm kid to be in FFA," Kendall said. "It's all about leadership and learning more about yourself."
Kendall said FFA is a popular program with more than 30 students in the chapter. What makes the program interesting and popular with the students is the diversity of subjects that involve agriculture.
"You don't have to be a farm kid to be in FFA," Kendall said. "It's all about leadership and learning more about yourself."
Northwest Superintendent Bill Mowinkel said the FFA chapter is a big part of the school curriculum.
"It is something we certainly support as a school district, and we try to maintain full-time instructors and seven periods of class a day," Mowinkel said.
He said FFA has been a big part of his life.
"It helped me to be where I'm at because of the leadership skills that you develop in FFA," Mowinkel said.
With many jobs in Nebraska directly or indirectly related to the state's No. 1 industry, having a strong FFA program and its emphasis on the variety of career opportunities available in agriculture is important, he said.
"Without ag, Grand Island would have a real tough time existing," he said.
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