National FFA Convention

Some of you that check out my blog may have noticed my absence on several days last week. Well, I wasn't on vacation but I was on the road and spent most of last week in Indianapolis, IN for the National FFA Convention.

My wife and I sit on the American Farm Bureau's Young Farmer and Rancher (YF&R) Committee and I am part of a sub-committee that hosts a booth at the convention. It was a great opportunity to mingle and visit with the next generation of agriculture that is coming up through the ranks. With nearly 50,000 FFA members in attendance, the air in Indianapolis was electric. These young members of our industry are more than excited about agriculture. One of the speakers at a general session challenged the members with producing twice as much food as their parents currently do. And judging by their reaction, this challenge will be met head on with enthusiasm and conviction.

I seem to hear quite often that kids these days don't want to work hard or have no interest in agriculture. If you hear those statements, challenge that person to attend a 4-H show at the conty fair, or an FFA meeting. My experience has been that you will walk away witha renewed sense of enthusiasm yourself and realize that agriculture will be passed on to very capable and willing hands.