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Pass the gravy! Allen FFA students can tell you how the cow ate the cabbage
By J. David Barron, dbarron@starlocalnews.com
Which came first - the turkey or the egg?
As you sit down to your awesome spread of grub today, you are thankful; very appreciative of Mom and Aunt Clara and Granny Gertrude for their elbow-grinding work in the kitchen to make everything ready for the feast, too.
But how about that dead bird on the platter?
Give a shout-out to the Future Farmers of America, too, while you're praising grace today.
It's no news flash that Collin County is no longer the sleepy little country county nestled just north of Big D. Rather, the county named after one of its first settlers, Collin McKinney, is now a veritable metropolis of its own, touting more than 800,000 people. But it still has its agricultural roots. And, as Ag student Jake Barnes said, "Our food doesn't just come from Mars. It has to be grown and raised. It doesn't just hop onto our plates one day."
The Allen High School FFA Chapter began in 1960. Today, the chapter touts around 200 students in its curriculum. The mission statement of the National FFA Organization states it "is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education."
Following the FFA motto of "Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, living to serve," the mission statement further reads the organization is dedicated to helping each student develop competent and assertive agricultural leadership, as well as increasing awareness of the global and technological importance of agriculture and its contribution to our well-being." Among still other aspects, the FFA is about encouraging wise management of economic, environmental and human resources of the community.
With those mandates in mind, student advisor and teacher Stacy Schertz highlighted many of the competitions the AHS FFA is involved with right now, including the prestigious livestock shows in Fort Worth, San Angelo, Houston and San Antonio. Those shows follow up the State Fair of Texas, where Allen placed in the top third of more than 130 statewide high school teams that were competing. While most people are aware of the cattle exhibited in those shows, they might be surprised to know students also exhibit goats, rabbits, pigs and sheep.
Katarina Payton, who serves as the Allen FFA sentinel, said the realization she has gained from her education with the FFA has been eye-opening.
"I've found out a lot more about where things come from, for instance, typical stuff in my house comes from agriculture and it has just shocked me the things that come from Ag," she said. "It has taught me to be more respectful and to show my appreciation for more of the things I used to not care about."
Echoing Payton's sentiment, Schertz noted the school's program continues to furrow the minds of its students.
"The students gain a much better understanding of production agriculture," Schertz began. "They appreciate the hard work that it takes to be competitive and successful from the amount of time and dedication they put in towards the contest they are involved in, the animal they raise or the project they are building in the shop.
"They step outside of their comfort zone and are exposed to the life of agriculture and the importance to sustain," Schertz continued. "We show them even in an urban setting the processes of agriculture."
What those processes are "even in an urban setting" include public speaking, marketing, and handling issues facing agriculture as they pertain to getting the products here to our cloistered environs. It's a very involved world getting that bird on the platter from the nest to the refrigerator.
Barnes, who serves as a fellow officer with Payton within the AHS FFA Chapter, says there is another very real aspect to sitting down with fork and knife in hand. The FFA student has to look that animal or bird in the eye.
"They're not just a cow, they're a pet. You consider them family just like you would with any other dog or cat," Barnes said. "Going into the project you have to know that meat consumption is what they are being raised for. You have to know that. Still, it's definitely one of those tear-jerking moments when ... because it's the end.
"It's always weird to think about that - that this is the end," Barnes added. "It teaches you that everything is going to go. Nothing is immortal. It's tough, but knowing they are meant to go for slaughter really helps.
"They are raised to be eaten."
In addition to Schertz, Sarah Griffeth and Jimmy Maroney help shepherd the AHS FFA Chapter as student advisors and teachers. Schertz said additional support comes from the chapter's alumni association. The alumni are comprised of former students, parents of students currently in the program and various community members. One of those community members is Allen Mayor Steve Terrell. John Payton said Terrell is an integral part of the alumni support.
"Mayor Terrell has been a huge part of Allen FFA for over three decades," said Payton, who serves as president of the alumni. "He supports students who come back and help make Allen a better place by becoming teachers, or those who become involved in the business by inspecting and certifying the meat quality that goes into our grocery stores, or helping to choose the meat that feeds our population."
Payton said the intangible benefits he sees in his daughter, Katarina, from her involvement in FFA are beyond pleasing to him as a parent.
"Her self-esteem and confidence has grown exponentially as a result of being responsible for another life - her cattle. Her education has been hands-on by administering vitamins, feeding, varying the measurements for the growth of the animals, giving medicine and really preparing her for her major in animal science," Payton listed. "And it is a lot of fun!"
Stacie Barnes said she has witnessed a pleasant maturation in her son, Jake, as a result of his involvement. Calling him a leader, she said, "It's really helped him become a young man that people can look up to."
Whether it's growing, planting, raising, nurturing, harvesting or any other aspect that goes into the great feast nearly all of us are blessed enough to be able to enjoy today, it got its genesis from the earth. And from the soil, nest or the stall to our plates is a mind-boggling process. It's also a multi-billion dollar business.
The Allen High School FFA is teaching students how the development of it all takes place along with the mechanizations of the business. It is also helping to shape the players of tomorrow in an industry that continues to feed most of us very well.
Pass the salt and pepper, please. More turkey, anyone?
For more information on the Allen High School FFA program, go to allenffa.ffanow.org.
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