Kansas Future Farmer Spring 2024

VOLUME 42

Spring 2024

ISSUE #3

State Officers

Christian Peña

Payton Ryba

Cecillia Newby

Karli Neher

Sage

Toews

Kai Cox President Sublette

Vice President Cheney Secretary Labette County Treasurer Hays Reporter Canton-Galva Sentinel Northern Valley

State Staff

Mr. Guy Shoulders

State Advisor, KSDE

Ms. Mary Kane

State Executive Secretary

Ms. Beth Gaines

Kansas FFA Foundation

Executive Director

Mrs. Johanna Anderes

Kansas FFA Foundation

Development Coordinator

District Officers

EAST CENTRAL

Adelle Higbie, West Franklin; Bethany DeDonder, North Lyon County; Bree Allen, Prairie View; Emma Self, Anderson County; Wade Enman, Paola; Hayley Hines, Paola

NORTH CENTRAL

Maddy Krueger, Minneapolis; Noah Goss, Ellsworth; Joni Begnoche, Clay Center; Lillian Hulse, Minneapolis; Ava Oentrich, Junction City; Jacob Wendland, Riley County

NORTHEAST

Rylie Meinhardt, Wamego; Adelaide Haverkamp, Nemaha-Central; Dustin Denton, Valley Heights; Jennifer Buck, Jackson Heights; Madeline Bontrager, Holton; Chloey Stratham, Axtell

NORTHWEST

Marisa Wasinger, Hays; Addison Green-Russell, Lakeside; Layton Johnson, Phillipsburg; Ruby Gosmel-Osthoff, Smith Center; Emma Karst, Russell; Teagen Pfeifer, Russell

SOUTH CENTRAL

Connor Blubaugh, Haven; Kaitlyn Bina, Centre; Kylee Simons, Renwick; Stetson Shook, Arkansas City; Jase Beltz, Canton-Galva; Kate Haines, Wellington

SOUTHEAST

Ainsley Norton, Girard; Bryon Fry, Uniontown; Addy Boaz, Erie; Lyle Perrier, Eureka; Tucker Leck, Neodesha; Cody Burns, Girard

SOUTHWEST

Madison Seyb, Stanton County; Nicole Bustillos, Hugoton; Lincoln Martin, Bucklin; Harlee Tilley, Bucklin; Kaylen Langhofer, Southwestern Heights; Pasli Werth, Cimarron

ON THE COVER: Chapman agricultural educator Jim Weller, instructs a student in their welding and fabrication shop.

by Christian Peña, State FFA President

As we near the finish line to my state officer team’s year of service, I reflect upon the amazing ways we’ve been able to witness Kansas FFA members evolve their experience in the organization. Spring is a time for renewal, and between banquets, State CDEs and school’s wrapping up their year, we see the start of many opportunities for FFA members to take advantage of. State FFA Convention is one of those opportunities to celebrate the accomplishments of this year and use it as fuel to allow us to take our chapters and communities to the next level over the coming year.

The team and I selected “Rooted” as our theme because of the traditions that the FFA holds. We saw the importance of being able to stay true to our

FAST FACT :

traditions, a very important aspect of our FFA careers. Each of us has our own very unique FFA story just like all of our members, but the thing that was at the center of it all was the core values of premier leadership, personal growth, and career success. Whether you come from an agriculture background or not, we all follow the same principles and believe in the future of agriculture, so let’s celebrate our success and have a fantastic time at the 96th Kansas FFA Convention!

Did you know the K-State College of Agriculture FFA State CDEs will celebrate their 100th year this year? Starting as the State High School Vocational Agriculture Judging and Farm Mechanics contest, it has hosted thousands of students in Manhattan since it’s inception.

This edition of the Kansas FFA Future Farmer is underwritten by Frontier Farm Credit. Learn more about Frontier Farm Credit at www.frontierfarmcredit.com

Were at THE 96TH KANSAS FFA CONVENTION

May 29th through the 31st, over 2,500 Kansas FFA members, advisors and guests will gather in Manhattan for the 96th Kansas FFA Convention. Let’s explore what opportunities await at convention for us to root ourselves in FFA traditions.

Christian

Cecillia

“Convention is a transformative experience where it allows you to explore careers, meet new friends, and see all of what FFA has to offer. My convention experience opened up my eyes to all of the experiences I can’t wait to do next!”

“Some of my favorite FFA memories come from state convention. There is always contagious excitement in the air with the sight of a sea of blue jackets flooding Manhattan.”

“The essence of our celebration fosters camaraderie and is a key component of nurturing a force for good. I couldn’t be more eager to celebrate the successes of members and chapters from across the state in an action-packed and energy-filled convention.”

Payton

Karli

“Being able to grow closer with old friends and teammates, make new friends from across the state, and make life long memories, are some of my favorite parts of state convention. The energy that is brought to Manhattan is always cup filling!

“Every part of convention is exciting and energetic, but my favorite is hearing the names of my friends and chapter members be called. There’s nothing like celebrating your biggest accomplishments with 2,000 of our closest friends!”

“Spending time with thousands of other members all celebrating one another has to be one of my favorite things at convention. We come together as a multitude of people with many different backgrounds, but we all unite under one jacket with a love and energy unmatched.”

OUR CONVENTION ROOTS Discover

Explore some of our unique traditions of the Kansas FFA Convention from the over 90 years of the event hosted at Kansas State University.

April 12, 1929 42 delegates from 21 schools met at Education Hall on the campus of Kansas State College to form the Future Farmers of Kansas.

1943 The annual meeting of the state association was cancelled because of the necessity of conserving rubber for the war effort.

1950s All convention attendees would camp in Ahearn Fieldhouse on cots and sessions were held in Umberger Hall. A concession stand that was run by the state officer team was the highlight of the event.

1971 State convention and the State Agriculture Judging contests are held separately for the first time to allow FFA members to attend both events.

1970s State convention sessions move to the new McCain Auditorium on the K-State campus, where it has been held ever since.

1981 The Kansas FFA Band performed for the first time at the Kansas FFA Convention, followed in time by the State Chorus.

The Best

by Amy Hadachek

SUPPORT FOR AG ED

Beginning Educators Support Team works to provide multiple outlets of support for a rising level of new agricultural educators in Kansas.

Positive life is being infused into people teaching agricultural education through a fairly new program to increase retention called ‘Kansas BEST.’ BEST, an acronym for ‘Beginning Educators Support Team,’ led by program coordinator Amy Allen, focuses on working with new teachers and those transitioning into teaching agriculture education, to provide support in a variety of ways. To overcome the increasing shortage of instructors in Kansas, the program’s main goal is to increase the retention rate of novice agriculture education professionals to 80% within the first three years.

It’s all about meeting teachers where they are.

“Teachers who are just out of college and moving to a new town don’t have anyone specific to help them learn how to deal with students and situations, so we have meetings to make ideas in the classroom – work. We also help with their deadlines or if they’re dealing with a difficult parent,” Allen said.

Allen, who previously taught agriculture education for 24 years, travels across Kansas on her own and visits new teachers in their schools. She made 42 visits last fall, and 13 schools this spring.

organizations to discuss what to mitigate. It’s a support system for new teachers coming into the profession and those adding an agricultural endorsement to a teaching license.

Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas offers a program to transition to teach Ag Ed, Allen noted.

Along with her joy for helping people, Allen prioritizes patience.

“Right now, first year teachers are the priority. Eventually, the program will also set up checking on second and third year teachers.”

Having a sense of belongingness is a key focus.

“Including them in a meal out together. New teachers also learn they don’t live at the school, and they can get away. Sometimes schools will tour with other schools and students became friends, teachers too,” Allen said.

They’re learning, and sometimes, just listening and trying to come up with solutions to their problems, like an adult mentorship helps, she said.

One teacher told her students - she had to leave behind a dog and cat, when she moved. By telling her story, students connected with her.

Resources for agriculture education instructors are provided collectively by the Kansas FFA Foundation, Kansas State University Agricultural Education, the Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators and the Kansas Center for Career and Technical Education. Twice a month on ‘Zoom,’ Allen meets with these

Other states offer similar programs, although not to the extent Kansas does, Allen said. “Director Dr. Brandie Disberger has really made this program - as successful as it is,” Allen said.

Communities can help support a beginning teacher by reaching out to them.

“Introduce yourself, remember, they’re young and new, and they want to please everyone. Maybe they just need a friendly face,” Allen suggested. “It’s a good reminder to remember... we were brand new once, too.”

EYES ON AGRICULTUREPutting

by Lucas Shivers

KWCH anchor Brityne Rucker credits her communication skills to FFA ahead of her address at the 96th Kansas FFA Convention in May.

As the morning anchor for KWCH 12 News in Wichita, Brityne Rucker covers five and half hours of live news each day.

“The public speaking training I had in FFA sure comes in handy every morning,” says Rucker, a Newton FFA Chapter alumnus.

Rucker created the largest local agriculturally based show called ‘Eye on Agriculture,’ a segment that serves Kansas’ largest industry.

“Each week I produce and anchor a show entirely based on local agriculture. It’s my favorite part of my job,” she says. “I hope by creating and producing the show, it not only benefits the farmers and ranchers, but also helps educate the global impact of agriculture.”

Farm Girl Status

Born and raised in an agricultural life with sisters Braidyn and Breckyn, Brityne’s dad Nute came from a farming background in Barber County and her mom Brenda came from a ranching background in Chase County.

“I truly had the best of both worlds for a Kansas farm kid,” Rucker says. “Naturally, when your dad was an ag teacher and FFA advisor for over two decades, you grew up living and breathing everything 4-H and FFA. My summers revolved around feeding and tending to livestock, prepping for livestock shows, attending 4-H and FFA camps.”

Telling the story of agriculture has always been her passion.

“I remember as a little girl, I would go to school and be

bursting with stories of what we did on the farm,” she says. “Even though I grew up in Hesston, an ag based community, most of my classmates came from an urban lifestyle.”

Rucker shared stories of castrating bulls or pregnancy checking causing friends’ jaws to drop.

“I would love to tell them how we did what we did and why we did what we did,” Rucker says. “As I got older, and into my high school and college years, the need to tell the story of agriculture was still very much there. It drove my passion to continue telling the story in an accurate and credible fashion. I found my niche talking to people.”

Wildcat Pride

She graduated from Kansas State University in the spring of 2020 with a degree in Agricultural Communications and Journalism and a minor in Animal Sciences and Industry.

“I have always had a passion to educate,” Rucker says. “You can probably track that back to my dad being an ag teacher and grandma being an English teacher. It must have been in my DNA to become an agricultural journalist.”

As an intern under Eric Atkinson for the radio show ‘Agriculture Today,’ Rucker interviewed the ‘cream of the crop’ ag experts with open conversations to learn and educate a variety of listeners.

“Internships are a magical thing,” she says. “I feel they truly point you in the right direction of what your interests are,

and maybe more importantly, what they aren’t. The world gets smaller and smaller the longer you’re in the workforce, and there might just be that one connection to make your dream job become a reality.”

“Like most kids in the FFA program, I was unaware of how transformative FFA would be to who I was and who I was going to become later in my future career.”

- Brityne Rucker

Landing the Dream Job

After college as she walked into the newsroom at KWCH 12 in Wichita, she found many lifelong Kansans didn’t know the difference between wheat and corn.

“Instead of turning my nose up and or scoffing, I took that as a sign I was in the right place at the right time,” Rucker says. “I took that as an opportunity to educate and have an open conversation with no judgment.”

4-H and FFA shaped Rucker into who she is today as a professional leader.

“Time and time again, as I’m sure most previous members get, I hear: ‘I can tell you were an FFA kid,’” Rucker says. “I take that as the ultimate compliment. I am proud to wear the FFA badge. I received the unique opportunity to grow up surrounded by FFA from birth.”

FFA Heritage

She thanks her dad and FFA advisor, Mr. Rucker, for teaching her how to present herself on camera and the art of public speaking.

“For hours, my dad would make me stand in front

of him with a video camera and present livestock reasons,” Rucker says. “I’m not going to lie, there were tears, and slowly but surely made progress and what once was so difficult became my favorite thing to do.”

Like most FFA members, her fondest memories are going to FFA competitions.

“Whether it would be standing in a freezing meat locker or standing in the sweltering heat judging livestock, I somehow always had fun,” Rucker says.

Rucker’s versatile advice for others is to cast a wide net of interests and start strong.

“Journalism is such a broad field and it can be hard to know where to begin,” Rucker says. “Whether it’s starting your own podcast, website, TV show or getting your foot in the door with an already established business, just begin! It might surprise you what you find interesting.”

Listen to Brityne’s remarks at the 6th Session of the 96th Kansas FFA Convention on May 31st

Kansas FFA

CHAPTER Leadership TRAINING

Garden City - July 1st & 2nd

Concordia - July 8th & 9th

Ottawa - July 11th & 12th

Ask your advisor about registering for CLT this summer to prepare you and your officer team for a successful year of FFA while having fun with chapters from across the state!

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