Welcome to FFA contest season. A time when FFA members, parents and advisors develop a different life rhythm, if you will — one where every minute counts, and rest is fleeting.

During this period, you may experience:

Whew!

Honestly, looking back, I’m not sure how my kids did it. On top of FFA contest practices and events, they still had schoolwork, choir practice and basketball. That’s a lot to put on a young person. Some may say too much, actually. Well, I’m not one of those.

FFA contests taught my kids about agriculture and developed their leadership and communication skills. However, the season leading up to the contests taught them time management skills and how to set priorities. More importantly, it taught them to work — even when tired, even when sick, even when they simply didn’t feel like it. That is a trait that FFA members take into any school, college or career.

The funny thing, most FFA members put in the work not solely for themselves, but for others. They have a team counting on them to show up. They have an advisor putting in extra time to see them succeed. They have parents who are going the extra mile to lessen their load. So, they muster up the strength and stamina, then add in a dash of fun to take full advantage of all the FFA contest season has to offer.

While 2021 was a great year for Missouri FFA members on the national stage, this year’s crop is not resting on their laurels. They are working hard in classrooms, meat lockers, beef farms, soil pits and tree groves to gain more knowledge and hone their skill.

This National FFA Week, let’s celebrate members, advisors and parents for the sacrifices they make to ensure the future of agriculture, our state, our nation and our world is left in the best hands possible — FFA kids.