Monday, November 20, 2006

Forever Blue...our dominating FFA Judging Team

There are still about a quadrillion things about living in a rural community that I don't quite grok...yet.

FFA is one of them.

For those of us who grew up in a glass and cement, heavy traffic, smog-soaked environment, the existence of FFA is a foreign concept, relegated to movies, an occassional Discovery Channel program, or a hot summer afternoon visit to the county fair at the Pomona Fairgrounds.

But FFA is huge here. And, from what I can gather from a quick gander at the FFA website, FFA is huge all over.

Some Future Farmers of America Factoids...Founded: 1928
Number of Chapters: 7,242
2006 Membership: 495,046
Who knew?

In my small town, we have the bragging rights to have farmed and raised the 2006 National Championship Judging Team.

That's NATIONAL champion. The entire country. All 50 states.

Breaking it down further reveals other diacritical marks. Of the five members on the judging team, four earned one of the top five individual placements in the contest.

4 out of 5!

That's how many dentists recommend you chew sugarless gum over regular gum (who was the 5th dentist anyway?...what a doof).

Not since Napoleon Dynamite and Pedro swept their FFA categories has there been such a livestock judging coup.

Not satisfied at being the red, white, and blue champions, our intrepid Aqua Teen Livestock Judging Force is anxious to take on the world in Scotland for the international competition.

Course, they're about $19,990 short of the expenses they'll need to cover to get there and back again (recently our town Mayor donated a $100 personal check to the cause and issued a challenge to others to kick in).
I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny.Excerpt from the FFA Creed

4 comments:

WarWagon said...

Well provide us with the particulars and we'll send a check heading that way.

OKDad said...

Warwagon...even though my post was in no way meant to be a solicitation for funds for the local FFA judging team's trip to the birthplace of golf, your generosity is touching.

I can find out who is collecting the moola for these youngsters and pass the info on. Stay tuned.

You Okie's just crack me up sometimes with your support for your future farmers of America. Maybe if I can figure you'all out, I can figure out what the big deal with "Bedlam" is.

WarWagon said...

Anytime we can send good kids out into the world to be real ambassadors, we just have to help.

As to "Bedlam", I almost think you need some of this red dirt flowing in your veins to fully understand.

Go POKES!!!

WarWagon said...

Just a reminder to get the skinny on who and where to send the money to help with the big trip.