The Battle Lake FFA has been planting pumpkins, sweet corn, field corn and soybeans for a number of years. Like any venture it agriculture, it can be hit or miss. This year a late planting season followed by a cooler than normal summer has delayed the plots and will most likely reduce harvest and income. That’s agriculture, it’s the way it’s been since agriculture started more than 10,000 years ago.
But the FFA is more than agriculture and making money. The first two lines of the FFA Motto are Learning to Do, Doing to Learn. Many Battle Lake FFA members are not the traditional farm kids, most do not live on a farm or even have a close relative that farms. Farming is not what draws kids to join the FFA. It’s the opportunity to do something new, something they’ve never experienced.
This spring when it came time to plant soybeans, Riley Leabo volunteered. After a quick five-minute crash course on operating the tractor and planter, he was off. Despite Riley being a farm kid, this was his first time running a planter. That’s learning to do, that’s part of what the FFA is about.
The FFA gives Battle Lake students experiences they may never get in their lifetime. The FFA hopes to inspire students to seek a career in agriculture, but mission one is an experience they’ll always remember.