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Getting what you expectIn the past week, I have been a part of two events with remarkable differences yet incredible similarities. First, I attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for the first time. Now, I have always heard about the grand event, but never being there you don't fully grasp everything that is happening. But here is the fourth-largest city in the United States with a celebration of agriculture unlike anything I have ever attended. Exactly one week later, I spoke in Hughesville, Mo., population 183, at an event where some real champions for agriculture surfaced. So what is the commonality of these two extremes in community sizes? It is the commitment to youth in agriculture. First, the HLSR started in 1932 because one man wanted to find a way to increase markets for beef cattle in the Gulf Coast region; his name was James Sartwell. You can only image how fortunate I felt as the first day I attended the HLSR, Elise Sartwell was my personal tour guide and historian, educating me not only on where the event started but what it involves today. In 1957, the HLSR began giving away scholarships, and since the scholarship and educational program support began, more than $250 million has been committed to Texas students for their education. Currently, 1,884 students are on HLSR scholarships. The event takes place for three weeks every March and would not be possible without the tireless effort of 22,000 volunteers. I personally witnessed people talking to committee chairpersons begging to be on the waiting list to be on one of the 100 committees that pull off the incredible event. From tours to livestock shows to art to transportation to speakers, 100 different committees find a way to make everything appear to run smoothly. The tour's committee was extremely impressive, as it was their task to guide between 4,000 and 5,000 elementary kids through AgVenture's hands-on educational area, which is unlike anything I have witnessed before, in telling the story of agriculture. The speaker's committee has volunteers who go into the greater Houston area throughout the year speaking to civic groups and schools, talking about the importance of agriculture. The only way I know to describe what I witnessed in Houston as a community event is to describe the atmosphere I felt. All the volunteers I talked to told about the HLSR as if it were theirs. Every single one felt an obvious sense of ownership of the entire event. Without question, I believe this urban center of nearly 6 million people has a better grasp on what agriculture truly is than any other in the nation. It is because in agriculture, Houston and Texas have identified true champions to showcase--not only the area but the youth and how important the kids are. One week later, I made my way to Northwest High School in Pettis County, Mo., in Hughesville. Two hundred seventy people came to the gymnasium to accomplish something in today's world that is pretty remarkable, really. Today, far too many rural schools have lost sight of the importance of hands-on learning gained from vocational programs--particularly ag and FFA. Well, no one told this community that is small in size but huge in heart and has a "get it done" attitude. A group of volunteers met 45 days ago and started discussing the potential of starting an FFA chapter in the school. One hundred sixty kids attend this high school, and it is estimated that 100 of them will most likely participate in the FFA once it is established. I can tell you this--after our meeting last night I have no doubt this group of local champions are going to successfully create the opportunity these kids need. In both cases we have found individuals going out of their way to improve opportunities for kids locally. I hope none of us takes this for granted. The thing that is most important is how organizations like FFA improve the lives of not only the kids but also the people whose lives they touch. My role at the HLSR was to facilitate a panel discussion between national and state leaders in FFA and 4-H. In the audience, over 300 kids had questions and generated a discussion that did more than impress the adults watching. At the conclusion, several adults came to me and said, "Wow those kids are impressive with their thoughts and how well they articulate them." Indeed, you are right, but here is the thing--you get what you expect. In youth programs like FFA and 4-H, we expect kids to excel and actually live in the frame of mind that there is nothing you can't accomplish if you just think you can. All you need is a champion, one setting the right example for these kids; then, sit back and expect them to change the world into a better place. Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com.
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