Trending Now

• Ag Communications-Columbia
• Ag Issues Forum-Paris
• Ag Sales – Troy
• Ag Mechanics – North Shelby
• Agronomy – North Shelby
• Conduct of Meetings – North Shelby
• Creed – Kaden Pham – Pierce City
• Dairy Cattle – Butler
• Dairy Handlers – Addison Tharp-Republic
• Employment Skills – Gavin King-Pierce City
• Extemp Speaking – Hannah Rice – Brunswick
• Farm Business Mgt – Palmyra
• Floriculture – North Callaway
• Food Science – Monroe City
• Forestry – Forsyth
• Horse – Clinton
• Livestock – Fair Grove
• Meats – Bowling Green
• Milk Quality – Halfway
• Nursery/Landscape – Van-Far
• Parliamentary – Troy
• Poultry – Columbia
• Public Speaking – Owen Neeley – Lockwood
  

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AGRISCIENCE FAIR:

Animal Systems – Division 3 – Abigail Burns-Gallatin

Environ Services/NRS – Division 3 – Jonah Visser – Tuscumbia

Food Products – Division 3 – Brooklyn Pendleton – Tuscumbia

Food Products – Division 5 – Spencer Vossler – Crest Ridge

Food Products – Division 6 – Lorelai Myers/Clara Smith-Pleasant Hope

Plant Systems – Division 3 – Colin Stokes-Tuscumbia

NATIONAL CHAPTER:

• 582 American Degree Recipients – #1 in number recipients
• National Officer Candidate – Colin Wilburn
• 13 National Delegates
• 3 National Talent Performers   
  • Easton Beezley – Ozark
  • Kennedy Parrish – Green City
  • Coy Stephan – Appleton City
• 5 National Chorus Member
  Anna Barnes, Monroe City; Elias McKinley, Warrensburg; Sophia Mudd, Monroe City; Autumn Olejniczak, Smithton; Logan Petree, Tipton
• 14 National Band Members
  Noelle Abend, Rich Hill; Dakota Forrester, Eldon; Taryn Fuemmeler, Glasgow; Juana Arely Gonzalez, Brunswick; Leah Guss, Warrenton; Cora Johnson, Montgomery County R-II; Doralynn Lee, Warrenton; Ashley Morsbach, Plattsburg; Austin Rush, Eldon; Hayden Schapeler, Rich Hill; Tinley Schneider, Macon; Carissa Simagna, Aurora; Brittney Simagna, Aurora; Corbin Woodall, Silex
• 2 Teachers receiving Honorary American Degree –
  Sherry Byram, Owensville, MO; Sarah Peterson, Mansfield, MO

• 7 Individuals receiving Honorary American Degree –
  Dave Baker, Columbia, MO;  The Late Edward Hager, Eugene, MO;  Eddie Sydenstricker, Mexico, MO; Aimee Hood, Mindy McDermott, Conner McKenzie

• Hall of States – Centralia FFA
• National FFA Delegate Committee Chairman –
  Colton Roy, State President will serve as the National Committee Chairs for the Agricultural Education Delivery Empowerment Committee.

In the early 1980s, Rhonda (Scheulen) Ludwig was just another Missouri farm kid. Growing up in what she calls “salt of the earth farming,” Ludwig worked in pig pens and hauled hay. The former Fatima FFA member embraced public speaking opportunities, showed hogs at county and state fairs and built her supervised agricultural experience project in swine production.

Little did she know, though, she would help pave the way for other Missouri farm girls as Missouri’s first female state FFA president.

“I credit FFA with everything, every bit of success I’ve had,” Ludwig explains.

An FFA member who could both walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk, Ludwig says at the time she was elected to lead Missouri’s largest youth organization she only felt blessed to serve the membership.

“At the time, I was very accepted and was just grateful to have the opportunity,” Ludwig says.

While women were first able to join the National FFA Organization in 1969, Ludwig became Missouri’s first female state president in 1981. She went on in 1983 to become the state’s first and only female national officer.

As men dominated the agricultural landscape in the 1980s, Ludwig says she might have received additional recognition as a female officer but never considered herself any different than her peers. She remembers as a Greenhand aspiring to become a state officer, but never the first female state president.

“I was a farm kid who had a great opportunity, who was blessed with skills primarily in public speaking,” she explains. “I tell kids all the time, whatever God gave you as a talent, use it. For me, that was public speaking.”

After graduating high school, Ludwig attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where she majored in agricultural journalism. She says the communications skills she honed through FFA helped her discover her niche in that career path.

“(Developing) those communications skills — the ability to write and speak — in FFA were the biggest things that led me to agricultural journalism,” Ludwig says.

There, Ludwig found her comfort zone, which led her to a more than 30-year-career in agricultural media sales.

“Had it not been for those communication and speaking opportunities through FFA, I’m not sure I would have found it,” she says.

Ludwig’s career path includes 12 years of agricultural radio advertising sales with the Brownfield Network in Jefferson City as well as 12-plus years with Farm Progress where she sold print advertising and another six years with RFD-TV as a Midwest account manager. Today, the former FFA member lives on a farm near Linn, Missouri, with husband, Dale. The couple has three children — Trent, Claire and Troy.

“FFA has been a huge part of my entire career,” Ludwig explains. “My first job out of college, I got because of the contacts I made through FFA. Then each one you make more contacts, and it eventually leads to another opportunity down the road.”

As a National FFA Officer, Ludwig says she was afforded many travel opportunities that helped her meet people all across the country.

“FFA gave me a leg up, a great start and a great opportunity,” she says.

Ludwig encourages FFA members to embrace moments when they can make a positive impression and put forth extra effort.

“Always take every opportunity to put forth your best self,” Ludwig says. “You can’t win a public speaking contest without doing what every great athlete has to do. You have to work at it. If you work at it and practice, you develop those skills. Then it pays off.”

Agriculture has changed much since Ludwig’s days in the blue corduroy. Industry pathways now include a vast array of opportunities from beyond traditional production agriculture, and Ludwig says that alone underscores the connections FFA brings to its members.

Quick to point out that her experiences in the organization were life changing, Ludwig says the work ethic she learned at home on the farm combined with her FFA involvement and learning to set goals helped her find success.

“There are no limits to what anybody can do, but it doesn’t just happen,” she advises. “You have to work hard; you have to earn it. “You have to put in the time, and you have to figure out what you want, what your goals are. Everyone’s goals are different.”

Missouri FFA is gearing up for its 93rd Annual State FFA Convention to be held later this week in Sedalia, Missouri. In the effort to hold an in-person event celebrating accomplishments of FFA members across the state while being responsible with current Covid-19-related health concerns, the event is set for April 30 and May 1 at the Mathewson Exhibition Center on the Missouri State Fairgrounds. The recognition-only event will be limited to award winners and two advisor/chaperones per school. Guest speakers, including National FFA Central Region Vice President and Missouri native Paxton Dahmer, will highlight the sessions, which will be live streamed for those unable to attend in person.

Morning and afternoon convention sessions are scheduled for Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1 with a goal of recognizing chapter activity awards, honorary state degree recipients, new FFA chapters, career development and leadership development event (CDE and LDE) winners, proficiency awards, star state degrees and state degree recipients. Other scholarship and essay winners will also be honored at the convention. CDEs and LDEs are currently planned during April at various times and locations in Columbia to accommodate social distancing protocols.

The sessions can be viewed via livestream at: https://livestream.com/modese/moffa

Student Workshops

Student workshops will be available the week of April 26 on missouriffa.org, highlighting 12 presentations from Dahmer, current state FFA officers, as well as Teach Ag Ambassadors and Post-Secondary Student organization officers, and can be viewed via a password-protected verification system for members.

Media Coverage

Missouri FFA will have a limited press room and have a new convention media website, which can be found at: www.convention.missouriffa.org. Four marked areas are available to media for interviews. These, along with our photographer and press room, will be in the Lowell Mohler Assembly Hall.  In the meantime, if we can help you find information you are used to having let us know.

Sponsors

As we work to recognize our sponsors, we have developed session sponsor videos.  We will play these at the beginning of each session and then share on social media.  Even though we are limiting attendance, we want to recognize our sponsors.  The success of Missouri FFA members is directly related to the support our sponsors provide.  We cannot thank you enough.

Covid Response

There is no higher priority of the Missouri FFA Association than the health, safety and well- being of our members, staff, volunteers and community partners. As we continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to make decisions with this in mind. As part of the Missouri FFA Association community, we all have a responsibility to help protect each other at all times. In compliance with current CDC recommendations, local mandates and/or statewide protocol, all attendees of the annual state FFA convention are asked to adhere to the following guidelines:

• In an effort to provide our award winning FFA members an in-person experience, attendance will be limited to award winners, 2 advisor/chaperones per chapter and a few special guests.

• Convention attendees are expected to wear face protection/face coverings in all indoor areas at all times.

• Social distancing is expected at all times while attending convention.

• Floor seating will be reserved for award winners only. Seating in the bowl area of Mathewson Exhibition Center will be limited to every other row. Some seating areas in the bowl area will be reserved.

• Convention attendees are strongly encouraged to practice good hygiene, wash hands frequently, not touch their face, and cover coughs and sneezes with the inside of their elbow or upper arm. Please stay home if you have a fever, cough or other COVID symptoms.

• Hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the convention meeting space.

• COVID-19 protocol signage will be posted in highly visible locations that promote everyday protective measures.

• Temperatures of convention staff will be taken daily. All individuals with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher will be isolated and sent home immediately.

• Daily temperature screenings are the responsibility of the Ag Instructor for their chapter attendees. Missouri FFA has implemented preventative measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, Missouri FFA cannot guarantee that members and attendees will not be exposed or infected.

For complete convention coverage follow @MissouriFFA on Facebook and visit missouriffa.org.