Ag teachers inspire, we say thanks

Mr. Granzow–as he’s known at Centre High School in Lost Springs, Kan., where he taught for 32 years–was John Stika’s FFA advisor.

“I don’t remember one thing he did as an ag teacher that was about him,” says our CAB president. “He did everything he could to put the opportunities in front of us and once any student decided to grab a hold of them, he was ‘all in.’ He was ‘all in’ there to help you set your goals. He was ‘all in’ to encourage you when you started second-guessing yourself. Once you made a commitment to do it, he made an equally as strong commitment to help you achieve it.”

We all know people like that, and for many of the more than half a million students observing National FFA Week, one of the greatest examples of selflessness is their advisor.

John competed on judging teams, completed his supervised agriculture experience (SAE) on his family’s crop and livestock operation (earning the State Star Farmer honor), and even applied to and made the state officer team under Mr. Granzow’s tutelage.

“Without a question, FFA is more about leadership than about farming,” John says. Of all the skills he honed in the organization, broadening his perspective is probably the most valuable. “When you have perspective, then you could have influence. A big part of leadership is having perspective.”

Although FFA is more likely an illustration of hard work than it is luck, it seems the stars somehow aligned John’s senior year as he was working toward his state farmer degree.

“I needed one more contest to get my requirements,” John says. With public speaking, livestock judging and others already under his belt, he decided to give meats judging a try. “That one experience is probably why I work for Certified Angus Beef today.”

When John got to Kansas State University, he specially sought out the meats judging team and later went on to get his master’s and doctorate in that field before signing on in the CAB supply development division.

As he leads the world’s largest branded beef program, John has dozens of chances every day to exercise those skills—communication, time management, ag knowledge—that he first molded in FFA.

He gives a lot of credit to Mr. Granzow (and not just because the retired teacher also happened to be an Angus breeder who first told John about Certified Angus Beef).

The inspiring part of this story is that it’s replicated. If you start asking any FFA member, past or present, it won’t take too long for you to find that similar thread: an ag teacher who devotes time and attention to a budding agriculturalist.

I surveyed CAB staffers and out of 116 full-time employees, more than 30 have connections to FFA.

So I could have been writing about Dennis Swartz, who advised the Tri-Rivers NVS Chapter when Dave Shock, our director of information systems, was there in 1979.

“He expected us to be involved and excel,” Dave says. Mr. Swartz made sure his students took advantage of all the organization had to offer, and Dave learned parliamentary procedure, how to speak in front of people and enjoyed networking with others around the state.

This entire post could have been about Mel Morris and Mike Bowles of the Eagle Point (Ore.) FFA Chapter. When Heidi Schroeder, CAB executive account manager in the Northwest, was in high school in the early ‘90s, these two (and their wives) shared their “optimism, encouragement, positive attitudes, passion for agriculture.”

Both couples have become longtime family friends.

“Though they are both retired, they come over to my brother’s house each summer before fair to judge market and showmanship ‘classes’ with my niece and nephew to get them ready for fair,” Heidi says. “They take these roles very seriously and put the kids through the ringer!”

In addition to echoing those concrete skills she took away from her FFA involvement, Heidi also says it sparked “a belief that I could make an impact on something bigger than myself.”

In the end, isn’t that what it’s all about?

On behalf of the Certified Angus Beef brand, we say thank you. Thank you to those who stay late and come early for judging practice; to those who drive vans full of energetic high school students up and down the highway; to those who hear “Mr. President, I move that…” more times than they probably care to count; to those who make personal sacrifices to help young people find their passion. Thank you for the impact you’ve had on our brand, on agriculture and on millions of people across this country.

Happy National FFA Week!

Miranda

You may also like