The Future Farmers of America at Blanco High and Middle schools are keeping their passion for agriculture alive while coronavirus restrictions have led to the closing of schools and the cancellation of livestock shows.

Major shows in Houston and Austin were canceled because of the governor’s executive orders that were announced on March 19. The statewide coronavirus mitigation measures include a ban on gatherings of more than ten people.

“I know that our stock show families are a little frustrated, but they realize there’s a bigger issue than stock shows,” said Victoria Tierney, one of two FFA advisers at Blanco High School.

One FFA mom has watched her three youngsters, Cole, 17, Caleb, 16, and Landry, 12, who raise lambs and goats, come to terms with the sudden change in plans.

“Cole has had a hard time seeing his friends miss their final county shows, after they’ve put almost a year, or even more, into their animals,” said Laura Meyer. “At first they struggled with it but now they realize this (COVID-19) situation is a big deal.”

Meyer said that among the lessons learned in agriculture is that life isn’t always rosy.

“Working with livestock teaches you to move on from disappointment. Caleb’s best lamb just died. It’s just life,” Meyer said.

Adaptation

The show cancellations have affected the rhythm of the livestock world.

“It’s been eye-opening,” Meyer said. Her family is getting rid of some lambs at a time they normally would be buying animals.

“It seems like everyone is in a holding pattern.”

However, the ag world is quick to adapt, said another FFA adviser at the high school.

“This will test students’ resolve, and hopefully they’ll respond in a positive way, but it’s unfortunate for seniors. But they know this is bigger than us individually,” said Travis Kersten. “We’ve heard from families that they’re not giving up, they’re not quitting, and they’re already working on next year.”

Some enterprising students are selling their animals on internet auctions, which is more complicated than it sounds.

“It’s been interesting to watch them get creative,” Tierney said. “Students are relying on their ability to network, sharing on social media and then communicating the information (between buyer and seller). Now there are families out there with freezers full of meat because of these kids.”

Working together

It was day one of the major livestock show in Houston, when all of a sudden, right in the middle of the showing of lambs and goats, the event was canceled. Anyone who already was on the grounds still could show their animals.

Tierney said that some kids were not in Houston yet to show their animals because they thought they had another day, so other kids prepared and showed the animals instead.

“Everybody in the barn came together to get it done,” she said.

Meyer also saw the ag spirit in action at the Houston show.

“It was a unique and neat experience; this is a strong community and I saw the good in a lot of people,” Meyer said. “Kids were giving other kids the shirts off their back, if their show clothes were back at the hotel.”

A sense of shock briefly arose when the cancellation announcement was made.

“But then we said, ‘Well, we’re already here,’ so we put our heads down, got to work and showed the animals,” Meyer said.

The show went on late into the night.

“Judges and volunteers stayed just so the kids could have that opportunity,” Meyer said. “The kids, especially the seniors, knew this was their last time in the show ring and they wanted that chance.”

Continuing education

Kersten said that students will continue their education online and in print, but many details are still left to be sorted out.

“It will be focused on enrichment,” he said. “We’ll have to be patient because it won’t be the same as in the classroom. As teachers, we can’t have the same expectations (as classroom learning) because not every student will have the same resources or learning environment at home.”

Tierney said that the Blanco FFA has been using Facebook, mainly to keep parents updated, and will be expanding to other social media platforms that students are more likely to use than Facebook.

At the end of the day, there are lessons to be learned from all of this.

“I’m seeing people become more aware of the sustainability of agriculture, of how the food supply works,” Kersten said. “Maybe we’ll see more people learn to be self-sustainable, even raising some animals themselves. It’ll help us get kids to understand that food is not made in a factory somewhere.”