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Wisconsin state officer says FFA can truly make life better

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Kendra Jentz

The Wisconsin FFA State Officers hold over 200 letters saying ‘thank you’ to farmers during a community service activity as part of their fall leadership workshop. Section 4 State Treasurer Kendra Jentz, a Bloomington native, is pictured front, center. (Submitted photos)

By Correne Martin

 

The National FFA Organization is not just about cows and plows anymore. It’s more about job seekers and speakers, and there’s so much beyond that.

This National FFA Week, Feb. 20-27, one of Wisconsin’s 10 state FFA officers, Bloomington native Kendra Jentz, is spreading the word about how FFA members are “unstoppable” in the classroom and their communities.

“When we think about agriculture, we think about science, and the typical farming and feeding the world. Agriculture is so essential in that way; without it, we wouldn’t have the food we eat or the clothes on our backs,” shared Jentz, a 2020 River Ridge High School graduate and 2020-2021 state treasurer for the Wisconsin Association of FFA, section 4. “Yet, in FFA, there’s a place for everyone no matter who you are or what place you want to be. It’s also a great avenue for the individual who is going to be in business or wants to educate others.”

Formerly the Future Farmers of America until becoming the National FFA Organization in 1988, the FFA originally started in 1928, in Kansas City, Mo., with just 33 farm boys wanting to advocate for agriculture and related skills. The Wisconsin Association of FFA began one year later, in 1929.

What sustains this institution 93 years later are the members themselves, the impacts they make, and the legacies they leave behind, Jentz noted. 

“What makes the FFA so unique is that it’s part of agriculture education. Within that, there are three components: the classroom, the FFA chapter, and the SAE (supervised agriculture experience), which allow the students to discover ag career pathways,” Jentz explained. 

As part of any ag education class, students must have an SAE. Examples include: starting a business, running a blog, raising livestock, taking care of pets, working at a veterinarian office, and so much more.

“For every student, no matter what their background,” she said, “the SAE teaches them responsibility, time management and a hard work ethic.”

She also pointed out that Wisconsin FFA members seem to be making the most out of their SAEs. Wisconsin members, on the national level, receive more SAE grants than their peers in any other state.

Jentz said the FFA provides other exposure for its youth that isn’t always afforded in other programs, such as traveling, job opportunities, public speaking and hands-on involvement. Members develop their potential through premier leadership, personal growth and career offerings. 

Specifically, for Jentz, who is a freshman at UW-River Falls majoring in ag education, she and her fellow officer teammates have kept busy, even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, working to meet community needs. They’ve held food drives, highway cleanups, product giveaways and COVID safety kit events, etc. 

One of her key roles as a state officer is to do whatever she can to help the chapters in her section succeed. In the fall, she worked one-on-one with section 4’s 27 chapter officers through a workshop. There were other workshops as well, for example, on community service and for seventh, eighth and ninth graders to learn about what the FFA offers. She also had a part in filming videos—including one on how to make videos—and talking with state legislators, advocating for the FFA. 

“Along with the schools, we’ve really adapted to find ways to safely allow our youth to grow into the leaders of the future,” Jentz said. “Our mission is to serve our members, advisers, families, communities, alumni and supporters. Every challenge is an opportunity to make the most out of a situation. COVID has been a learning experience in itself that nothing is ever going to go as planned.”

Specially for National FFA Week, Jentz will join the officer team for an “Are you Smarter than an FFA Officer” night. She’s also planning on many state officer stop-bys, most of which will be done virtually. Though, she said, she’s very willing to attend any event a school chapter may want her to come to in person and encourages the chapters to reach out. 

Kendra is the daughter of Thomas and Julie Jentz, of Bloomington. She has been an FFA member for six years. Her FFA journey started very early in her life, when she showed sheep from her grandpa’s farm and beef of her uncle’s. 

Her state service in particular was inspired by her cousin, Danielle Jentz, who served as a state officer in 2014-15. She’s proud to be carrying on those duties, taking care of the little things in order to make that big difference. 

“I saw all the things she was doing, going and talking to people and advocating for agriculture and the FFA,” Jentz said. “It’s been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve had those moments when you get goosebumps hearing an individual or service project story.”

There are 21,000 FFA members across the state of Wisconsin. Section 4 is comprised of Crawford, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties as well as part of Richland  County and a corner of Green County. It is one of the biggest sections in terms of number of chapters. It also has the newest chapter; three years ago, North Crawford rechartered its chapter.

“FFA has allowed me to find my place,” Jentz said, noting that, during FFA Week, she would love to see other members share their FFA story. She also hopes interested youth will reach out to learn more about the organization and consider joining. 

She believes, “With all the opportunities, FFA can truly make life better.”

To learn more, find the WI Association of FFA or Section 4 WI FFA on Facebook and Instagram, visit wisconsinaged.org, or talk to a local member. To reach Kendra, contact her at kjentz@wisconsinffa.org or (608) 642-1253.

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