Missouri FFA Convention

The 82nd Missouri State FFA Convention was held this weekend in my new home of Columbia, Mo. This was the first time that I attended the event without my blue corduroy jacket. It is surreal to think I am now FFA alumni. I am still a part of the National FFA Origination through Mizzou FFA, but despite that I felt a keen loss at convention.

Even though I was not competing on a contest team, giving a speech or receiving an award, as I have in years past, I was still serving a purpose. I had the opportunity to represent CAFNR and MU at the FFA career fair. Here, I networked with future students and show cased the opportunities that MU offers. As a member of Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow, our organization held a booth during the fair and I assisted in recruitment efforts. 

For the past four years I had visited Columbia as an FFA member and prospective student. Now, I am proud to call Columbia and MU my home. When blue and gold flood Columbia, I am glad that FFA members are having an opportunity to visit MU and represent their organization. From freshman at their first convention to seniors at their last, students can always call Columbia home, even when they leave their official dress behind. 

My "little" brother Dane and I got to catch up when he stopped by the MU Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow booth. He qualified to state in poultry judging and I was grateful for the chance to see him, and several of my other family members who are involved with FFA. 

I believe you should surround yourself with positive people who you want to be like. I could not ask for better friends who embody the true defining of a leader. We all volunteered at the MU booths, and took a moment to take a picture with our favorite mascot, Truman. 

Sonja Perry, my best friend, was selected as the 2012-2015 Missouri FFA Secretary. She will do an amazing job representing her area and the sate of Missouri this upcoming year. Sonja is also Mizzou bound this fall. Go tigers! 

Time Flies: A Reflection

Entering high school was a defining moment.  I was told by many individuals that I would make some of the best memories of my life, and that the next four years would fly by. Nearly five years later I must say, my friends and relatives were correct.

I am now a freshman at MU and in less than four years I will graduate with my bachelor's degree. This means I will be out in the real world! This summer, I am getting a taste of life beyond college. I am beginning an internship for a prestigious agriculture organization. I will be wearing professional clothes and working "nine to five." No longer am I spending my summers showing livestock, hanging out on the lake or reading in my hammock.

I am ecstatic for this opportunity and cannot wait to see what the future holds. Already I believe that the past year has gone by in the blink of an eye.

This year has brought lifelong friendships. Some individuals I had met through organizations in high school such as FFA, FBLA and 4-H and was lucky enough to become reacquainted with them. Others, I met because of our mutual goals and interests.

I am blessed to be a part of the CAFRN department of MU. All of the faculty and students have been welcoming and assisted me in my first year. By being a part of CAFNR I have acquired a second family, filled with professors and advisors. These individuals have expanded my academic knowledge and helped me redefine career goals.

I have had the opportunity to become involved with many aspects of MU. I was selected by my peers to represent the Science and Agriculture Journalism department in CAFNR Student Council where I was also elected Reporter. I serve leadership positions in MU Farm Bureau and Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow and serve on various boards and events.

MU has opened countless doors for me. From leadership conferences to internships. By the end of May I will have visited four countries since my time at college. I can only hope to do the same next year as a sophomore!

Sure, there have been a few bumps in the road. If the past year has taught me anything it is that people come into your life for a reason, but they also leave for a reason. Often, that reason turns out to be of far greater significance than their presence ever was. You do not change when you go to college, you simply become who you were destined to be. I am following my passions in life more now than I have ever before.

And you know what...I wouldn't take back a moment of this year.

Nearly a year ago, I began freshman year with the traditional MU Tiger Walk by our historic columns. Here I am with one of my best friends, Claire Jones, whom I met through the Future Business Leaders of America in high school. Being fellow tigers has only made us closer this year! 

AFA Animal Health Corridor

Last week, I embarked on a day trip to Kansas City where I had the opportunity to learn about Missouri's animal health industry. Agriculture Future of America hosted the event and put together a great itinerary for college students to explore careers and opportunities involved with animal health.

More than 50 students from Midwest universities including the University of Missouri, Kansas State University, Iowa State University, the University of Arkansas and the University of Nebraska attended. I met students whose majors ranged from animal science to agriculture education. It was great to be able to tour and learn with such a diverse group of students. 

My day began bright and early at 5 a.m. when I departed MU to head to Kansas City. When our MU group arrived we enjoyed introductory presentations and delegates were split into groups. Students had the opportunity to see different animal health companies. I toured Ceva, Farmland Foods, Duff Dynamic Marketing, and the American Royal Association. 

All of the tours impressed me. I was amazed that so many great agriculture companies were in Missouri. I had been to the American Royal before for events and a 4-H tour, but I enjoyed visiting with associates about opportunities the Royal has for college students. Duff Dynamic Marketing was a company that hires individuals with my major. They work on communications and marketing campaigns for national agriculture companies. I happened to run into a fellow MU ag j alumni there as well. 

Farmland Foods was our lunch stop, so it was the tastiest tour destination. One of our speakers was in charge of recipes and food taste for Farmland and I am pretty sure all of our delegates would have loved to have her occupation!

I knew very little about Ceva before the trip, and now know it is one of the world's largest chicken vaccination companies. It has global operations and is expanding rapidly to meet the world's food demands by 2050. One of the leaders of their marketing department spoke to us. He began his career as a plumber and cleaned toilets at Ceva before moving up the ranks to the position he is in today (which is a substantial one in the company.) His success story was inspirational and really emphasized how hard work can pay off. 

Our day ended at a banquet where we mingled with representatives from all of the industries that our groups toured. I enjoyed speaking with representatives from Osborn and Barr and several other companies. 

Overall the 2012 AFA Animal Health Corridor showed me how many animal health facilities our region hosts and the positive effect they have on our economy. I was delighted to be selected to take part in the experience and hope to attend the 2013 Corridor. 

Check out the AFA Animal Health Corridor webpage to learn more: 

http://www.agfuture.org/s/1342/index.aspx?sid=1342&gid=1&pgid=518

Litton Leaders Scholars

Through the years, I have spent many hours in Gallatin High School's agriculture building. When I was in elementary school, the highlight of my school year was visiting the agriculture shop for Barn Yard Day. This was when FFA members would bring in their animals that were a part of their SAE projects. What could be better than being able to bring your pets to school?

As I grew older, I found myself taking many classes in the building. As FFA member, I practically lived there during contest season. The Gallatin ag building has not changed much from my earliest memories. I still consider it a safe haven, a place where FFA members develop themselves. More awards and plaques now adorn the walls, but a certain FFA jacket still remains.

Jerry Litton's FFA Jacket is proudly displayed in our agriculture building. I had often heard the story repeated through my childhood: Senator Litton was a prominent force in northwest Missouri politics and agriculture. Many believe that he would have even been the next president of the U.S. But, Senator Litton and his family were tragically killed in a plane crash. The Litton family has been a long time supporter of the Chillicothe FFA Chapter, where Senator Litton resided. 

This year at MU, a new program has been developed, the Litton Leaders Scholars. It pays tribute to the accomplishments and passion Senator Litton had for his alma-marta and congressional state. 

I am proud to be a member of the inaugural Litton Leaders Scholar class. Myself and 23 of my fellow CAFNR students were selected for the honor. We will participate in a leadership course next year during our sophomore year. The process involved an extensive application and interview. When people say the agriculture industry is small, they are correct. As I know each of my fellow Scholars personally though past agriculture involvements. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to represent my hometown and MU as one of the first Litton Leaders Scholars. I also am representing my degree program and Senator Litton was also a fellow Science and Agriculture Journalism student. 

Count Down

It is hard to believe, but in one month I will be nearly a world away in Asia! I have a countdown on my memo board in my dorm room and my calendar is filled with dates about the trip. I have completed conference calls and received numerous emails which has further increased my anticipation.

However, my one month observation of the trip was celebrated with vaccines. Going overseas requires many things; a passport, sometimes Visas and usually... shots. Luckily, chances of me getting a tropical virus are now very slim.

Shots are a small price to pay for getting the opportunity to go overseas. I am so thankful to be having this experience through the National FFA Organization. FFA has substantially shaped my life and I am glad my involvement has been able to extend beyond high school and to over seas.

I am going to be seeing a part of the world I never thought I would have the opportunity to visit. Most of what I had previously known about these countries had been through history textbooks. These were far-distant lands whose names were associated with past world conflicts. I really do not know what to expect. I always approach every trip with an open mind.

I know I will meet inspiring agriculturists and gain a greater understanding of the international agriculture system. Through innovative tours and first-hand experience, I am sure I will take away invaluable information from the trip. I may have to repack my suitcase several times, spend a lot of time in airports and will probably be lost in the language for awhile, but I understand that is just part of the learning experience. In fact, it is part of being a traveler. This is a learning experience that I cannot wait for!

In a month, look for blog updates from Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam! MU has also been an avid supporter of my trip through the university's recent article highlighting I-CAL:

http://cafnrnews.com/2012/04/breanne-brammer-selected-into-i-cal-program/

Spring Vacation to Myrtle Beach

Sometimes, you just need a vacation! For spring break, my friends and I took the adventure of a lifetime- a roadtrip. We had eight girls, a GPS and two cars packed with way to much luggage. 

 We added a lot of memories to our freshman year at MU during our week stay at the beach. Our condo was located directly on North Myrtle Beach. We stayed on the 27th floor of the 30 story facility and woke up to an ocean sunrise every morning. 

Most of our group was agriculture majors and we were all from small towns. In fact, some of the girls had never seen the ocean before. This was my first visit the the South, and I fell in love with the charm and hospitality of the Carolinas. I will definitely be going back! (Hopefully I can visit historic sites such as Charleston and even stop at North Carolina.)

It took around 15 hours to drive from Missouri to South Carolina. We stopped several times for fuel and even spent awhile in Nashville, Tennessee. The home of country music filled with energy! 

A majority of our vacation was spent on the beach. However, we did spend a day on riverboat plantation tours where we also visited Shell Island. (Yes, there were numerous sea shells there!) Some of the girls went horseback riding on the beach, and we all went out for a night of seafood at a local restaurant. 

Visiting Myrtle Beach with my best friends was an amazing experience. It is hard to believe that in 15 hours we were able to travel through 4 states and reach another region of the U.S. Our country is so diverse and each state holds its own story. I cannot wait for the next road trip and to see a new state!

South Myrtle Beach is filled with entertainment like carnival rides, restaurants and boardwalks. And it is right on the beach!

When I picture the Carolinas endless beaches and beautiful boardwalks come to mind. I explored under this boardwalk as I hunted for shells. 

The area was filled with shops and attractions. Our entire group went out for a night on the town!

We loved the ocean!

Our planation tour guide took us by this "haunted" lighthouse on our riverboat ride.

Taking a break from collecting sea shells on Shell Island.

Don't you wish you were here?