Legislative event builds confidence, experience

SAUK CITY, Wis. — FFA members can participate in a variety of activities, from judging cattle to career development events and public speaking. Members from the Sauk Prairie FFA officer team participated in FFA Day on the Hill last month, helping to further conversations with legislators about the work of FFA chapters and agriculture in society.

Chapter President Thea Harpold, Vice President Sophie Sonday, Treasurer Lane Albers and Reporter Logan Sorg represented Sauk Prairie as they spoke with government representatives about the importance of FFA and what they do to impact their community.

Albers works part-time at Sprecher Brothers Farms LLC in Sauk City and Sorg’s grandparents previously owned a herd of dairy cows.

“Talking to legislators is important,” Sonday said. “Agriculture is the backbone of everything we do: the clothes we wear, food we eat, medicine we take. It all revolves around agriculture. If the legislators are looking at passing a bill, we want them to also look at how it could affect agriculture.”

Sauk Prairie FFA was one of 38 chapters from around the state that participated in the event. The experience helped build life skills, something the National FFA Organization continues to provide.

“It was a little scary talking to the representatives because of their positions,” Sorg said. “But when you start talking to them, you realize they’re just people. Talking with them and connecting was huge. We had some representatives ask how they could come to some of our events to see what we’re doing.”

The legislators were engaged in discussion and willing to learn from the FFA officers. Having that experience helped build confidence in the high school students.

“We can learn from this experience and realize it isn’t scary,” Sonday said. “We can leave it and know that they heard us. That’s super cool.”

The attendees said FFA Day on the Hill is an event which felt well–received by legislators who hear directly from FFA members.

“A lot of the legislators were very happy to see us,” Harpold said. “They liked seeing all the blue jackets in the capitol. They wanted to talk to us, not our advisers. That was good to hear.”

Among the topics discussed at FFA Day on the Hill were the services the chapter offers for professional development and how they helped their community. Albers spoke about what his team considered the biggest causes for concern in the agriculture industry: prices and farm closures.

They also discussed what their FFA chapter does, activities and events they host, and partnerships within the community.

Albers spoke directly about the importance of apprenticeship programs offered through agriculture education and FFA.

“Some classes you have to take don’t pertain to the job you want to be in,” Albers said. “For people to have the chance to get on-the-job experience that will help them in the future, that’s more important than taking classes that might not be as valuable.”

Mental health resources were also a focus for the group.

“I had done research for a speech for district leadership development,” Sonday said. “I learned how farmers are 3.5% more likely to struggle with mental health. We’ve seen that struggle firsthand and it’s something that isn’t talked about. I think we need to talk about it because it’s not an issue we can just put away.”

The event also provided the opportunity to discuss with legislators the FFA events which help make communities more knowledgeable on the agriculture industry. FFA has a variety of events with community involvement, including Food for America, the annual fruit sale and hosting blood drives with the American Red Cross.

One aspect that makes Sauk Prairie FFA unique is having a 40-acre test plot available for the school’s agriculture department.

“We rent the plot from the hospital and it’s been really handy,” Albers said. “We work with local dealers to get seed and plant in the spring and we get to see the results in the fall.”

FFA’s involvement within the community through educating youth helps teach and instill values in people who may not come from an agricultural background. This is something that Harpold and Sonday both relate to.

“I don’t have a background in agriculture,” Harpold said, “My parents moved to the country and I met new people and they encouraged me to join FFA. It’s a great feeling to have been elected president. People have accepted me and helped encourage me in this role.”

Sonday agreed, echoing a similar feeling of acceptance while learning about what daily life in agriculture is like.

“What I’ve learned about the dairy industry has come from my ag classes and being around people like Logan and Lane who work in agriculture,” Sonday said. “I live in town and I wasn’t exposed to much production agriculture when I was younger. It’s been a real learning experience. Seeing what their experiences are and really learning from them has been enlightening.”