OFI 247: Working For Free Leads To A Herdsman Position | FFA SAE Edition | Adam Drake | Kuna High School FFA

SHOW NOTES

If You Are Going To Breed Cattle You Will Need Some AI Pipettes!

RE-INTRODUCING ADAM DRAKE!

Adam is the first FFA student guest of the show that I have had back on for a follow up interview.  He first appeared just after he completed his sophomore year of high school in episode #49.

When we first interviewed Adam he had just received a beef heifer through a calf scramble program.  That heifer was barren, but she inspired Adam to start his own herd and to partner with his dad on their family’s farm.  This was very reminiscent of episode #238 in which we learned of Kylie Zapalac doing the same thing.  What a great program!

In addition to this, Adam lived a principle that we talk about on this show frequently: work for free!  He became interested in developing his abilities as a cattle breeder, so he started volunteering to breed cattle at different dairies in the area in exchange for experience only.

As you can probably guess, a position eventually opened up, and who did the dairy think of to fill it?  Adam, of course.  Now, as a senior in high school he is working as the fill in herdsman on a dairy.  He works 3 days per week with the full-time herdsman and twice per week on his own.  Before he has even finished high school, he has developed a skill and work experience that will help him to find work for the rest of his life.

SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Now Adam is farming for himself, he has 20 pair of black angus cattle and his a herdsman on a dairy.

HIGH SCHOOL: Kuna High School, Kuna, Idaho

MASCOT: Kavemen

FFA ADVISOR: Joe Blackstock

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ADAM DRAKE:

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Kuna High School Ag. Department’s website:

Adam’s FFA Advisor’s Email Address: jblackstock@kunaschools.org

Kuna High School Telephone Number: 208.955.0200

FFA LINKS:

National FFA Organization

Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE’s)

Support FFA 

Donate to FFA – One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000.  In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants.  With your donations, more students can get this head start – pay it forward.

REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA:

• Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world.  FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food.
• Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation.  The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth.
• Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store:

“Because American farmers are able to provide for so many of us, they give more and more of us the freedom to pursue goals and livelihoods beyond growing the food we need to survive.”

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack 

Other Places You Can Listen To Us:

D&B Supply Show

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