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Brad Mendes
State FFA Reporter
2008-2009 |
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September 10, 2008 Hello California FFA, I hope that everyone had an amazing summer. Those of you starting your senior year I can’t tell enough, to just enjoy every minute of it even the bad times because it will go by faster than you can blink. Well as I hope most of you had, I had an amazing summer. Since the last time I wrote the state officer team and I have been very busy. Once we returned from ROLC we had few days of rest and then we hit the road and went to Chico State. There we were able to work with Dr. Dodson and some other great young Ag teachers on classroom lesson plans and facilitating a classroom. We had a great time and learned many methods of teaching. Once we returned to Galt we all went home to be with family for a little while, which was a relaxing break. After getting a chance to rest Ryan, Levy, Marlene and I went to the Superior Region for their SOLS, while Graham and Kristen went to Washington DC for SPC. I had a great time in the Superior Region, helping them plan for Camp Tahema. While we got a lot of work done there I also got a chance to have some fun watching Ben do flips on the trampoline, playing football and running away from Megan Sturzen because she really enjoyed getting me wet. After a great time there we all returned to Galt and packed up for our trip to Boise, Idaho for National Leadership Conference for State Officers. This is where we got to go white water rafting as you can see on the web page picture. One word to describe rafting, AWESOME! After rafting we settled in for the conference, during it we got the chance to come closer as a team and learn valuable skills for the coming year as state officers. On one night we got to go ice skating with the other state’s officers and we all had a great time watching people fall and Ryan and Graham reenacting Blades of Glory. We then packed up and prepared for the very long drive home. When returned to the Galt house we rested up, and then got to go watch Graham show his steer at the Nevada County Fair. While up in the Grass Valley area we went and took team and individual pictures. We had a great meal at the Blagg’s home and then returned to the house and prepared to leave for Pomona. There we got to learn how to interact with industry leaders from Dr. Hess and Mrs. Wiesbart. After learning valuable skills there we began the Southern Region SOLS. This was a great time; I got the chance to meet some great members. And I have to say I was very impressed with Southern Region’s work on the Million Can Hunger Challenge, especially Maddie Maximo and her section who collected near three hundred cans by themselves. Good job! We left there and went to Bakersfield for a unique opportunity of touring Dreyer’s Ice Cream Company and Bolthouse Farms. There we got to eat more ice cream than I could imagine and at Bolthouse we got the chance to see the many ways of processing carrots at one of only two companies in America that processes carrots. After getting to see the different ways of processing carrots and its variety of uses we headed back to Galt where we rested up while enjoying some fun times at the California State Fair. There we got to pass out the awards. Interview the outstanding exhibitors and watch many of you show your livestock. After a long fun time at state fair we packed up and headed to Fresno, there we got to take part in an excellent lesson on media relations from past National President Jackie Mundt and Shawn, with Channel 24 News in Fresno. We learned how to promote the FFA effectively through means of the media. On the second day we were able to hang out with a few past state officers who helped us prepare for our year ahead and gave us some great advice. When we left Fresno we went further down the highway to Exeter for the San Joaquin Region SOLC. We had a great time there putting on workshops for the section officers, eating starburst with Tiffany and telling jokes with the other officers. O yeah and of course I can’t forget the fact that the state officers’ team won the San Joaquin Region volleyball competition!!!! After an amazing time in Exeter we headed home and the next day we went to UC Davis where we got learn a lot about major agriculture issues facing California and our country as a whole. We learned so much about the agriculture industry from world renowned experts. After learning so much at UC Davis and enjoying some great meals we headed home and the next day we preformed a patriotic observance for the Heritage Breakfast at the state fair. Once we finished there we went down to Hanford were we got to take part in the E.A.T. program. The E.A.T. program is a program that intends to give elementary teachers a chance to have a real life arm experience so that they can take that information back to their classrooms. While there we got to tour through Land O Lakes cheese and butter factory, then learned all about soil quality and got the chance to go around the neighborhood looking at different soil qualities. That night we stayed with a local farm family, the Tos Family. The next day we got to drive tractors around, siphon irrigate and pest analysis. Before we left we toured a dairy and listened to a lecture on water rights. After having the biggest ice cream I have ever had, at Superior Ice Cream in Hanford, we headed back home. The next morning we toured through Campbell’s Seed research facilities in Davis. When we returned in the afternoon we all got to go home for a couple days with our families. So that’s what has been going on, it’s been a lot of work but even more fun. I hope everyone had a fun summer and I wish you the best of luck this school year. Don’t forget about the Million Can Hunger Challenge. Brad Mendes7/7/08 Many people have told me to embrace every moment of this year, and that may be one of the best pieces of advice I have received. The excitement and thrill of being elected was amazing and something that I will never forget. Once the excitement wore off………….wait the excitement never wore off. Everything has been such an adventure so far and I continue to anxiously wait for what is around the next corner. I began by going to end of the year banquets and beginning to connect with some amazing FFA members. Getting into May the team had a few meetings at the FFA Center and started bond as a family. We became initiated with our living facilities, came closer as a team, met the teams’ families and got to know our new Assistant State FFA Advisor, Mr. Mayfield. After this we all went back home and continued to work on finishing high school. After graduating the team and I moved into the center on June 16. After which the days have flown by, we quickly started planning for the Regional Officer Leadership Conference in Bass Lake. At the end of the June we took off for San Luis Obispo for the California Agriculture Teachers Conference. There we spent time meeting some of the Agriculture teachers, introduced our team’s theme for the year and attended in a few other meetings. Next, we left for Costa Mesa for the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference. We had the honor of presenting a Patriotic Observance during the morning breakfast and met the Under Secretary of Agriculture for the United States of America, Mr. Gale A. Buchanan. After getting a chance to walk around the conference we got back on the road and headed for home. Once back at the house we continued to work on ROLC. We then had a quick break with our families for the Fourth July. Once we all returned to the house the team, Mr. and Mrs. Mayfield, and I had the privilege of going to a San Francisco Giants game. At the game we went to a VIP Party, participated in a Pop Fly contest on the field prior to the game and finally watched the Giants beat the Dodgers from some awesome seats. Its amazing how fast time has gone by so far, but I have loved every minute of it and look forward to more great times. Brad Mendes Name: Brad Mendes |
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