
FFA a family tradition
for HL-O chapter president
for HL-O chapter president
By Justin R. Lessman
FFA is a family tradition of sorts for MacKenzie Ehlers.
And this year, the Heron Lake-Okabena High School junior is serving as HL-O FFA Chapter president.
“My whole family was in FFA,” Ehlers said of her primary reason for joining FFA, “and I love participating in agricultural activities.”
She’s done plenty of that during her time with the organization, listing membership on the chapter’s dairy handling team, horse evaluation team, general livestock judging team, fish and wildlife team, soils team and ag mechanics team among her many areas of involvement. Her supervised agricultural experience projects are in goats, pigs, cattle and crops.
Those activities and others in FFA have not only helped her develop leadership and public speaking skills, she said, but also have allowed her to meet new people and make new friends.
It has also turned her into an advocate of sorts for the organization. She said she readily encourages younger students to join.
“If you like animals, flowers, food or ag-related things, join FFA to be part of the future of agriculture,” she said, adding those who do join will never regret it.
Ehlers plans to continue her involvement in agriculture long after her time in FFA is over, saying she’d like to attend college and “study something agriculture-related, like ag business or veterinary technician.”
FFA is a family tradition of sorts for MacKenzie Ehlers.
And this year, the Heron Lake-Okabena High School junior is serving as HL-O FFA Chapter president.
“My whole family was in FFA,” Ehlers said of her primary reason for joining FFA, “and I love participating in agricultural activities.”
She’s done plenty of that during her time with the organization, listing membership on the chapter’s dairy handling team, horse evaluation team, general livestock judging team, fish and wildlife team, soils team and ag mechanics team among her many areas of involvement. Her supervised agricultural experience projects are in goats, pigs, cattle and crops.
Those activities and others in FFA have not only helped her develop leadership and public speaking skills, she said, but also have allowed her to meet new people and make new friends.
It has also turned her into an advocate of sorts for the organization. She said she readily encourages younger students to join.
“If you like animals, flowers, food or ag-related things, join FFA to be part of the future of agriculture,” she said, adding those who do join will never regret it.
Ehlers plans to continue her involvement in agriculture long after her time in FFA is over, saying she’d like to attend college and “study something agriculture-related, like ag business or veterinary technician.”