FFA alums still earning to live and living to serve

They may have graduated, but for many alums FFA is still a big part of their lives. They use the skills they learned and experience they received in their work and home life as well as share their knowledge with current FFA students.

Adam Birk grew up on a farm (beef operation) and was a member of 4-H, so it was a natural transition for him to jump into FFA during his freshman year at Jackson high school.

He started off in basic agriclture classes, and in his junior year took AG Construction where he built a 46-foot-long hay trailer in the school’s welding shop. He’s proud to say the trailer is still in use on his family’s farm today.

Birk was president of his chapter in high school and a state officer in college at Southeast Missouri State University. Being a part of FFA in high school gave Birk his first experiences in leadership through learning about parliamentary procedure and setting a good example for others.

“I can look back at that as one of the best teamwork experiences.” Birk said.

As a state officer, he attended FFA state conventions, where he credits the opportunities there with helping him grow in confidence. Birk said giving speeches in front of a crowd of thousands of people taught him he could survive embarrassing himself when stumbling over his words and that has helped him be confident in business interactions today.

“FFA was very good at breaking me out of my shell.” Birk said.

Today Birk is a partner on a farm in Sikeston, Missouri, and continues to work with the Jackson FFA chapter judging students’ presentations. Birk still remembers when he was a student and had his sales skills evaluated as he successfully “sold” a horse blanket to a judge. He has since learned as a judge himself they always say yes.

“We’re supposed to always agree to keep confidence up.” Birk said.

Another skill Birk learned through FFA and still uses today is keeping a record book of his personal and business finances, a skill he has used consistently throughout his farming career.

Birk is happy to be able to work with current FFA students. He wants to pass on the valuable skills and experience he learned as a student.

Example

One of the people who helped Birk as a student was his Advisor Laura Nothdurft who was an FFA student herself when she was in high school.

Laura Nothdurft always looked up to her older brother. He was in FFA so when she was old enough, she joined too.

“It was a natural fit for me.” Nothdurft said.

She was a state officer, and this is where she met fellow FFA officer, Jeremie, who later became her husband. After graduating from the University of Missouri for her AG teaching certification, Nothdurft became an AG teacher herself for five years at Jackson High School. Her experience in FFA gave her a broader sense of how agriculture influences society, and she passed that realization on to her students.

Nothdurft said the FFA “builds critical-thinking skills when responding to judges’ questions. It is the culmination of learning by doing.”

Students gain experience in everything from running meetings, or planning a calendar for the year, to developing small talk skills when the meet other students and advisors at conventions.

Today she is a part-time youth minister at Zion United Methodist Church and works with the state Farm Bureau. She stays connected with FFA by acting as a judge during officer interviews.