SOLD! Entering The Agribusiness/Auction Industry At A Young Age

When I was nine years old, my grandpa started to teach me a skill that with todays generation is a dying craft. He would sit in the living room with me for hours and try to teach me numbers and tongue twisters. For several years, I had no idea what he was trying to do or why I had to learn this. I remember thinking, “Why can’t we play a game or watch a movie?” But I never asked that question. Instead, I did what Papa asked and kept learning. It wasn’t until I was 13 that I realized why he taught me these things, to combine the numbers and rhythm and become and Auctioneer. He wasn’t just playing with his grandson, rather he was preparing the third generation to take over the auction block.

The man who is Papa to me, is better known as James “Jay” McCormick. He opened his auction company in Southern Illinois in 1981 after branching off from working with another auctioneer. For many years, he ran a highly reputable auction company with a wide-spread service area. At the companies peak, my father and uncle both worked for him as auctioneers as well as several other employees. The company came to a screeching halt in 2008 with the early passing of my Uncle. After this family tragedy, it was emotionally impossible for Papa to continue the company that he had worked so had to grow. Though it was the end of the company, it was the beginning of a legacy.

(Papa and Me, 2019)

Learning the chant and number sets was just the beginning of the process for me to continue the legacy. The auction industry is not just standing by a hayrack or sitting in an auction topper for hours on end and rattling numbers away. In order to become a proficient auctioneer, one needs to attend an auction school. When I turned eighteen, I decided to head to auction school. While deciding which school I would attend, it was no question of where I would head. I enrolled in Missouri Auction School, named by Time Magazine as the Harvard of Auction Schools. In the winter of 2017 I packed up my old F-150 and headed down to St. Louis to learn more about an industry that I had just started to fall in love with. During this eight day school I learned to perfect my chant, run an efficient business, and follow all state and national laws. School is in session starting at six a.m. by standing and as a whole class working on number sets and tongue twisters followed by a full day of learning how to perfect the craft of auctioneering from all angles. My class comprised of one hundred and five students from all across the country including a student from Hawaii! When auction school was completed and I earned my degree, I was ecstatic to say the least. Little did I know, this was merely the start of a long road to providing the service I run today.

When I returned home from school, I was hungry to get on a sale block. I found that opportunity at Fairview Sale Barn in Fairview, Illinois. Jake Fidler gave me the opportunity to come in and sell during one of his weekly cattle sales. My first time selling was an eye opening experience for myself as I quickly found out selling cattle was nothing like selling antiques like I was accustomed to. The fast pace of a cattle auction kept me on my toes and lead to a few beginners mistakes of getting numbers mixed up and stumbling on words. Rather than being discouraged, I took it as an opportunity to learn and grow my skills.

The one piece of advice that I would give anyone pursuing the dream of auctioneering would be to sell as much as possible. Since that day selling at Fairview, I have grown to sell with auctioneers from all over the state. Local auctioneers that have given me more opportunities than I could have ever asked for include Jake Fidler (Fairview Sale Barn), Kyle Kelso (Kyle Kelso Auctioneer), Jim Gibbs (Folger’s Auction Service), and Dan Boyer (Boyer’s Auction Service).

(Above: Selling for Boyer Auction Service, 2020
Below: Items sold by Janssen Auctioneers in last auction, 2020)

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After a few years selling for other auctioneers and learning all I could about how to value items, it was time for me to start off on my own. In the beginning of 2020, I officially opened my own auction company. When I announced that I was now going off on my own, I was a little concerned about what the feedback would be from the companies that I had worked with. I was elated to receive phone calls from every one of the before mentioned men personally congratulating me and wishing me the best while still wanting to work with me if the need ever arose. With all of the support coming from the industry, I was ready to hit the ground running! Unfortunately, the world had a different plan.

Right as Janssen Auctioneers opened it’s doors, the global pandemic of Covid-19 did as well shutting down any hope of having a sale. With this came many nights of wondering, when will I get my shot. Luckily, this September I received a phone call that I had been waiting on for months and preparing for for years. I was asked to do a sale.

Many phone calls were made, numbers were crunched, and the door for a young auctioneer to prove himself was finally open. For the next four weeks I drove back to Avon after work and classes to go through this house and start to put together a sale. During this time I also worked on creating and dispersing advertisements, working with the state and bank to get an EID (Employer Identification Number) and accounts set up, and learning as much as I could about the value of the items I was selling (from gold to over 50 year old collectible swine publications). With the help of my family (especially my Dad and Papa), professional friends (Dan Boyer and Kyle Kelso), and friends/employees (Skylar, Wyatt, Colin, Ashton, and Tori) I was able to put on a successful sale. At the end of the day, it was not only a successful sale. Rather is was a learning experience and the start of a legacy.

(Janssen Auctioneers First Sale, 2020)

Janssen Auctioneers is happy to work with anyone to help prepare a sale. Anything from livestock, to antiques, to miscellaneous home items, to equipment, we are here to provide the best service to you. Call today to discuss the potential of booking an auction with Janssen Auctioneers. “The Best In The West”

Facebook- Rob Janssen Auctioneer

How Figure 8 Racing Formed a Better Teacher

It is a warm summer evening in the last week of July. People from all over fill the stands, eagerly awaiting the eventful festivities that lie ahead. I grab my white board, eraser, and markers to prepare for a busy night ahead. With my arms full, I make the journey to the top of the crows nest (the tall building where announcing and scoring takes place) where I find my post and set up my materials. Like all events, the night starts with the playing of the National Anthem. I stand, face the flag, and place a hand on my racing heart, knowing what is next to come. As the anthem rings “And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air”, I hear the fireworks thud into their tube and launch up in the sky. BOOM! The crowd gasps in shock while a rush of memories flood my brain. It is just another night of racing for my family.

A photo of the original children of the “Kane Racing Team”. We all had matching shirts that had our name on the front and “Kane Racing Team: Mess with me, Mess with my Family” on the back. From left to right: Ashleigh Brown, William Kane, John Kane, Kaitlyn Kane (me).

The Henderson County Fair holds a place near and dear in my heart. Since I can remember being a part of the fair meant: 4-H, livestock, family, friends, community, and, of course, figure 8 racing. One of the best aspects of the fair is the figure 8 racing and the community it brings together. For me, it started with my Dad. I have not seen him race very many times in my lifetime, but he says he was “pretty good”. Ever hear of the “Kane Racing Team”? This was one of the first teams I was a part of. Beside my Dad, there was a slate of uncles, cousins, and family friends that also partook in the festivities. (Past tense because they are now “has beens”). I was fortunate to watch many of them race when I was younger. It was the best rush of adrenaline seeing your favorite racer do well. Seeing them race sparked the interest of us in the younger generation. Since my brother, John, was 13 years old, he was asking to get behind the wheel. Through enough asking, at 15, he was able to get his first car and experience the sport through a driver’s eyes. In the five years he has raced, he has been through many learning experiences. Finally, he worked his way up to the “big cars” (full size welds). This was a way for my Dad to relive his glory days and experience it with his son. It is a whole new sideline experience seeing him race. Not to mention the time he tipped his car. Heart attack much? I have even taken my turn behind the wheel a time or two. Talk about a rush! Needless to say, the sport still remains a big part of our lives today.

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  My Dad, Jim Kane, participating in a race.

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  My Brother, John Kane, zooming to first place.

My family members partaking in figure 8 races.

Meanwhile, the original team got older and retired from the driver seat, two transferred to running the show. The late Joe Kane (cousin) and Jim Kane (Dad), alongside the fairboard decided to take over the racing aspect of the fair. It was a typical “you can take the player out of the game, not the game out of the player” situation. They created their own score system and made many improvements to better the experience. In 2017, they created the “Western Illinois Figure 8 Racing Series”. The idea was formed to bring more revenue to local county fairs. They, along with a crew, partnered and traveled to many county fairs to introduce their unique racing system. It was at one of these races where I was thrown into a situation, that since has taught me many lessons.

The busy racing schedule for the 2018 season.

At some of the places we traveled, fairboards were set in the way they had previously scored the races. It was our job to introduce the system that had always worked for us. There was a race where this situation arose. Minutes before the race was to start, the score system had been switched to our way. The issue with this is there is a board runner (master white board with all cars and number of laps). They are the person that counts the laps of 10-12 cars in a race, 8-12 laps each, with 10+ races a night all while knowing where each car is and how many laps have been completed by each one. Sounds crazy right? Just wait. There are also 12+ people who get assigned a sole car to watch and yell at the counter where their car is. All done over the loud car engines and announcer. Did someone say headache? It is a lot of responsibility to take on. At this race, there was no main lap counter. I watched the situation brew knowing I had been and seen countless races as a single car counter. How would this be any different? I jumped to the occasion and grabbed a small white board and began drawing rows for cars and columns for lap counts. I had barely enough room and only one color marker. Train wreck waiting to happen? Maybe. Guess we will see what the night unfolds. With my heart racing and never taking a break to slow down, the night completed without a hitch. Did I just do that? Heck yes! I received many compliments that night and comments such as “How do you do that? I know I would not be able to”. After a flawless performance I was instructed to come back the next night and do it all over again. Me? Really? Okay! This night lead me to be promoted to board runner for all races we traveled to that year.

Pictured is myself after a race posing with a full scoreboard. Cars are leaving the track for another set to enter. Photo credit: Katie Arnold

Not all races worked out as great at my first. I was faced with challenges along the way. Me, being 18 at the time, was instructed to lead a group of adults, ages ranging from mid 20’s to some in their 60’s. I taught them how our system works, how they have to report to me, an 18 year old. Some were not fond of this idea. It took confidence and leadership to demonstrate I was reliable for this task. By the end of the night I had gained all their respect from completing the task I was set to do. What 18 year old can do that? County by county, I took my newly gained skill and made a reputation for myself. In the years to follow, when we showed up to a race and I was there, many remembered me. Some even requested my specific service at their race. It was not until the final race of the 2017 season I knew I had made a true impact. It was hours before the race started. I still had never kept score for a Henderson County race. The main guy was always there and it was the biggest car count out of all the other races. It was a lot to handle. Could I manage that? I was at work when I received a text from Joe, “Moving to the big leagues tonight”. Panic set in. I had to run the board for the biggest race of the year. ME. Okay, okay, it will be fine right?

I get there that night and received nothing but support from all the people I would be working with. I get a pep talk from Dad about how I had done it all year long with the same cars. What made this race so different? It was home turf. I did not want to disappoint everyone if I messed up. Time to shine. Needless to say, the night could not have ended any better. Ever since, I have ran board at all races.

Pictured are my favorite people to work with when at the races. They keep it energetic and fun. They work beside me as individual car counters. They report the laps to me, who keeps a score for all cars. Back three: Lynn Meyer, Kim Kane (Mom), Mike Reubush. Middle four: Jeremy Meyer, Lesley Chandler, Anthony Leary, Mallory Lafary. Front three: Katie Arnold, Kaitlyn Kane (me), Kendyl Kane (Sister).

How does this make me a better teacher? Imagine a classroom. How many kids are in it? 12+ possibly? How many are trying to talk to me while I teach a lesson? Probably all of them. What are the sounds in the class? Phones going off, bells ringing, pen tapping, etc. What lesson am I teaching and to whom am I teaching? The importance of American agriculture to high school students. Seems chaotic right? While all these components may seem small, they play into how one can be a successful teacher. Therefore, I can multitask like no other. I can address each student and their needs while I teach the lesson at hand. I am able to listen, observe, write, and comprehend what is going on all at the same time. This was the main aspect of what I did to keep score. I am able to lead students to a set goal, like the adults I taught a new score system to. I gain the respect of those around me through leadership and strong knowledge of a subject. Oh, and what teacher can not conquer the world with a white board, marker, passion, and knowledge?

The view from inside the crows nest at the Henderson County Fair. Lined up is a feature class for the full size welds. Pictured is a thumbs up being thrown in the air indicating that the board, counters, and I are ready to begin the race. Picture credit: Jim Kane.

The fireworks finish and I come back to reality. I am back in the crows nest, my favorite view of the Henderson County Fair. It is racing time.

Hello everyone! My name is Kaitlyn Kane and I am a senior Agriculture Education major at Western Illinois University. I come from a small farm in Smithshire, IL. I will student teach in the spring of ’22. Upon graduation I would like to obtain my masters in Educational Leadership. In the future I will teach high school or post secondary agriculture. At Western I am in many clubs and organizations such as: Sigma Alpha Professional Sorority, CFFA/Ag Ed, Collegiate Farm Bureau, Ag Mech, and Ag Vocator recruitment team. Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Photo credit: WIU Visual Production Center

Banners Aren’t Bought, They’re Earned.

Competition, defined by the dictionary as “the activity or condition of competing.” Yet, to the individuals that show livestock it is so much more. Competition is the path that we choose to build our youth into successful people; it is how we illustrate having value in life, and it is quite simply why we do every little thing that a “normal” person would find to be insane. In an industry that revolves around being the best, why is it that too often when such a goal is obtained, the individual(s) that reach the top are not promoted, but instead, outkasted?

It seems that way too many conversations in the back of the barn are full of comments like “they’re cheaters”, “it was politics”, or simply “we could have beat that one, but….” It would be ignorant to believe that all of those comments are not true at some point in time, but quite frankly most of the time that exhibitor and the livestock that excelled were simply higher quality. The livestock showing industry is extremely fluid, meaning that things change, times change, judges change, and most importantly livestock change. Yet, some exhibitors, breeders, and others associated with the livestock can tackle such changes and stay competitive throughout those changes. That is what makes them elite. As an industry we claim to want elite livestock; that is our goal, but why do we shun so many elite stockmen?

Photo by Leslie Shirley

I believe that there are a culmination of characteristics that have been promoted by our society that lead to our view of those elite stockmen. Most importantly, laziness. It is much easier to complain and give supporters and showmen excuses as to why they get beat than it is to stand up and make a difference in one’s personal operation. Secondly, jealousy, what is the easiest way to forget an experience? Convince yourself that it didn’t happen. I believe that people get such anger built up that they won’t accept the truth. Leaving the only option to be formulating lies based upon personal insecurities. Finally, society crucifies winners; why does society tax successful people more than an average person? Why does society have participation ribbons? It is because society does not value winners.

“Everybody may not like you, but you can make them respect you.”

-Chance Flach

It is time that we as an industry must come together and realize how we shape our future; it is not by diminishing the value of success, it is by embracing competition. Excuses will not serve our future generations nearly as effectively as experience will. I have been fortunate enough to grow up in such a great industry that provides endless opportunities to those individuals that have the ambition to succeed. I’ve been in many positions within the industry, I’ve hung banners and I’ve been 3rd in class. I’ve stood at the mic and I’ve stood ringside. I’ve been in charge of events and I’ve been just another exhibitor. Speaking from all of these experiences, there is one thing that I can promise: BANNERS AREN’T BOUGHT, THEY’RE EARNED.

Meet the Author

I, Leremy Jackson, am a junior at Western Illinois University where I major in Agriculture Business. I grew up in Unionville, IA where my showpig operation, LJ Showpigs, still resides. I have traveled the country for the past eight years showing livestock. I am also a member of the livestock judging team at Western Illinois University. After graduation, I plan to continue raising showstock and pursue a career in banking.

Learning to Love the Work

Everyone knows that being in the ag industry comes with trying times based on any given number of variables. Many people wonder why those that are doing the work, actually do it. Inside the industry everyone knows how valuable the work they are doing is. There is always a lag that comes with the long hard work of agriculture, maybe it comes from a sense of boredom or maybe it comes from pure exhaustion, whatever the case, I think that everyone in the ag industry feels a sort of love for the type of work they are doing.

            Let’s be honest, everyone one of us has woken up during a busy stretch laid in bed and wondered, why? Many times, we are physically exhausted from an abundant number of hours working and a lack of hours sleeping. Everyone may have a different reason for getting out of bed, but I believe there is a commonality, and it’s that in some way you love what you do. During busy season farmers roughly put in 12 hours a day, depending of the operation and there is no way they could do that if they weren’t in love with their jobs. In my case, working at Prairieland FS, I enjoy rolling out of bed never knowing what is going to be thrown my way throughout the day. Most people in the ag industry probably wake up wondering what is going to happen today, what will go bad and what will go well or what will break down and what will run flawlessly, to me I think that is half the fun.

            I think one thing that attracts most people is the challenges that come with the trade. Between all of the strategic farm decisions and the tight strains on money there are more stresses than most other professions.  Farming is all about risks too, trying new things and not knowing the outcome but making them work. Canadian novelist Brett Brian once said “Farming is a profession of hope” and I think that is an accurate statement when you think of all the uncontrollable variables. When I was 16, 2 friends and I decided we would buy 3 sows as a project. That was at a much smaller scale, but we learned as we went having to solve many problems that we never expected to encounter. We were out there all of the time, just like many farmers, and that soon became one of our favorite places. While I know that we had much less stress than real farmers, the lessons that we learned are something that we will carry throughout our lives and an experience we will never forget.

This is the first litter of piglets we had during our project. Photo credits go to Darian Drake.

Next time you wake up in the morning and think about rolling over and hitting that snooze button, remember that there is a large part of this profession that you love! There will always be those jobs that you dread doing but remember all of the things that keep you in this line of work. Work harder on enjoying the little things when the job is tough and make it more enjoyable for yourself. If you can do that now and appreciate the experience you get while doing those dreaded jobs, you will soon realize why you love it!

Hello everyone! Thank you for reading my blog posting, my name is Darian Drake my hometown is Mt. Sterling Illinois and I am currently a junior at Western Illinois University majoring in Ag Business. In my youth I was always interested in being in the outdoors and learning as much as possible, which is eventually what lead me to agriculture.

Benefits of Being in 4-H

Some of my fondest memories as a youth are closely intertwined with 4-H activities, which I do know others who were active in FFA feel the identical way. Without a doubt, the experiences my sister and I had through 4-H helped make us the people we are today.

When I was thinking about the advantages of being in 4-H, I came up with a top 10 list of why youth should join 4-H and added my very own 4-H memories throughout the years I participated in it.

I. Leadership Skills.

We learned parliamentary procedure and how to run a successful meeting, and for several youth, it absolutely was their first chance to be told about teamwork and cooperation outside of the relations. Giving reasons in a judging contest was terrifying the first few times, but with practice, it became easier. Those public speaking and leadership skills will serve young individuals well throughout their lives.

These are some pictures of leadership camp and some fun activities they did including home mac and team work. Pictures provided by Mikala Klay.

II. Knowledge of Agriculture.

How do tractors run? What exactly is a cotton bowl? What’s the proper way to handle an animal? Just ask anyone involved in 4-H and they’ll tell you.

• While I learned an honest deal through “hands-on” experience on the farm, hearing from other members broadened my knowledge exponentially. Our 4-H leaders dedicated their time and skill willingly to make us better prepared to enter the world of agriculture.

III. Healthy Living.

These organizations provide the building blocks toward a healthy lifestyle. Cooking and sewing clubs provide the fundamentals, so kids learn life skills. A millennial once told me that their friends are “terrified of visiting the grocery store,” because they don’t know the basics of buying food, including preparing a meal. Folks that participated in 4-H learned those skills previously and are as comfortable with a mixer or appliance as they’re with a syringe and needle, giving shots to livestock.

IV. Confidence.

Rather than playing video games, youth programs get children out of their house and out of their shells so they learn to simply interact with others. Giving them an opportunity to meet people, complete projects, and enter contests will spur a self-worth that several children lack.

• I learned speaking skills through 4-H meetings, demonstrations, judging contests, and interviews. As an alumni, I help pass those skills along to younger members. Speaking helped build confidence in speech crowds, and to parents that were uneducated about agriculture. 4-H provides opportunities to be told and practice life skills like keeping records and managing a budget, to chatting with others and holding leadership roles.

V. Good Sportsmanship.

We board a world where every child is additionally a winner. But the particular fact is that they aren’t. What they have to hunt out is competition.

• Though this might be often an attribute requiring constant reinforcement on my part, because I hate losing, I firmly believe adolescents learn way more through losing than they do by winning, as tough as the lesson may be. Young people will be competing for internships, jobs, projects, and so much more as adults – youth programs help them study healthy competition.

These are some pictures of me and my sister showing our livestock with some fun pictures we have with our livestock.

VI. Work Ethic.

For several farm kids, their work ethic is maybe founded on family experiences on the farm, but 4-H certainly contributes in an exceedingly positive way to that scenario. Quite often, I stayed up late to complete a project or book before achievement day or county fair. I’m sure it provided the inspiration for the importance of meeting deadlines. Almost like farm work and later, careers, 4-H projects require dedication, time management and labor.

VII. Community Service.

4-Hers pledge their “hands to greater service” and their “health to better living,” for his or her club, their community, their country and their world. Consider how different the earth would be if everyone learned and lived by these words.

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, you are a leader.

-John Quincy Adams

VIII. Lifelong Friendships.

Young individuals will make friends who share the identical passion for agriculture, and friendships will last a lifetime.

• Though I don’t often see my former 4-H friends, thanks to time and distance, again and again during the summer I get the opportunity to see them once a year. The shared experiences give us a customary bond that lasts a lifetime.

IX. Scholarship and Academic Opportunities.

College comes with an infinite tag, but 4-H offers scholarships which could help. Additionally, valuable educational experiences help teens find their passion. Youth exchange trips to other states to broaden their perspective. If they’re lucky enough to earn a visit to Washington, D.C., they see the government at work and start to grasp its complexities.

X. And so much more.

I had projects in robotics, woodworking, cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, and lots of others. The projects, the people, and also the experiences I had through 4-H left an indelible imprint, just as they have for countless others. The opportunities are endless and expand outside of agriculture.

Everyone should take advantage of what this organization must offer! This amazing group of young individuals can play a pivotal role in your child’s development.

If you would like to get involved with 4-H in your area here’s a link https://4-h.org/

Meet the Author

I’m Carlee Critchelow from Chandlerville, IL. I’m a senior at Western Illinois University majoring in Agriculture Science. I grew up raising livestock and being part of 4-H for 14 years traveling to shows with my family all the time. My plan after graduation is to get a great job becoming an animal embryologist.

Living the Suite Life… WIU Edition

When I started college just two exceptionally brief years ago I was over one hundred miles away from home in a place I had visited only a couple of times surrounded by individuals I had never met. I was extremely anxious to begin this new journey but at the same time I was prepared for what lied ahead. I always thought about the memories and experiences that my late, older sister made while she was in college and I was ready to do the same. What I did not realize at the time was that just one and a half short years later I would be creating the some of best memories of my life. These memories would be made possible with a number of the greatest human beings while living the suite life, not in a hotel or on a ship like Zack and Cody, but right here in Corbin Hall.

In January of 2020, I began living the suite life at Western Illinois University, which means that myself and three other girls share a grand total of 441 square feet. If you are wondering, yes, the space can be very limiting at times, but the tear-filled laughter, lifetime memories, endless kindness, and inside jokes are never limited.

Pictured above are myself and two of my suitemates, also students in the School of Agriculture before having our professional headshots taken for the School of Agriculture Career Fair.

The suite life has taught me the true meaning of the saying that the friends you make in college will be your friends for life. The four individuals that I have lived with during my time in the suite make everyday different and are constantly filling up my cup making it runneth over with the best that life has to offer. These girls have been there for me when I can not decide what shirt to wear, when I need someone to proof a writing assignment for at least the second time, or am stressed to the max about if I am making the correct choice when buying yet another pair of Hey Dudes or selecting the correct box on my graduation application. My suitemates have made the worst days better and the best days even brighter.

While there are a lot of students eager to move off of campus and into an apartment, I am thankful that I have never jumped on this train. While dorm life can be adventurous at times, there is no experience like it. I have enough I could write a whole book series and still not run out of stories. There are also a  number of resources including an onsite dining center, in hall laundry, being a quick walk from all buildings on campus, and having all utilities included such as WiFi, electricity, water, and printing. I have also come to realize that there is a strong history of our suite, this suite has housed students from the School of Agriculture for the last three years.

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  This is my previous suitemates. One left upon her graduation last May and is now attending grad school at Purdue.

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  This is my current suitemates. It seems as though I have know these ladies for years.

The residents of Corbin Hall second floor suite life.

When Jessica Park said, “the friends you make in college are the friends you’ll have for life, even if you don’t talk for years”, she hit the nail on the head. These are the girls that I want to have in my life for years to come. Even when we have spent time away from each other, once we are all back together it is like nothing has changed. This is not to mention all the other amazing individuals that I have met along my journey here at Western.

Photo taken by WIU Visual Production Center

Hello everyone! My name is Alicia Flowers and I am currently a senior majoring in agriculture education. I am originally from  Curryville, Missouri. My future plans are to student teach in the fall of 2021 and then return to my home state and serve as an agriculture educator and FFA advisor. Here at Western I work as a student worker in the Ag Mechanics shop and I am a member of Sigma Alpha, Collegiate Farm Bureau, Ag Mechanics Club, Collegiate FFA/PAS/AgEd Club, and the AgVocator Recruitment Team. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.