OFI 1213: A Conduit To Conversion – Moving From “Team Non-Ag” To “Team Ag”! | FFA SAE Edition | Lashawna Vogel | Denmark High School FFA

I know I shouldn’t, but sometimes I look at the U.S. as two sets of people – “Ag” and “Non-Ag”.  Of course, I consider myself to be on “Team Ag”, and I also see that our team is extremely outnumbered….something like 98 to 2!  So, when I conduct an interview with a student that comes from a “non-ag” background, got involved in the FFA and now is not just a proponent for agriculture but is going to work in the industry and be highly successful, well, I have a big smile.  And I think, “Yes! We moved a great person over to our team!”.

Today’s guest is a great example of one of these folks.  Lashawna Vogel has so many positive attributes and has accomplished so much already that it is impracticable to try and list them all here.  With that said, the thing that stands out to me, so big, is that she grew up outside of agriculture.  One of her aunts encouraged her to take ag classes and join the FFA because she knew how positive it could be for Lashawna.  Lashawna gave it a shot, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Actually, it is not quite history yet.  Lashawna is still competing and accomplishing a lot in the FFA.  Right now she is serving as a state officer for the State Of Wisconsin.  And, she is one of just four national proficiency finalists in the category of Agricultural Communications!  She has been working as a “media intern” in the FFA since her 8th-grade year when she was awarded that position in her middle school chapter.  She continued that throughout high school and has grown her skill set more and more each year.

Now, that exposure, the training, and the challenges are all culminating in national recognition.  She is also pursuing a degree in agricultural marketing and communications and plans on advocating for agriculture through the medium in the future.

Those of us on “Team Ag” are truly lucky to have had Lashawna join the team!

SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Ag Communications

HIGH SCHOOL: Denmark High School, Denmark, Wisconsin

MASCOT: Vikings

FFA ADVISOR: Mary Handrich

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR LASHAWNA VOGEL:

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Denmark High School website:

Lashawna’s FFA Advisors’ Email Address: handrichm@denmark.k12.wi.us

Denmark High School’s Telephone Number: 920-863-4200

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 ensure 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 

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