Adam Torres and Brian Reed discuss Texas FFA.
Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / RSS
Apply to be a guest on our podcast here
Show Notes:
Listen to coverage from the 96th Texas FFA State Convention in Houston, Texas. In this episode, Adam Torres and Brian Reed, Teacher & FFA Advisor, explore the benefits of FFA membership and convention.
Watch Full Interview:
Full Unedited Transcript
Hey, I’d like to welcome you to another episode of Mission Matters. My name is Adam Torres and I am at the Texas FFA convention in Houston, Texas. And my guest today is Dr. Brian Reed. Brian, welcome to the show. Thank you. All right, Brian. So a lot of fun at convention this year. How are you doing, man?
Absolutely great. I got a new set of kids. Yeah. I’ve changed schools. And we were in a position where they weren’t even ready to come to state convention. They haven’t, that school hasn’t actually come to state convention in several years. So I’ve got a group of mostly senior boys that have never come to state convention.
And they’re just, it’s their first year, their first watched. And the only chance I was when I spoke to them about mm-Hmm. going, and they were like, yeah, I don’t know. I was like, this is probably gonna be your only chance to get to go. Wow. Since, and they were like, okay, we’ll, we’ll go. How hard are they doing?
Are they they are, they’re thrilled. They’re worn out. Absolutely. Are they amazed? I can’t imagine being that age coming here and just like, like wide-eyed. Yeah, that’s exactly how they are. I tell ’em, I was like. Get ready because that first session is like a rock and roll show. And and I, after I saw them after that first session, I was like, was it everything I said?
And they were like, absolutely. Like my ears are ringing. So let, let’s go back a bit here. How, how, how did you originally learn about or get, get introduced to FFA? I grew up in Missouri on a cattle operation. We’d be the, I would be the third generation on the same piece of property. My grandfather Purchased that land.
There’s a piece of the farm that actually was purchased by my great grandparents. So agriculture has been in my family for basically every generation. Yeah, since we came over from england i’ve done a lot of genealogy research and everybody is everybody all the way back is has been agriculture.
Wow so i’m very tied to the land. I’m very tied to the production side of the pack. I had a, I had a good FFA experience growing up in high school and led to staying in agriculture, that’s where I want to be, that that’s my home base. That’s my livelihood. It’s where my heart is. So as faculty and just being involved with the organization as a whole, like what, what keeps you coming back?
Like what keeps that fire going? It’s got to be the kids. Hmm. I heard somebody say the other day, the kids don’t change, but we get older. And I think that that’s true, but yet I didn’t know, I didn’t think about that. You’re right, especially if you take the convention setting specifically, because it’s the same age group.
Yeah. So, you know, 10, 20 years, I come back, they’ll be the same age. There’ll be a new crop, of course, kids, but and some of the, some of the the young members that were maybe even on this show, when they come back, you know, they’re going to be the old dogs one day, like, man, I talked to you when I was in this, that 10, 15 years ago.
And then at that point I’m like, Oh man, I knew this was going to happen. Absolutely. And, and Yeah, but I have always said the kids, the kids keep me young. Listen to their crazy teenage drama and I’m sitting back laughing and going, yeah, I did that back in the day. I remember how dumb I felt after it was all over with and you know, just to to experience Those teenage years, year after year, helping those kids grow, but living more or less off of their excitement.
Mm hmm. That keeps me coming back. Yeah. I want to stay, you know, some of the kids are like, when will you retire? And I said, probably when they haul my dead body out of the classroom. That’s what I said. Mine was in the classroom, but they’re like, am I ever going to? When do I? I’m like, when am I never going to want to like be a teacher?
Energized and be able to, like, connect with people, like, I’m not, if as long as my body’s working, I’m in, you know? That’s absolutely right. Yeah. That’s absolutely right. What’s been your favorite part about Convention this year? Like, any specific moment, you know? Well, having a hurricane roll in was a nice new thing.
I said your favorite. Nah, I didn’t say memorable. Well, that’s memorable. I did, but I didn’t say memorable. I said favorite. Memorable works, too. Like, share that story. I don’t know if you remember we had a side conversation. There was another student. Oh, no, you weren’t for this one. I was having a conversation with a student.
They were telling me about like their hotel didn’t have electricity and this and that and all these other things. But you know what was interesting? Unlike myself, who would have been complaining, I’ll pick on me, They were loving it. She was like, it’s like camping. We were camping. It was hot. And then I finally like we were taking cold showers.
They were like camping outside. Yeah, the the boys Went through it all we were in airbnb and That house didn’t have electricity for two days. Oh my gosh, there was no damage to the house So everything’s fine other than being stuffy But I mean as soon as the eye had passed they were like, can we go drive around?
We want to see what’s been going on. What’s we want to see the damage. Yeah There is like Y’all we live in west texas. We’ve been in 100 mile an hour sandstorms before and they’re like, yeah, but this was a hurricane And there were trees all over the place all kinds of things going. I Got god just showing his presence.
Yeah, we make plans. But hey, there’s other ones too Yeah, and then you know and the good thing about the boys we’d come to a spot where you know There’d be branches down they’d hop out of the truck pick it up set it off on the side So it’s amazing make the street passable. Yeah, so You know, but that’s the tenacity of, you know, the Texas FFA membership isn’t, we don’t see problems, we see challenges.
Yeah, and that’s a good point you make. Like, think about how, when you think about, or when I think about, What FFA brings, the type of individuals, the leadership, the legacy of leadership. So like, for example, in that particular instance, there were all senior boys, as you mentioned, that were there, but let’s just say somebody saw them do that.
They’re picking up tree and they’re saying like, Oh. This is something to do, like we take care of things, we do this, and that, that culture, it permeates, so now the younger, not that exact example, but the younger, just getting involved, see what some of the older leaders are doing, and it builds, and it builds, now you go into the workforce, that builds, that builds.
Yes, that’s exactly right. We really pride ourselves on the concept of being hands on, and there’s a certain, certainly a major portion of. of agricultural education and FFA that is that, but more than that, we’re problem solvers. Yeah. And the kids are, are developing solutions. You know, that’s one of the things even in the classroom I teach, if you’re going to bring me a problem, you bring me a solution.
Mm. Especially when we’re building, you know, metal projects in the shop. Yep. And you want to come and tell me, okay, well, You know this this doesn’t fit or okay. Well, what’s your solution? Tell me what you think. How are we going to fix this? Before I tell you what I think I want you to have thought about it Because I don’t want you to be a robot.
I want you to be a thinker And start to figure out those problems and and and solve those problems on your own Because sometimes that’s all you’re going to have is, is your own thoughts on how to fix that problem. Yeah. How have you seen that Texas FFA people and the members that go through this program, how do you think that prepares them for the workforce going forward?
They’re really prepared. I hear from former students all the time. I have a young man that he’s probably early twenties now. Yeah. One of my better welders at a previous school, probably the best welder at that previous school. Yeah. And he called me one time and said, Doc, I just wanted you to know, I got this big pay raise.
He works in the oil field. And I said, well, how’d you do that? And he said that his boss was wanting to build something. And he said, okay, how about this? And he took out a piece of paper and a pencil and sketched it out with measurements and everything else. And his boss said, Where did you learn to do that?
He said, in my high school ag class. Stop. Yes. And right, right then and there, because he, you know, he’s working in the oil field as a welder. He got 10 an hour raise right then. What? That’s absolutely amazing. Because he had that skill. And you know, you hear that. I have a former student from early in my teaching career.
He’s been in Washington DC. He’s the clerk for the House Agricultural Committee and has been for years. Tremendous individual. Did livestock judging. Through high school was, was awesome in that. Got scholarships to go judge at a junior college and then at senior college Went in and won that the National Western Stock Shows of Livestock Judging Contest in Denver Which is probably the granddaddy of them all.
Yeah, and through all of those experiences You know then at the time Kay Bailey Hutchison snatched him up after he graduated And hauled him to Washington, D. C., and he’s been there ever since. But that all started in the high school night classroom. How amazing is that for you to go on and see your students go out and do great things?
Like, how does that feel? I’ve never been a teacher, so I don’t know that. Like, how does that feel? It’s one of the, probably the most fulfilling things. I’ve told young teachers before, this isn’t just a job. It’s a missionary field. It’s a calling. And if you don’t feel that, then you need to find something else to do.
Yeah. Because this is not where you’re meant to be. If you don’t see it as a calling and find joy in every time the kid just has that aha moment, even in the classroom. Forget the banners. The banners are, the banners are icing on the cake. It’s when the kids go, I understand. It clicks. And it clicks. That’s what we’re really here for.
Yeah. Yeah, I could see it. And then for them to be so appreciative. Yes, absolutely. Like, I can think about, like, in my history, in my life, like, and some of the things I do, and I, especially in college. Like, some of the teachers that helped me out there, I was behind. And they, they drug me through college and made sure, and they made, they up skilled me.
They saw I was trying, and they, they put, they invested in me, and, and, and I, and I thank them for that. Absolutely. Yeah, they you know, they’ve, they learned to give back. So as much as they learn, they’re like, okay, then we need to communicate this. You know, we now know this, we need to help others, you know, And just for everybody to grow.
Absolutely. So, well, Brian, I have to say, I really appreciate you taking some time out of the convention to sit down and have a chat, as always. And to the audience, as always, thank you for tuning in. If this is your first time with Mission Matters and you’re tuning in for the first time and you haven’t hit that subscribe or follow button, make sure you hit that button because this is a daily show.
Each and every day we’re bringing you new entrepreneurs, new executives, new visionaries, new thought leaders and new content to help you along in your journey and hopefully to inspire you to do great things. So again, hit that subscribe or that follow button and Brian, as always, I really appreciate you catching up.
Appreciate it. All right