Adam Torres and Kristi Long discuss the green industry in Texas.
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Show Notes:
The green industry in Texas is filled with opportunities. In this episode, Adam Torres and Kristi Long, Instructor at Texas Nursery and Landscape Assoc., explore the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association and why the organization supports the Texas FFA.
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About Texas Nursery & Landscape Association
The Texas Nursery & Landscape Association places the success of member businesses into action by taking on all the public policy issues relevant to the Texas green industry. We advocate in the Capitol by helping policymakers to consider the needs of our member companies. Our staff and members serve as agency stakeholders and hold in-person meetings with lawmakers year-round to make sure the voice of the Green Industry is loud and clear. In our efforts, we make sure policymakers understand not simply just our business needs but, also how the success of our industry provides public policy solutions by growing a healthier and more beautiful Texas.
Full Unedited Transcript
Hey, I’d like to welcome you to another episode of Mission Matters. My name is Adam Torres and I’m so excited to announce I’m at the 95th Annual Texas F F A convention here in Dallas, Texas, and my guest today is Christie Long, who’s an instructor over at the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association.
Christie, welcome to the show. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Alright, so I’ve been interviewing people all week here and really trying to figure out like, what is this Texas F F A magic that just draws people in? Like what gets them coming back? And I guess just to get started here, how did you first get introduced to Texas F F A?
Well, I first got introduced with Texas F F A back in the early seventies, which it was a lot different back then than it is now. Girls weren’t necessarily encouraged back then, and I’m pleased to say that there is at least 50% wow. Girls lot. There’s so much more offered to ’em now. Mm-hmm. Back in the seventies it was you were strong goats, pigs.
Mm-hmm. Heifers. Steers. Now there’s such a broad range of interests that these kids are getting exposed to in F F A. Mm-hmm. So a lot of exhibitors, a lot of corporate sponsors. Like what brought the, the Texas Nursery Landscape Association to the conference? Well, Texas Nursery and Landscape Association is the only professional association for the green industry in the state of Texas.
Mm-hmm. We are really encouraging young people to, to get into the green industry, we need new blood, we need them. More people in the industry. Mm-hmm. We have found that there’s not a lot of curriculum in the high school levels in the, you know, the, the younger, younger, young adults. Mm-hmm. And so we’ve taken two of our professional certifications that have turned them into A T E A I B C approved curriculums that can be taught within the high schools themselves and.
These students can essentially become professionally certified mm-hmm. By the time they graduate high school. Mm-hmm. So why is the, the Texas F F A and the convention, like, why is that an important place to have a presence? Well, because our youth is our future. They are our future. You know, F F A is primarily ag based.
Yeah. And that is what the green industry is. We’re agriculture. So having T N L A have a presence at the F F A convention is huge. Mm-hmm. ’cause that’s these Yeah. Kids that are here, they’re, they’re looking forward, they’re looking to their future, deciding their career paths. And I would like to see some of them choose the green industry.
Mm-hmm. So one of the things I want is I want more people to get involved. I want more people to come out to conventions, especially those. Corporate sponsors and, and other individuals that, you know, business owners because this is a great recruiting ground. That’s the way I like to look at it. Absolutely.
Yeah, it absolutely. ’cause these kids are looking mm-hmm. They’re hungry. They’re, they’re trying to decide what they wanna do. What’s one of your favorite parts about convention? Not the air conditioning, because it’s cold in here. I have absolutely thoroughly enjoyed visiting with the teachers. Hmm. A lot of the ag teachers, the advisors mm-hmm.
That are here. It’s incredible visiting with some of these students. Yeah. There’s just some magnificent kids here. Hmm. Yeah. I think, and I, so I don’t know if it’s the maturity level, I don’t know, leadership skills, like what do you think is just makes them so advanced? You know, f f a as well as four H they instill such.
Strong values in these kids. They’re, they’re a different breed. They really are. They, they, they’re teaching ’em leadership skills. Mm-hmm. They’re teaching them responsibilities, strong values pride. They’re very proud of what they’re doing. And, and they should be. And it shows. Yeah. And they should be, they should be proud.
Yes, ma’am. Yes, sir. Like, they’re mad. They’re, they’re like, they’re like, I walk around here and I’m just shocked that people aren’t glued to their phones. No, there’s some, how are they, they’re having conversations, you know, why’s, because they have got something else, other interests, you know, that aren’t on those folks.
Yeah. You know, they’re, what would you tell to some of the other individuals that are out there, like speaking specifically to the corporate side of things, maybe that haven’t sponsored or haven’t come to a convention? Like why should they be here? Because these kids are not your. They’re not your, just your everyday average kids.
They take very seriously what they’re doing. They take it very seriously. They’re involved in their communities. They’ve got a sense of pride. Mm-hmm. They are, I, I think a lot of them are a little more mature. Mm-hmm. You know, they’re, they’re being held accountable. Yeah. For what they’re doing. A lot of them are holding other lives in their hands, whether it be their animals are their crop.
You know some of them, some of their projects are their crops. Yeah. They’re other living, yeah. Breathing organisms that they have to take care of and they’re responsible for. And the organization as a whole is, I get further and further in my knowledge of it. I mean, number one, inclusivity a big deal. Like huge.
It’s huge. And then also, which I love, and also diversity, not just of people, but of interest. Like you don’t have to just be. So lifestyle, you don’t have to be just agriculture. I mean, there’s so many different things to do. So many different things. And that’s where I was talking about how it’s so different now than it was when I was, of course, F FFAs been around forever.
A long time. Yes. I mean, it wa there wasn’t any of this other stuff. Mm-hmm. Somebody was telling me they were gonna start incorporating beekeeping into it. Wow. Which I think it’s great. Yeah, absolutely. You know, welding, that, that wasn’t something that was around certainly girls. Yeah. I saw, I saw girls weren’t doing welding.
Virtual reality for sure. Welding training I saw when I was walking through the, like, I was like, I wanna do that. That was fun. There is such a huge, broad span of interest going on and. I, I just, I love it. These kids are given so many opportunities. Mm-hmm. And it’s just broadening the directions they can take their lives.
Well, Christie, first off, it’s been great having you, you on the show today. Thank you. For our viewers and listeners, I mean, if somebody’s wa learn more about T N L A, how, how do they do that? Go to tnla online.org. You can pretty much find out anything you wanna know there. Fantastic. And for all the viewers, we’ll put that all in the, in the show notes, so you can just click on the link and head right on over.
Yeah. Well, Christie, again, thank you so much for coming to the show today. Thank, appreciate the thank you. Thank you for having me.