Table Of Content

new The magazine ofthe National FFAOrganization VOLUME ^ o^Ch m^mmM*îC kAvailable while supplies last. Call 1-800-592-3332 forthe participating Western Wearretailernearestyou. Because visions of sugar plums two step in your head. This year celebrate the holidays with a — seven year tradition the Wrangler Cowboy Christmas CD*. Once again featuring your favorite country artists like George Strait. Vince Gill, Reba McEntire,Tracy Byrd and many more.This holidayseason listentoyourfavoritetraditionalandnotsotraditionalsongs,like Gary Allan's "Of Santa Claus", Lee Ann Womack's "His Will Is Done" and Alan Jackson's "Honky Tonk Christmas." Wrangler's Cowboy Christmas CD is a must have thisChristmas.So before you get nestled all snug in your bed make sure your country favoritesaredancingthroughyourhead. The Cowboy Christmas CD is free whenyou buy Wranglerapparel this season. www.wrangler.com X wmmm£L ^^ JL I November/December1999^v^BUlH^HÎ^TJvW JlH I^B^C^TÔ^^ OfficialMagazineoftheNationalFFAOrganization DavidDoerfertpublisher MargaretO'Malleyproductioneditor millenniumssuesMClal 8 How We Got Here Youcan'tgazeintothefuturewithoutknowing somethingaboutthepast. Checkoutourtimeline ofAmericanagricultural history. 12 Dream Job Forsome,a jobisaboutcollectinga paycheck. FortheseFFAmembers,a jobisawaytomake a differenceintheworld. 17 The New Age of Agriculture Theinternalcombustionengine revolutionized agriculture inthe20thcentury. Biotechnology, promisestodothesameinthe21stcentury. 20 Gadgets of Tomorrow Technology ismakingthingssmallerandsmarter. Checkoutthesefuturisticgadgetsthatwillsoon reachthemarket. 24 Tomorrow is History Wewantedtogeta firsthand lookatthefuture, soweturnedtofuturistWattsWacker,whose mind isalreadythere. departments 4 Hastars 6 nationalofficerq&a 28 what'shot/what'snot 32 lastlaff FFAMissionStatement FFAmakesapositive differenceinthelivesof studentsbydeveloping theirpotentialfor leadership,personalgrowth S and eersuccessthrough h jj£ agriculturaleducation. BS m AgriculturalEducationMission Themissionofagricultural m educationistoprepareand supportindividualsforcareers, buildawarenessanddevelop leadershipforthefood,fiber andnaturalresourcessystems. FFAmemberValeskaGebelin.IllustrationbyR.J.Shay ProudsponsorofFFAforover50years.Tollfree1-877-THETRUCKorwww.chevrolet.com/silverado m® m>Hliir^ rGMdivisions,c1999GMCorp.Bu IHE KIND OF TRUCK A MAN CAN HAND DOWN TO HIS SON. RUCsK "ill I hasthe most powerfulV8 ofany4x4 pickup!Itcan haulover3,000 lbs! Ithasourstrongestfull-size pickupframe ever,with a hydroformedfrontsection.And it's builton atradition astime-honored asthefarm.Atradition ofhardworkandtrustyou can countonfor generations. Silverado." It'sTheTruck. From Chevy."The mostdependable, longest-lastingtrucksonthe road?* SILVERADO LIKE A ROCK &Jm* Jason Detre Brandon Leister LaceyZakostelecky Cale Emmett Atwo-timestatewrestling Brandon,an 18-year-old Laceyrecentlyfinished her Fourteen-year-oldCale,a championat 189pounds, BuckeyeFFA Chapter reignasCrawford County memberoftheJasperFFA 18-year-oldJason knows member,started showing DairyPrincess,a rolein Chapter,israpidlyroping thatdiscipline isa keyto cattleattheageofeight. whichshetraveledover inrodeoawards.In 1998, success.This LaRue Now,asa firstyearstu- 7,000milesandconducted theOzarkJuniorRodeo CountyFFA Chapter dentatEstrella Mountain 350dairypromotions. Associationnamed himall- memberfinishedhigh CommunityCollegewith This 17-year-oldConneaut aroundchampioncowboy, schoolthisspringwith 30cowsofhisown, he Valley FFA Chaptervice calfropingchampion, honorsanda4.0 GPA. hashismindseton presidentisalsoan honor breakawayropingchampi- In FFA, Jasonservedas becominga farmer. Bran- student, leaderofa onandreservechampion chapterand regional donservedasFFAchapter churchyouthgroup, presi- inteamandribbonroping. secretaryand hadSAE vicepresidentandrepre- dentofthelocal4-Hclub, Calealsoreceivedthe projectsinvolvingBeefalo sentedhischapterinag anda memberofmultiple sportsmanshipawardand cattle, blueberriesand mechanicsand livestock schoolclubsandteams. wasre-electedasstudent smallanimalcare. His judgingcompetitions. He Laceyalsoworksfora director. Cale's father,who manyaccomplishments wasrecentlynamed high localdairyfarmerasa isalsohisFFAadvisor, earned hima tickettothe pointindividual andhigh reliefmilkerforaherd competesinsteerwrestling prestigiousWestPoint pointteaminlivestock of95cows.t? andteam ropingasaPro- MilitaryAcademy,where judgingattheArizona fessional RodeoCowboys he'sa firstyearcadet. National Stock Show."te Association member^ n&a q&a National officer one on one with TIMELINE Jose Santiago Camuy,PuertoRico Howisyournative land Japan.WhenI'mtraining, I 20 joinedFFA offroPmueNretboraRsickoa,diwfhfeerreent hthaevemotronwiankgeaunpdagtoftiovethine PiedraGordaFFA lsopsetakreignigoncaolmpFeFtAitpiuobnlic yseomuesstpeerntofyocuorllefigres?t rsuwnimfimvienmgilpeosola,daany.dthen I DiveLrusiisfiCedarldivoensatock actotnefnedreedncfeirststateFFA Tthhiengw—eaNtehberraissktahewifnitrsetrs Now thatyou've metwith pcroomdmuucntiicoant,ioagnrsi,cuflrtuuirtaland electedFFAchapter aremuchcolder. Ona FFAmembers all overthe vegetableproduction treasurer personal level,I found country, whatdoyou see Collegefreshman wonstateFFAprepared thatit'smucheasierto asacommonthread that Agriculturaleducation publicspeakingcompetition communicateand be unitesthem? lostbidforregional comfortable inPuerto It'sthattheyareFFAmem- AustinPowers FFAoffice Rico,whereeveryone bers. Regardlessofwhere electedregionalFFAvice speaksSpanish. Puerto theyarefrom,whatcolor Becoming president eRviceoryibsovdeyryknsmoawlsl,esvoery- tthheeyyasrpee,ako,rtwhheaytalllabnegluoangge aMaPtetrsMoanxowfelInlfluenceby wpuobnlicFFsApeeaxktienmgpcoormapneetiotuison okan,eIvheraydwteolls.taIrntNoevberraasn-d tinoltihfeetFoFAmaaknedtahreewstorrilvdinga RickyMartin lostbidforstateFFAoffice makenewfriends. betterplacetolive.They Arrozcon madethePuertoRico havetoldmethatthe FFA abichuela(riceandbeans) Olympicswimmingteam Wasitdifficult making isgivingthem hopefor electedstateFFA new friends? theirfutures and hopefor vicepresident Itwasn't,actually. My themselves.We'rereaching competedattheWorld bestfriend,Phil Erdman, peopleinruralareasand GamesinJapan whomImetatastateFFA inurbanareasandevery- electedstateFFA presidents' conferencein whereinthisgreatnation president Washington D.C.,goesto That'sreallyexcitingfor schoolthere, sowe America. electednational roomedtogether. Itwas FFAofficer amazingtoseethatIwas Whoareyourrole models? tRbhuietcooIniwlnaytsohengleeandftritrooemsdePoeuretmrh,taot Iemlosh.daevIlewsosoaurlemdapnseaoyyplrmoeylewrhmoooled- peoplewereinterested in inspireme,whoarepositive talkingtomeandlearning who follow God's purposes aboutmyculture. andthevaluesthatIhave- faith, loveandsincerity. Whatdoyou do in your Icallthemrolemodels sparetime? becauseIlook onthemas Iswimcompetitively. I giants,andIama little haveparticipatedwiththe personwho is lookingat Olympicswimmingteam them because Iwantto in Puerto Ricoand placed learnhowtheyreach secondinthe 100-meter success. And, more breaststrokeeventatthe importantly, Ilookto 1995World Gamesin peoplewho are real, "k you giving this CHRISTMAS? X>i OaaOt?KtSi BROOKS KJ 8 MHU Rope KlKK^ ##i/flrf w Theirnewalbum featuring Eva "MissingYou," h "BeerThirty" andmore. m ' . . . \ r* Up As 1 * * * ^ ^ & v \ X v.yfc -0 &/ # W v\/\K /iflK Wl K o .* k« c SHERRIE A^# Y A AUSTIN P ,^ Love In The J?* «r Real World Herinfectious newalbum featuringthe top-sellingsingle "NeverBeenKissed," "LittleBird" andmuchmore. > BRAD PAISLEY Who Needs ©1999AristaRecords.Inc.. Pictures Hisremarkable ALL ALBUMS debutalbum featuring AVAILABLE NOW! "HeDidn'tHaveToBe" (amovingtribute toaloving nr stepfather), thehittitletrack andmuchmore. "HornEntertainmentSnperstore wit got 1810 Steamboatbecomesimpor- tantinthewesterntradeof agriculturalcommodities. Youcan'ttrulyknowwhere you'regoingunlessyou knowwhereyou havebeen. 1837 Withthatinmind,hereare John Deeredevelopshis somekeydatesinAmerican firststeelplow,adevicethat agriculturalhistory 1600s could easilycutthroughthe Incolonial areasof tough rootsystemofthe theEast,successful Midwestprairiegrass. corncropsarethe keytosuccessfor manyfrontierfarm- ers.Tobacco is successfullygrown 1842 5Na0t0i0vBe.CA.mericans,thefirstknown afinrdstqiumipcokrltyanbtecomes The firstgrainele- farmers in theWesternHemisphere exportcrop. vatorisconstruct- and North America,startfarming eNdewinYBoufrfka.lo, inthecontinental United States region. 1790 ThefirstU.S. patent, issuedonJuly31, is forapotash fertilizer 2000B.C. developed bySamuel 1862 tNuartailveprAacmteirciescainncalgurdiecutlh-e HopkinsofVermont. TheHomesteadActprovidesfree domesticationofsuch landonthe GreatPlains. plantsassquash,sump- weed,sunflowerand 1793 chenopod. EliWhitneyrevolutionizesthe southern farmeconomy byinventing thecottongin,which removedseeds 1869 from thecotton. Union Pacific completesthe A.D.1000 firsttransconti- NativeAmericansdevelop nental railroad. sophisticated farming Steamtractors techniquesinvolvingland introduced. clearing,developmentof cropvarietiesand irriga- tion. Corn becomesthe mostimportantcrop. 1796 1871 TheAgricultural Society LutherBurbank 1500S ofSouth Carolina starts beginsdeveloping Spanishcattleintroduced thefirstagricultural school hybrid plants. intotheSouthwest. foryouth. 'ImagesprovidedcourlesvofPhotoDisc.Inc com.©1999PhotoDisc.Inc. Allriahtsreser