Julia Marie Schmitt AIFD, CFD, ICPF, EMC, PFCI
Twenty-three years ago, I moved from a city of a million inhabitants to a small, agricultural town of 2,000. After surviving the culture shock, I quickly began to observe the importance of groups and organizations that represented the lifestyle of rural America. One such group is the Future Farmers of America (FFA). My first contact with the FFA in my area was in 2009. I had been invited by the local ag. teacher and founder of the FFA chapter in our high school to teach a workshop and begin training the members for the state floriculture contest. This eye-opening revelation gave me a glimpse of the young FFA member’s passion of embracing their rural roots; who they are, and who they become as they mature and leave for college or the workforce is solidly enriched by their agrarian environment.
If you ever have worked with FFA members, were an FFA Member or have had the opportunity to attend FFA National Convention, you have experienced first-hand the character and integrity of these future leaders in the multi-faceted field of agriculture and ag. business. This year, I was thrilled to again volunteer to be an FFA National Floriculture Judge in Indianapolis, Indiana. One of the tasks as an evaluator at this event is to judge the team building competition. Four members of a state team are given a situation in which to roll play. This year, it was to create the flowers for their FFA’s advisors wedding. With the focus on how they work together as a team within a set time frame, watching them problem solve while creating the personal flowers and centerpieces for a wedding was inspiring. I really enjoyed the time before and after the competition where a fellow judge and I had the opportunity to visit with the team for a few minutes. This one-on-one interaction with the FFA members who were professional and respectful with an ease of conversation as if we had all come from the same small town affected us in such a positive way. The team members were engaging and eager to share where they came from, their future aspirations and their passions. Their thirst for floral knowledge was infectious as they asked questions on how to improve their floral skills.
One day when they look back from a more mature point in their lives, these FFA members might realize how inspiring they are for our industry. They are proof that there is a love and passion for working with flowers which is being instilled in them by their FFA advisors. They are being taught at the high school and college level fundamental skills of appreciating working with flowers. They in turn are teaching those who have been in the industry for years to rediscover that initial passion and starry-eyed vision of being privileged to touch flowers daily. The three teams I judged might not have taken home the first-place honors, but they impacted me. In my book, they were all winners during the FFA Convention and will continue to be winners throughout their lives. They have sparked in me and many of my fellow FFA judges, who are also members of AIFD, to annually participate in this event. The gift of volunteering as a judge at FFA National Convention is one that keeps on giving not only to the FFA members but also to the judges who have played a small part in these potential future florist life journey.
