Tis the eve before the beginning of the OYE.  As an ag teacher, it is hard to be a fan of the OK Youth Expo.  It is well ran and it is a premier show.  I am not here to bash OYE tonight.  I will wait until I’m wore out and pissed at the world to do that.  

       However, on this eve of leaving to OYE with ag mechanics projects, I found myself reading a blog.  It is a blog from a former student.  Chancey wrote about writing things down.  She’s smarter than I and a helluva lot better writer, so I thought, “Hey, I’m thinking about the ag mechanics show.  Shattuck is taking several exhibits.  Not as many as originally planned.  But, I can see the end of the journey for this year.  I don’t know nor care about the end as much as what I’ve learned in the middle.”  I then thought, I need to write this down.  So here goes.   

      For starters, it hasn’t taken me long to realize that if it is just about “winning OYE” that an ag mechanics project can turn into a shit-show, much like a livestock project.  All focus on one goal–finances and teaching be damned.  Is it better to have 1 big project to gather a big banner.  OR is it better to have a lot of high quality projects with more kids involved.  Decisions.  Now, we took a lot of projects to districts.  But not every project (livestock or ag mech) needs to make the trip to OKC.  Hard decisions need to be made.  

–Yeah, it’s close to being a really good project.  The only way it’s going to get done properly is if those baseball games are missed.  Make the decision.

–So what if you’re a senior.  The project is half-assed and it isn’t up to par.  Stay home.  

–Welcome to the real world.  Supply chain problems are a real deal.  We should’ve ordered those parts before Halloween.  4 months ahead is behind in today’s society.  Who knew?

I have not become some Ag Mech junkie ag teacher.  I’ve always kind of been there.  My students have built cool projects–large and small–for decades.  Granted, we are more public with them the past couple of years.  And yes, I am going to continue pushing for these ag mech shows.  Why?  It makes sense.  Common sense!

Here’s why.

1–Ag mechanics skills such as READING a tape measure, welding, cutting, safety, carpentry, CNC designs, electrical, etc. are NOT going to go out of style.  Every student will use these skills.  Every parent likes these skills taught and every other person in the school appreciates these skills being taught.  There is NO drawback to these skills being taught properly.  Ag Educators are supposed to be teaching these hands-on skills to some degree already.  These skills are not racist, sexist or dependent on socio-economic standards.  These skills are timeless.

       Now, I am not against a livestock show….but let’s think about skills like wrapping legs, blow dryer operation and “fitting legs”.  Not exactly skills that are easily relatable to the general public or for long-term success in 99.9% of all employment situations.  

2–Record keeping.  Once again, a skill that we are supposed to be teaching.  If a kid is putting together a portfolio of their ag mech project, they are keeping track of material costs and time invested.  A student is most likely never going to get upside down in an ag mech project.  Sometimes, it’s as simple as what are those horseshoes worth, how much time did it take you and what did the paint cost?

         Now, if you are an OK ag teacher helping a kid fill out their “F”AET record keeping system (does the F stand for Fake or F…?…. now children, consider the source)  and they have show animals….well, most likely, there have been some numbers “fudged” to the keep them profitable.  “Let’s not put the real purchase price of that animal in the books.”  Or “You never showed that one, let’s not count it.”  Maybe this happens.  Just me?  Hell no!  98.2% of all show animals are not profitable. No doubt when you add in all the side costs–leg wraps, feed additives, needles, consultants, super glue, blade sharpening, bedding costs.  My GOD!! Bedding costs.  The best part of an ag mech project is when you budget a full piece of metal on THIS project but you only use 3/4 of that stick.  But that leftover 1/4 stick is FREE for the next project that needed 5′ of 2″ square tubing.  Win! Win!

3–Marketing.  Like that great Whitesnake song “Here I go again”.  We are supposed to be teaching this skill.  Once a kid builds something, they take ownership and pride in it.  They WANT to know what it’s worth.  And a lot of those “1st’ projects get paid for by family members.  They are now family heirlooms.  Turn the kids loose to take pics and make their own marketing fliers and watch out.  They will make videos, slide shows, tik toks, etc.  Odds are that they have been snapping pics as they built it.  Today’s kids love marketing stuff.

4– Public Speaking.  This is no secret that I love public speaking contests.  Now, I’m not saying that the ag mecher kid will be a national qualifying prepared public speaker.  But, watch a kid take pride in their workmanship and sit back and watch the passion come out when they talk about THEIR project.  They built it.  They learned it.  They OWN it!  They CAN and WILL talk it.  

So wait a minute.  You are saying that there is an event, in FFA, that students can learn skills, keep records, market it and learn to talk about it?  Yep.  And they can possibly make money while winning awards/tools/scholarships?   You betcha!  Sometimes….just sometimes, it all comes together.  And it all actually makes sense.  

What about ethics?  Alright.  Did the kid do the work?  Yep.  If it’s done at school, the other kids ALL know who did what and who is getting good with the tools. 

I’ve been a part of grand champion animals in all species and at all levels.  That isn’t a brag.  Just a fact which allows me to say that most (people, parents, administrators, etc) truly do not care who wins a stock show.  But let a kid build something and watch the support and money start to flow.  I’m right. 

None of this blog post is designed to encourage other ag teachers.  I will, however, strongly encourage ag teachers in the Woodward and Enid districts that are not already helping students with ag mech projects to get their shit together.  I have seen what is coming.  You might want to grab a hold.  But as a whole, I truly do not care if you want to continue the lazy, short sighted pursuits of chasing a hamster wheel banner that will require a jock and force you to make ethical decisions to help u obtain that win.  Do whatever fancies you.  Any of you can come look at my trophies.  I only have 3 and they are named Tammy, Kela and Duke.  I damn sure don’t have any for Mr. Congeniality, Rays of Sunshine or giving a rat’s ass what you think of me.  However, I am right.  At this game of being an ag teacher, I’m better than most, not as good as some…. yet, I do know the best.  

       Looking back, I shouldn’t have wrote that last paragraph or two.  Chancey said “to write it down”.  And I am genetically predisposed to not being able to stop my thoughts.  Some blogs are well written and are un-offensive.  And then there is this one.  Not so much.  

       People, have a good one and a better tomorrow.  I’ve got to watch it all come together.  Might take a year or 3 but together it will all come.