Lora Wright
Age: 16
Hometown: Monett, Mo.
Family: Parents Larry and Jodi Wright; and younger brother, Blake, age 15
FFA Chapter: Monett FFA
FFA Advisor: Kristy Sivils
What is your involvement in agriculture? “I’ve been showing registered Holsteins since I was 8 years old, but my family has always shown at the Missouri State Fair and at numerous national shows. Even before I started competing, I would come to the state fair with my mother, because she ran the Holstein show. I’ve also competed at FBLA, Future Business Leaders of America where we were sixth in the nation in Atlanta last year. And of course, I am very involved with my local FFA chapter. Currently, I hold the office of president and also serve as the Area FFA vice president. This summer, I was selected to go to the Missouri Agribusiness Academy.
“I’ve competed in the National Holstein Association’s public speaking and digital scrapbooking. I won both contests in that division. I’ve also been active in 4-H and was on 4-H council as their southwest regional representative.”
Lora’s involvement in so many agricultural pursuits and competitions can literally have her meeting herself, coming and going.
“Last year, I ended up in two ongoing competitions. At one point, when I was at the National Holstein Competition in Albany, NY, I had to leave to fly to Atlanta, Ga., to compete in the FBLA contest and then fly back to Albany to finish there.”
What are your plans for the future? “I’d like to study ag law, becoming an ag attorney. I’d particularly like to focus on estate and succession planning. The key is for the younger generation to take over the family farm while the older generation is still working it and able to share their knowledge and experience.
“I’m really passionate about advancing what agriculture is about, which is feeding America. I made a speech about robotic milkers recently, which landed me a spot as a finalist at the Division 1, FFA speaking competition. The future in agriculture is evolving on so many different levels. I’m not sure if I want to stay in production or not but the truth is, I need to find my own niche in the ag industry, where I would fit in the best.”
