Age: 17
Parents: Brian Schafer and Marda Schafer
Hometown: Willard, Mo.
FFA Chapter: Willard FFA
What is your involvement in agriculture?
“We actually have a commercial beef operation, so we have a lot of beef cows. We have cow/calf pairs. We have some where between 150 and 200 head. We have a lot of our momma cows that are Angus or Angus cross, and we run Charolais bulls and Hereford bulls. I really enjoy working on the farm. I know a lot of people say that I wake up too early, but I’m like, it’s what I do and I enjoy it. I just enjoy being around the livestock. I’ve shown since I was little, so I spend a lot of time with them. I showed during the 2017 Gold Buckle Gala (at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield, Mo.). I didn’t do as well as I wanted, but that’s OK. I spend a lot of time with my heifers and cows to get them ready to show. I’m also an Area 10 Vice President for FFA. It’s exciting because I am one of the younger area officers, so that’s really exciting for me.”
What do you enjoy most about being in 4-H and FFA?
“Once of my favorite things about 4-H and FFA is the family feeling and the friendships you make. You get a lot of leadership skills and things through programs, but my friends in FFA are my very best friends. I’m also in 4-H, and am heavily into sports and things like band, so I stay pretty busy.”
What are your future plans?
“I’m planning on enlisting in the U.S. Army and I want to either attend the University of Missouri-Columbia or Louisiana State University and major in veterinary science with a minor in agriculture business. My grandfather is former Army and he loved it. He loves telling about being in the Army and telling war stories. My father did not have the opportunity to go into the Army, but he has emphasized military service to me. He is a volunteer fire fighter, so that kind of helps, but our family has a very long military background. After the military and college, I want to continue to be involved in agriculture and I plan on going back to the farm. My dad farms with his brothers and my four cousins and I plan to eventually have our own families and take over from them.”
