Name: Samantha Blackburn
Family: Parents, Jeff and Sharon Blackburn; siblings Rebecka and Jake
FFA Chapter: Pierce City High School
How are you involved in agriculture?
“I’ve lived on a farm all my life. I help my dad raise beef cows and Holstein steers. I’ve shown cattle for three years, Limousin for two and now I show Brown Swiss. I won a couple Supreme in local shows with the Brown Swiss, also Reserve Jr. Grand Champion at the Ozark Empire Fair and Reserve Grand Champion at the State Fair in Sedalia.” Samantha is the President of her FFA Chapter. “I also raise vegetables along with my parents. I started because of the SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience) program. We raise pumpkins, tomatoes, watermelon, squash, corn, green beans and cucumbers. Last year we had three gardens on approximately two and a half acres. We sell the produce on the side of the road in Pierce City. It’s a good summer project.”
What got you started showing?
“The Cody program with FFA. Cody stands for Creating Opportunities for Developing Youth. It’s sponsored by the Limousin Association. The owners give you a young calf, you raise it, break it to show and then sell it at the end of the year. It was a good learning experience.
My Ag teacher, Mrs. Sivils, got me into showing dairy. They’re wonderful, they’re calm, they don’t run away from you and they are very loveable and friendly. I bought Jam, my Brown Swiss from Sivils’ parents.”
Why is Ag important to you?
“I learned a lot of animal stuff, but also leadership skills, and how to talk in front of people. That was a big thing for me.”
What would you like to tell city people?
“Take an ag class. Seriously, I think people need to take the time to learn how food actually gets to their table. Their hamburger came from some kind of cow, and the chicken nuggets used to be a chicken! Very few people realize how important farmers are. The more they are involved in Ag, the more appreciative they are.”
By Leta Dunlap
