Hometown: Monett, Mo.
Age: 18
Parents: Larry and Jodi Wright
FFA Chapter: Monett FFA
Sibling: Lora Wright
What’s your involvement in agriculture?
“We have a 60-cow registered Holstein dairy. I take care of the baby calves and am pretty much in charge of the heifer care and help wherever is needed.”
What’s your involvement in FFA?
“I’m a senior, so I’m pretty much soaking it all in that this will be my last year. I’m an Area 11 FFA officer and we started out with the Area Officer Institute at the Lake of the Ozarks, where we kicked off with some good ideas for our chapter constituents, as well as other members. We want to get members engaged and help other members gain their traction in their years in FFA.”
What’s the best part about living on a family farm?
“Just getting that experience and the opportunity to get the really good work ethic and character, which make you very marketable to employers. Also, you just gain an appreciation for agriculture. I have thought about if I hadn’t been raised on a farm, what would have been different? I get that appreciation of being on a farm that others may never know.”
Among his many achievements, Blake and his sister Lora were members of the national champion FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management Career Development Event team at the 2017 National FFA Convention. The win secured the team an invitation to the 2018 International Dairy Judging Tour of Scotland, England, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.
What are your future plans?
“I am planning to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia and get a degree in agribusiness, maybe with an emphasis in policy, and hopefully advocate for agriculture in that facet, especially for the dairy industry. My goal may not be to go back to the family farm, but I want to encourage others to go back to the farm and continue their traditions. I want to be an advocate for agriculture and keep traditions alive.”
