H-D-CAL freshman advances to state FFA competition

A curiosity for agriculture has led Lily Mason to the Iowa State FFA competition.

The Hampton-Dumont-CAL freshman earned her shot at the state challenge by placing in the top three in the creed speaking category at the district competition earlier this month. She will participate at the state level during the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference in Ames in April 19 to April 22.

In the creed speaking category, participants are required to memorize the FFA Creed and deliver it in front of a panel of judges. Following the address, judges then ask the speaker questions regarding the creed and the mission of FFA.

The accomplishment was surreal to Mason, who is in the first few months of FFA of her career. With no personal background with agriculture, Mason said she jumped into FFA on the influence of her sister, who was also in FFA as a student at H-D-CAL. What she’s found is a blossoming appreciation for agriculture and all it entails.

“I wasn’t too big on it until I actually started being in this class, doing things and getting an idea how much I love agriculture and how much I appreciate it,” she said.

Reciting the creed time and time again, she said, drove home her appreciation for agriculture and allowed her to see the dedication required of an ag industry professional.

“Doing the creed, it really made me respect the people,” she said, adding that the phrase, “as pleasant as well as challenging for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life,” stuck out to her in particular. “It gave me a respect for the people who have to get up every morning, take care of livestock, come be productive at school and then go home and do the same thing late into the night.”

She continued that her newfound appreciation for agricultural professionals has inspired her into her SAE project, which requires a further dive into agriculture.

“Taking the creed and putting it into this, it’s going to help me,” she said. “I want to put myself into someone else’s shoes who lives in agriculture every day and it’s their job. With SAE I can do that and get a better understanding of agriculture.”

Mason said she’s excited for the state competition and aims to advance to nationals, but advancing to state in the first place has already been a major accomplishment to her.

“It didn’t matter to me at first whether I made it or not,” she said. “When I made it to state, I was really overwhelmed. There were so many other people who were more qualified to make it than I am.”