A Budding Farmer - High School Student Loves Agriculture
Attention High School Students
Growing Up Houston is a department for our high school student writers, photographers, illustrators and poets. Let our issue themes inspire you and submit your entry to kim@ediblehouston.com (visit ediblehouston.com/growinguphouston for the rules). We will publish our favorite(s). Upcoming issue themes: celebration, conservation, and meat matters!
How Agriculture Has Changed Me
Before I joined an agriculture class, I focused mostly on myself. Agriculture has changed me by making me more responsible, using time management and respecting others. When I joined FFA I wanted to do all the animals I could show or fit into our barn. I have been lucky enough to show chickens, pigs and a heifer.
When the first show was over I decided I wanted animals that I could keep at home all year long. I wanted yard chickens, and my parents said, “Sure, you can get yard chickens.” I got about 10 chickens, and my mom actually surprised me. Over the next two months each time I would go to the feed store with my mom we would pick out four to six more. It took about six months, but I will never forget the time I went into the henhouse and found our first egg.
It was so exciting to know that I had fed and taken care of these little chicks that were now laying eggs. About six months after our first egg I decided that I wanted to incubate and hatch some eggs so that I could get more chicks. So my dad went to the feed store and found an incubator, brought it home and got me all set up. Over the last year I have incubated quite a few eggs, and have even added quail, turkeys and ducks to our flock.
For the last two years I have shown pigs. To me pigs have some of the funniest personalities. You have to work with them every day by walking them, rinsing them and brushing them. It’s almost like having a big dog.
Last spring I was lucky enough to participate in the Montgomery County Calf Scramble. I didn’t catch a calf, but I ended up getting a hard luck award, which means I never gave up and I received a voucher to get my very own heifer. This summer I when I got my heifer, Gertie, I was so happy all I wanted to do was be with her. She is my 800-pound baby. She has been by far my most favorite animal to take care of and show.
As you can tell, agriculture has changed me in many ways. Agriculture has taught me to be more responsible by making sure all my animals are taken care of. It has also taught me to use my time wisely because I have homework and other chores to do. And finally, Agriculture has taught me to respect others, because everyone has a different way of doing things. I would say my favorite thing to do is agriculture.
