Past
National FFA officer speaks to CAFNR students
Whitney
Wallace, posted Sept. 29, 2006
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A large group
of CAFNR students occupied Monsanto Auditorium during
a CAFNR Week guest speaker. Matt Lohr, a farmer, professional
speaker and a member of the Virginia House of Representatives,
was a change of pace for the CAFNR Week events. The
purpose of Lohr’s presentation was to give students
an opportunity to grow professionally during CAFNR Week.
Photo
By Evan Hamilton. |
Matt
Lohr, former National FFA officer, spoke to CAFNR students
Wednesday, Sept. 27 in Monsanto Auditorium. According to Lohr,
communication and determination are important for students
to focus on while continuing the success of the agriculture
industry. As he shared his enthusiasm for the industry with
the audience, he suggested students prepare themselves to
share their own enthusiasm with people everyday.
“The general public is disconnected from agriculture,”
Lohr said. Because of this detachment, he stressed the necessity
of telling the true story of the industry. “Just look
for those opportunities to educate others about agriculture,”
he said. Lohr also concentrated on the power of being determined.
“Those that are truly successful have found that determination,”
he said. Whether through communication or determination, Lohr
helped students understand excitement is a must when trying
to make a difference. “It has to become your passion,”
he said.
Lohr didn’t find these words of wisdom in a stack of
books. This interactive speaker uses his personal experiences
as his inspiration. By growing up on a fifth-generation farm,
he understands the importance of agriculture. After graduating
from Virginia Tech, he returned to the family farm to continue
his passion for the industry. He has been speaking professionally
for 10 years and was recently elected to the Virginia House
of Representatives. His seat in the House is significant,
as he is the only farmer out of the 140 members in both the
House and Senate.
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Brant
Mettler, right, performs the role of a movie director
during Matt Lohr’s, left, interactive presentation
on Wednesday, Sept. 27 in Monsanto Auditorium. Lohr,
a former National FFA officer, spoke to CAFNR students
about the importance of communicating the real story
of agriculture.
Photo
By Evan Hamilton. |
Lohr
was one of the ways CAFNR Week helped students relate to agricultural
leaders. Annette Bruch, sophomore agribusiness management
major, is a member of the 2006 CAFNR Week steering committee.
“We’re in charge of planning and organizing comedy
night, skit night and the speaker,” she said. According
to her, the committee went through a selection process and
found several different speaker options before selecting Lohr.
“We wanted someone that had agriculture experience and
would be able to relate to the CAFNR audience,” she
said.
Bruch also explained the importance of including this activity
in CAFNR Week. “We have events for fun, but we try to
incorporate professional events to get an outside perspective
of agriculture,” she said.
Students have similar feelings toward this CAFNR Week activity.
“It’s an important part of CAFNR Week because
you get to hear about someone else’s experiences,”
said Samantha Blaue, a junior agriculture education major
with a teaching emphasis.
Blaue was inspired by Lohr’s message. “The story
he told about the ag student really helps me look forward
to getting to be an ag teacher,” she said. Lohr’s
use of inspirational stories and audience interaction definitely
had students excited about sharing the story of agriculture.
