March 21, 2018

Leadership and giving back

Topic: Leadership

By Jerrod MacDonald

I have been exposed to production agriculture, the heart of the industry, as long as I can remember, as I was born and raised on my family’s farm and ranch.

The importance of this industry was a realization for me at a very young age. I believe it to be the backbone of the United States, and the industry that this country was built upon. If it wasn’t for American agriculture, our own citizens, along with the rest of the world, would struggle to feed their people.

Personally, agriculture has played a major role in my development. Growing up on the farm, I was taught the value of a dollar. I’ve learned that nothing of great value comes without an abundance of hard work and determination. I know that things worth doing are worth doing right, and that good things don’t always come easy. Every day, I get to experience the wonders of creation through the world around me, in the animals and plants that my family and I are stewards over.

If it wasn’t for agriculture, leadership would be an unfamiliar word to me. Through one of the greatest student organizations, the National FFA Organization, I have learned the true value of what it means to be a leader, and the importance of giving back to others and our communities. This organization has not only taught me many leadership and life skills, but has enabled me to develop many new friendships that I know will last a lifetime through my future career in agriculture.

This is why I hope to further my education, to help give back to the industry that helped to shape me into who I am today.

2018 NDFB Scholarship winners will be announced in May.