Category Archives: Heifer Ranch

Fleece Navidad

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Editor’s Note: The following post is by Heifer Ranch volunteer Danielle Alleman. Stay tuned for our upcoming Heifer Blog series in 2013, Volunteer Voices.

Heifer Ranch Sheep

Heifer Ranch Sheep. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

What are all those lime green lines on our sheep’s heads you ask? It means they are pregnant! Each and every one of our sheep had an ultrasound recently, and the news is in. We have 89 sheep pregnant at the moment, which means in the spring, BABIES. Lots of them.

This past October our livestock crew worked hard synchronizing, sorting, and supervising each of our 90 female sheep, or “ewes,” to get ready for the breeding season. Not only did we want all of our sheep pregnant, but we also wanted to make sure that they were going to lamb one specific weekend in March.

Why you ask?
Women’s Lambing Program!

Heifer Ranch Sheep

Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Women’s Lambing is a program that happens each year here on the ranch and it is exactly what it sounds like – women from all over the country come to experience lambing and the miracle of birth, all while learning about sheep, farming, and Heifer’s mission.

Although the program does not run until March of next year, the livestock team has been planning for this week for months. Three weeks of hard work went into this process, so that after the sheep’s five-month gestation period, we can have lambs for everyone to see! This is just one of the things that the livestock volunteers are responsible for, and one of the ways that Heifer is able to raise money and provide a worthwhile experience to the participants of this program.

Interested in learning more? More information on the Women’s Lambing Program can be found here.

Heifer Ranch Sheep

Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Give the gift of sheep!

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We Are The Heifer Ranch Volunteers

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Editor’s Note: The following post was written by Heifer Ranch volunteers. Stay tuned in 2013 for our upcoming Heifer Blog series, Volunteer Voices.

More than ever, it is often difficult to feel hopeful about the future – especially when one billion people live in urban slums, and nearly 870 million chronically hungry. Sometimes, it seems that our worries focus more on making money and the status of our economy rather than the plight of those less fortunate than we are. Yet, if we take a moment to slow down, there are people all around us dedicating their time and heart to local, national, and international causes that do make the world a better place. A bell is often ringing outside our supermarkets for the Salvation Army, your barista may mentor refugee children in return for a smile, and on cold winter nights food finds its way into the hands of those who do not have a home to come back to.

Here on the Heifer Ranch there are volunteers from all around the world who come and live on the ranch full-time. We work in the CSA garden, raise and care for livestock, work with school groups, and simply maintain the ranch as a whole.

Heifer Ranch volunteers

Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

But why do we volunteer? Why do people give so much of their time and effort and receive nothing in return? Often volunteering is a learning experience. Many of us had never been on a ranch before, knew nothing about raising livestock, sustainable agriculture, or issues relating to hunger and poverty, yet by being here and pushing ourselves, we have grown. Those that had never touched a sheep in person are now trimming their hooves. We know how to water a garden using a treadle pump after growing up having to just turn a faucet to receive this precious liquid. We have learned how to absorb the staggering statistics revolving around hunger and poverty and then convey this to students in a way that impacts and empowers them to act. And, we have all found ourselves acquiring mountains of crafty knowledge we had never envisioned prior to our arrival. Yet we also learn about who we are, about what we hold dear to ourselves, and what we want in the future.

From this, it may seem that volunteering is a personal activity, one that we do to learn or make ourselves happy. And though this may play a role in us being motivated to volunteer, this is normally not the reason one chooses to volunteer. There are many ways we can learn and gain experience while at the same time receiving something in return, like a job. And yes we often do find joy in the act of volunteering, but this seems to be an unavoidable side affect of performing a selfless act that helps aid others in need. Despite this, happiness is not the motivation of volunteers, because there are many other ways we could be spending our time that would load us full of such hedonistic feelings.

What brings us to volunteer is passion. We find ourselves captivated by so many different things, and for each person our drive is focused differently. Through volunteering we are able to translate our passion into a positive force. Those that are transfixed by the plight of the homeless in their community spend time at food banks and kitchens for the homeless. Those who dream of a food system where we can all thrive and be healthy spend time in community gardens. And those who are captivated by the struggle of those less fortunate in all corners of the Earth volunteer for organizations like Heifer, providing a hand up to those who see no help in sight.

Volunteering is a crucial action. It is one that humbles us, allows us to push past the individualism which often holds us back, gives to those who cannot give, and creates a loving community from which we all can thrive.

It is not that we all become full time residential volunteers, but that we can find the time to volunteer in some capacity. For no matter how small or how little time we have to give we make a difference. We fill a belly, bring about a smile, and empower someone who has never felt powerful.

Volunteers strive to reach that better world and motivate others to take time out of a busy schedule to perform a selfless deed and create a beautiful place to live. We have hope, hope in future where far more people perform work, thinking of someone other than themselves, hope for a better world. And as we write, we have faith that hope will become realize. More people are volunteering and, as on the sign one sees departing the Heifer Ranch, more people “go in peace.”

Heifer Ranch sign.

Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Learn more about the Heifer Ranch, or find out how to become a Heifer Ranch volunteer!

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The Spirit of Volunteerism

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Editor’s note: Today is International Volunteer Day 2012. This year’s theme is “Celebrate Volunteering!” Heifer International is supported by many volunteers, in both developed and developing countries. Today we share accounts from some of those volunteers. The following post is by Richard Ims, residential volunteer at Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas.

Heifer Ranch volunteer Richard milking goat

Richard Ims milks a goat at Heifer Ranch. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

A pessimist, they say, sees a glass of water as being half empty; an optimist sees the same glass as half full.
But a giving person sees a glass of water and starts looking for someone who might be thirsty.

– G. Donald Gale

Research has documented the benefits of volunteering. Health seems to improve both physically and mentally for those who give of themselves for others. But this is not our motivation. It is only a glancing consequence to truly getting behind something we believe in. We’d do it regardless of any quid pro quo perk.

It is a calling.

The very definition of volunteering is a service-act of one’s own freewill…..without compensation. This lack of compensation, at the heart of it, should include any “warm-fuzzy” we might be addicted to as amelioration for our “good” actions. This is the yardstick we use to help critique our own motivation in aiding others. How does this make me feel?  A legitimate question, yes…..but not the compelling factor. We can and should certainly feel fulfilled as a human being when we are able to help relieve another’s plight. This is why we exist. This is why we were created. But the yearning of compassion relentlessly tugs.

Love cannot remain by itself — it has no meaning.
Love has to be put into action, and that action is service.

– Mother Teresa

Therefore, always take the stance of humility and be ready to have your own plight relieved by another….and accept it graciously. To be fully human is in part, to know how to pass on AND receive the gift when freely given. The whole and mature volunteer knows and lives this principle comfortably.

Now allow me to also ponder the agricultural definition of a volunteer [read: a plant which springs up from its own seed]:  “Growing, without being intentionally seeded by hand.”

We volunteers, miraculously grow more deeply without the expectation of constantly being re-seeded by any profit motivation. We just give, as we have been given already from the start, better off for not fully knowing our impact:

It is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;he goes to bed at night and gets up by day,and the seed sprouts up and grows– how, he himself does not know.

– Mark 4:27

We need focus outside our own selves. The lack of this outward focus has been one of the deadliest downfalls of our recent societal trend: Individualism and the stubborn, immature and selfish stance of “me.”

In many ways, WHAT volunteering effort we get behind almost doesn’t matter. It is THAT we get behind something other than ourselves and our own agendas, which makes the difference:

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work,
but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

– Antoine de Saint Exupery

My wife and I have been full-time volunteers for the past 12 years. We’ve had to sacrifice a lot to do this, but no thing greater than our own agendas and ideas of success. Much of our inspiration has come from other volunteers, especially the young voices and activists who have more of a global perspective than we ever did at their ages. It gives us great hope and great pride in the human endeavor.

Only when we give joyfully, without hesitation or thought of gain, can we truly know what love means.

– Leo Buscaglia

Richard's wife, Jina, volunteering in Kitchen at Heifer Ranch

Richard's wife, Jina, volunteering in the kitchen at Heifer Ranch. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Of course, most are not called to full-time volunteering. There are so many important family responsibilities that trump this lifestyle. But the care we give our own family members is also a call in the spirit of volunteerism and “going beyond the call of duty,” which nurtures and manifests that same spirit in our future generations through leading by example.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

– Aesop

So serve in the situation and opportunity your creator has given you already. Then be open and vigilant to the opportunities that pervade your own community. In this way we may gracefully expand into the void that begs to be filled by love and care and then without fail, the act exponentially multiplies and causes a ripple effect.

How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment: we can start now, start slowly changing the world! How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make a contribution toward introducing justice straight away.

– Anne Frank

It is pure pleasure to know that we work with fellow volunteers and in our own way, foster greater Love, Peace and Joy in the human spirit; to encourage and be encouraged. Remain steadfast and please don’t let the task-oriented, hard-wiring of our society make you forget why you do what you do. Volunteering is way beyond a job, so don’t make it one. Take the time to smell the roses you are planting through your positive energy and desire to serve. In this way, we journey together to one day become more fully human.

I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.
Those among you who will be truly happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.

– Dr. Albert Schweitzer

Become a Heifer Volunteer.

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CSA Model Helps Feed the World

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Editor’s note: Today is World Food Day. This year’s theme is “Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world.” The following post is from Ryan Neal, who runs the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) garden at Heifer’s Learning Center at Heifer Ranch.

CSA volunteers on harvest day

Heifer Ranch CSA helpers with a bountiful harvest. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

There are probably as many types of agricultural cooperatives as varieties of tomatoes.  Whether consumer- or producer-run, cooperatives are a major player in feeding the globe.  Locally run examples include your local agriculture co-op where farmers purchase supplies, or even farmers markets where those same farmers get together to sell their products. Cooperatives have proven to be successful models in development when small farmers can get together in order to fill large orders needed by grocery stores.

Our model here at Heifer Ranch is commonly referred to as Community Supported Agriculture or CSA. The basic premise of this type of cooperative is participants, or “shareholders,” buy a share of our garden for the spring and summer growing seasons.  They do this in advance of the harvest in order to cover some of our upfront costs such as seeds, organic fertilizer, etc. In exchange we deliver to these shareholders a variety (typically seven to nine types) of vegetables each week, which changes as the weather warms. This type of cooperation allows the consumers a real connection to a farm and gives the farmer a chance to focus on production rather than marketing during the busy season.

Harvesting day on a CSA is a group effort.

Harvesting day at the Heifer Ranch CSA is a group effort. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Feeding the world’s expected 9 billion people in 2050 will take more than a one-size-fits-all approach, and local cooperatives such as the one supported at Heifer Ranch might prove critical in supplying the sufficient quality and quantity of food we have come to expect. CSAs are present in many communities around the United States as well as the world. In fact, this model originated in Europe and Japan more than 50 years ago. CSAs can be found that support multiple farmers as well as multiple types of farmers.  A recent winter CSA started in the Little Rock, Arkansas, area, for example, includes meat, vegetables and eggs from three different farms.

CSA helpers at Heifer Ranch

Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Check out localharvest.org/csa/ for examples in your area.

Are you a CSA member? Tell us about your CSA in the comments section below.

Read more of Heifer’s coverage of World Food Day 2012 here.

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Finding Inspiration Close to Home

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One of my favorite things about my job is traveling around the world and meeting the incredible people with whom we work – the inspiring women, the innovative men, and the curious children.

And sometimes, to meet such people, my travel is much shorter, just an hour’s drive away to Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas.

I traveled with Heifer’s executive leadership team and Ish from sr4partners (incredible organization, you should check them out!) and we spent almost two days at the Heifer Ranch. Our group consisted of Steve Denne, COO; Bob Bloom, CFO; Cindy Jones-Nyland, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Resource Development ; Leesa Ferguson, Vice President of Human Resources, René Rockwell, Executive Office Director and Board Liaison; Hilary Haddigan, Director of Planning and Effectiveness; and of course, myself.

During our stay we were invited to dinner with the volunteers (these volunteers actually live and work on the farm). The catch? We were cooking dinner!

The first order of business was to review our ingredients and see what we could create.

There was a delicious array of food (not shown above!) grown by the wonderful people at the Ranch.

So we organized our menu, assigned tasks and we got to work!

As the meal began to come together, the kitchen filled with jokes, stories and laughter.

It wasn’t as if this was our first time together. We all see each other in meetings and around the office and we talk… a LOT…every day. The difference, of course, was the environment. Oh and the food! There’s something incredible about cooking your meal and knowing that the food that you’re preparing came from the land, just outside. Heifer Ranch has a great Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that provides seasonal produce from the end of April until September and all the food is grown in a certified, organic, agricultural environment - now that’s what I call good eating!

Our finished spread was delicious and included fried chicken, pasta with a marinara sauce, stuffed bell peppers, a chocolate bread pudding, and additional treats provided by the volunteers.

But that wasn’t even the best part. The highlight was the opportunity to break bread with various Ranch volunteers and other Heifer co-workers. It wasn’t just about the food

(although it was a delightful perk!), it was also about the conversation and camaraderie.

The Ranch has these incredible volunteers that come from across the United States and even from other countries (a current volunteer is from Morocco!) and they range from students just out of high school to retirees. There jobs entail so much more than just tending to the agriculture. They also lead the educational programming, care for livestock, maintain facilities and provide operations support.

This was Ish’s second time at the Ranch and I asked him what he thought. He said, “From the moment you are at the Ranch and meeting with the volunteers and staff, you can just feel the commitment and the dedication. This is Heifer’s mission and vision in action. All of these people are committed to Heifer’s inspiring work.”

And he’s absolutely right. What matters to these people is the ability to serve and work towards Heifer’s mission of ending hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. They want to see a change, and they recognize that they can help set the wheels in motion. It really is inspiring.

In our conversations, we learned the stories of the volunteers, how they heard about Heifer, what their future plans were and we even had some volunteers share their innovative ideas (I have a whole list!). One volunteer shared with us: “The Ranch changed my life. I feel strongly connected to making sure it continues to be a source of empowerment, knowledge and motivation.”

In addition to discussions of ending hunger and poverty, we managed to squeeze in a few games of Foosball. It’s one of the rare times you’ll see Steve and me on opposite teams. I think I held my own!

It was an early night for us as Steve, Cindy, Bob, Leesa, René, Hilary, and I still had another day of discussions and brainstorming. But a dinner with the volunteers was just what we needed to keep up our momentum and morale.

If you’re looking for a way to connect to Heifer’s work closer to home, I highly suggest a visit to Heifer’s Ranch. For more information, visit Heifer’s website.

I thank the wonderful volunteers at the Ranch for a lovely time and I can’t wait for my next visit.

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Heifer Around the Web: Garbage-Men Care For the Earth with Eco-Friendly Music

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Every Sunday we will highlight some of the people who are funding our work creatively or helping us spread the word of our mission online. If you spot Heifer International while you’re surfing the web or know of a fun or creative fundraising effort, please share it with us here in the comments.

This is one of the most interesting stories I’ve come across lately. The Garbage-Men, a fun eco-friendly band of teenagers from Sarasota, Florida, make music using instruments made from recycled materials: guitars from boxes, a horn from pipes, and a keyboard from old bottles. Not only are they eco-friendy and care for the Earth, they give 100 percent of the money from one of their CDs, as well as money from merchandise, to Heifer. Read all about The Garbage Men on Time for Kids and their own website, thegarbagemen.com.

Garbage-Men play instruments from recycled objects

Teen band The Garbage-Men perform: (left to right) Jack Berry, Ollie Gray, Harrison Paparatto, Austin Siegel and Evan Tucker. Photo by Robin Rosen, www.timeforkids.com.

Basketball game for Heifer

Faculty and staff play students in a basketball game that benefits Heifer International. Photo credit: www.wabi.tv

Further north in Maine, the International Club at Eastern Maine Community College put together a basketball game with teams made up of students vs. coaches and faculty – entertaining for all. All the proceeds went to Heifer International. Watch some video taken by the local news here.

You’ll want to keep an eye on this group of adventures, the Arkansas Chuggabuggs. They are taking part in the grueling Mongol Rally, a 10,000 kilometer, six-week adventure across Eurasia in a second-hand car. They’ve selected Heifer  International as their team’s charity, and we can’t wait to hear more about their adventure!

Teen volunteer Kara Shen, of Central Bucks East, was honored at the 2012 Bucks County Teen Volunteer of the Year awards ceremony along with about a dozen other teens. Her work includes volunteering at Doylestown Hospital, teaching English to a class at a rural elementary school in Taiwan, serving as a peer tutor and participating in various service initiatives through Heifer International and the Key Club. Congratulations Kara!

Turkey at Heifer Ranch

A turkey walking the grounds at Heifer Ranch. Photo Credit: Flour Sack Mama

Flour Sack Mama (read the about section to find out the reason for the interesting name) blogger and her family visited Heifer Ranch. She wrote about their experiences and the Ranch itself every day this past week, well worth the read.

Nchimunya Muganya writes an opinion piece for the Times of Zambia on the positives of goat farming, and gives Heifer a mention about our willingness to set up a goat processing plan to enhance processing technology and value addition in the sector.

 

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Heifer Ranch Trains New Farmers

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Some residents of the Arkansas Delta – potential participantsin Heifer’s new Seeds of Change project – got their first look at functioning organic agriculture last weekend at Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Ark.

Trainer Chuck Crimmins shows off new seedlings

Because there are few examples of chemical-free agriculture in the Delta, where cash crops dominate, the four visitors had a lot to learn. Some have already grown crops on the fertile Delta land and others are first-time producers. They were intrigued by niche animal agriculture, including goats, chickens, and bees.

Farmer Everette Woods
Everette Woods of Colt, Ark. currently farms 240 acres of wheat, soy, and sorghum. “When I was young, I swore I’d never go into farming,” he chuckled. But eventually the family business called him back.

Now, as Woods feels himself being squeezed out of the industry by larger players, he’s looking to try a different style of farming. Heifer is a natural partner. Seeing the breadth of knowledge needed to keep an organic farm in balance without chemicals he marveled, “This is hard work!”

The Ranch has been in Heifer’s hands since 1971, originally used to raise livestock that was shipped overseas. Since Heifer began locally sourcing its animals within other countries, the Ranch has been used mainly to educate the public and Heifer supporters. The training day represents a chance for the Ranch to participate directly in Heifer’s mission, as a training facility and resource for project participants.

In one day, trainers Chuck Crimmins and Paul Casey could only skim their detailed knowledge of sustainable agriculture. Every question that the participants asked only cracked another volume of unique challenges and clever solutions. Rotating crops for healthy soil? Chuck could spend days on it. Sheep parasites? Paul could write a book.

Trainer Chuck Crimmins and Chris Johnson of Hughes, Ark. talk chickens.
The participants got more out of their trip than technical instruction, though. Their eyes were opened to opportunity. They learned about the sizzling market for locally-produced food and saw the potential for earning money with Earth-friendly farming. “I feel like a kid again, going on a field trip,” said Antoine Burks, from Hughes, Ark. “Except this was a field trip of dreams.”
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Sustainable Agriculture at Heifer Ranch

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This past weekend, the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) held their annual conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. Several of our Heifer staff were able to attend and have generously shared their reflections. The first is from Linda Meyers, communications team member, who participated in the pre-conference field trip to our Learning Center at Heifer Ranch.

Photo by Linda Meyers, courtesy of Heifer International

When I was asked to join a field trip to Heifer Ranch I jumped at the chance. Get out of the office for an afternoon on a beautiful, unseasonably warm and sunny January day, and learn more about the great work Heifer does and share that with other people – sounded like a fun day to me.

I’ve been at Heifer International since October, and have learned so much I didn’t know. Today was going to be no different. SSAWG (Southern Sustainable Agriculure Working Group) conference attendees took part in a pre-conference field trip to Heifer Ranch to learn about Community Supported Agriculture.

I had been to farmers’ markets before but before I came to Heifer I never put much thought into it. I am realizing every day the importance of these small farmers and their sustainable farming practices, and love the idea of CSAs.

What is CSA? (You may already know the answer to this, but I didn’t before my field trip.) Heifer Ranch’s Ryan Neal explained that Heifer grows the produce, and has a group of investors that pay a predetermined amount every year, and share in the bounty (or lack thereof) of the farm’s output. If the week’s output is good, they get a lot of produce, if it is bad, their produce is slim. It’s a gamble, one that small farmer’s live with all the time, but being a part of such a venture seems pretty positive to me. It is a great way to support small farms and get a steady supply of fresh produce as well.

After Ryan’s presentation on Heifer’s CSA, the group took a hayride to see the Ranch and to have a closer look at a field filled with crops, the greenhouse, a trailer that’s really a refrigerator that somehow helps with the air-conditioning (technical talk that went a bit above me). Heifer representatives talked not only about the CSA, but also about the education done at the Ranch, the global village, and Heifer International’s work across the world.

I had the chance to talk with a couple of field trippers during our stop at the field. Beth Blackwell, an enforcement agent at the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry from Southeast Louisiana, knew Heifer’s work well and had this to say: “I wholeheartedly believe in Heifer’s mission. You can throw money at a problem but if you’re not teaching them, they will never get out of the situation they are in. Heifer Ranch is great! It gives people who don’t have to do this type of work a better appreciation for those who do.”

Beth wants to be able to teach the farmers she deals with in her job, as well as her parents, how to use every bit of their land to make all the extra income they can.

“Farming isn’t like it once was,” she said, “and every little bit can help. There is land between the tree rows that can be used for extra crops or even goats or other livestock.” She was excited to learn about options like this at the SSWAG conference and see it in action at the Heifer Ranch. She even mentioned that this is an important element in Heifer projects around the world.

Lois Swords, from Atlanta, Georgia, has been donating animals through Heifer for 12 years. “I’m thrilled to be here to see this. I gave a Heifer gift in honor of my aunt in Virginia and sent her a card. She wrote back to me, excited to tell me she was a member of the Church of the Brethren, which started the whole thing. Having a face, live and in-person, even the videos on the bus on the way out, has been really informative. I see now how worldwide Heifer International really is, and what organization it takes to make it all happen. Seeing how truly complex it is has been really amazing. It’s not just getting online and ordering honeybees; it’s so much more.”

It was, to say the least, very refreshing to talk to people who believe in Heifer’s work and were as excited as I was to spend a day at the Ranch, learning, networking, and feeling a part of the mission to end hunger and poverty across the globe.

To see photos of our field trip, go to our flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heifer/sets/72157628952677673/with/6730646059/
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We Must Because We Can

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Last month, a group of state officers from the Arkansas Association of the National FFA Organization spent a weekend at the Heifer International Learning Center at Heifer Ranch and were generous to share their reflections with us. For your lunchtime reading this week, we’ll pass these reflections on to you.


From Arkansas FFA State Reporter, Brittany Richert

This past weekend the State Officers had the opportunity to spend the weekend at the Heifer Village with the newly elected National Officers. Our group learned about the statistics of hunger and how Heifer is involved in changing those statistics. Our group also experienced living in typical housing conditions of third-world countries. For example, I spent the night in a circular brick hut with a concrete floor and a banana thatch roof. This hut did not have a door or electricity. There was no stove. The window remained uncovered in the cold night. To say the least, it was uncomfortable. Six of us shared a meal of three potatoes, five small carrots, and four turnips boiled on a fire outside the hut. The next morning, all twenty participants shared one communal pot of oatmeal, and then went about typical daily chores of Zambian and Guatemalan villagers.  I had a three hour drive home, so I obviously had a lot of time to reflect on my experiences in the Heifer Global Village. Now that I am home, I find myself in utter amazement at all the things I take for granted. I know I am so blessed to have the things I do, but to finally notice and appreciate the things I take for granted every day, and it is a huge wake up call.  When I walk into a room I flip a switch and never have to question the lights will come on. In my Zambian hut there was no electricity. Each person in my house has their own bedroom, with other rooms to spare. In my Zambian hut, six of us slept on the concrete floor in the only room there was. Not only do I have a locking door at the front of my house, I have a locking door to my own room. The Zambian hut had no door at all. I felt very exposed and almost unprotected. At home I have running water, both hot and cold. I have heat and air. I have a toothbrush. I wear makeup. I eat three meals a day and snack in between. I have pictures on the wall and food in my refrigerator. My family has several sets of silverware. I have enough clothes to pile up my dirty ones for a week if I’m lazy enough. My point is, when I “lived in Zambia” I didn’t have any of those things. These are things I take for granted every day. No, my family is not high class, but we do enjoy better-than-simple things. I get worn out on luxuries every day that other people never even hear about in their whole entire lifetime. This summer the State Officers hosted Hunger Banquets for the members and for the National FFA Alumni. We knew the facts and had sympathy, but now we know the feeling, even in one day, and have empathy. Sympathy and empathy are two different things. To sympathize with is to feel sorry for. To empathize with is to put oneself in to another person’s shoes, to understand their situation.  This summer the State Officers talked the talked, but this weekend we walked the walk. FFA members, it is time to take action. It is time to practice empathy and to improve others’ lives. The majority of the world goes without basic necessities every day. One in seven people on this planet are literally and painfully starving. We have the means to change the world. Now, let’s go out and do it. Donate food. Donate money. Donate time; volunteer. Promote awareness. Get informed! Make a difference. We must because we can.

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We Can Do All We Can to Help End World Hunger

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Last month, a group of state officers from the Arkansas Association of the National FFA Organization spent a weekend at the Heifer International Learning Center at Heifer Ranch and were generous to share their reflections with us. For your lunchtime reading this week, we’ll pass these reflections on to you.


From Arkansas FFA Southern District Vice President, Emily Hawkins

There are eight of us walking down a long narrow path while we carry all we have on our backs. We are a family. Our eldest was soon to be bedridden if we did not get medicine for him soon. We barely saved him, but in the process we had to trade all of our metal for his medication. Another is pregnant and will give birth any day now. We will have to find shelter soon at least for tonight. After a few minutes we reached our destination, and might I add we were pretty excited to get this evenings’ exploration started. Quickly we put our sleeping materials in the best place we could find and then rummaged through the few supplies we had left. In our food basket we had almost two cups of rice, which could last a while. We also had a rag or two. They could come in handy, but I was starting to worry. We did not have any pots, bowls, or even silverware, but we did have each other. There was not any firewood close around to use, because it has rained a lot lately. What would we do? I knew we would need all the strength we could get for the night to come, especially with the baby coming. So a plan was made. The elder stayed back to watch over our belongings while half of us went West to the surrounding villages and the other half North to do the same. We did this to ask if any other families had anything to spare. 
 
Our group made it to a Guatemalan village. I could tell this family was well off. They had chickens, a goat, and a beautiful garden. Not to mention a gorgeous house and running water. There were four of them. Each came out greeting us with very warm smiles. They also had someone expecting. Listening to us with open ears, the Guatemalan family graciously invited us to dinner that night and also granted us with an unlimited amount of water supply. We were filled with much joy just thinking about the dinner we would soon get to eat. We hurried back to tell the others. Everyone was so excited. We now had a place to sleep for the night, a warm meal, and fire wood the other group had received. What else could we ask for? There was absolutely nothing else, because we were so blessed for the night! The family in the Zambian village was not as kind. The Guatemalan family had also invited them to dinner, so we could all have a big feast. We learned the Zambian family had the best and most dried wood out of all the villages. Two members of that family had agreed to bring wood and a few more vegetables before asking the rest of their family. After going back and discussing, the other members of the Zambian family did not agree. So we lacked a little bit, but nothing we couldn’t live without. Dinner was being made.
     
The dinner with the Guatemalan family was wonderful. To top it all off while the food was preparing the Guatemalan’s had their baby. Everything was going great. Afterwards we invited our new friends back to our place to gather around our camp fire. We told several stories and got to know each other very well. Our baby was delivered at this time, and everyone was excited. After a little while we all decided to start heading to bed, because it was so dark and getting very cold. We parted our ways after inviting everyone to breakfast. It was the least we could do. 
     
Waking up this morning around 7:15, but I’m not really sure. My back is killing me, I cannot feel my feet because it was so cold last night, and I really don’t want to leave; I just want a little more sleep. I peek around my cover to see the structure that kept part of the wind off my family last night. It was not much. It was basically an old run down chicken coop, but it was better than sleeping on the bare ground with no protection from the weather or any of the animals living in the woods. My family and I momentarily live in what everyone else calls the slums. This doesn’t matter to us though, because home is where the family is. Moving around so much we have to view it this way.  At any given moment the police or anyone for that matter could run us out. We do not have much to carry, but there is only so many hours in the day we have to find another shelter for the night. For the time being we only worried about breakfast and our chores for the day. The Guatemalans brought oats, brown sugar, and raisins. We cooked the meal and dispersed it among us. Even the Zambian family came despite their recent decisions. We all made peace with each other and ate our meal happily. Later in the morning we washed the dishes that were used, and then joined the Guatemalan family making bricks.
     
Isn’t it funny how we live our lives day by day not thinking about poverty or world hunger? When we skip a meal later that same day we will say “Man, I’m starving!” Without even thinking we can say something that seems so small, but in reality happens everywhere twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The experience I have described was my own at the heifer international village in Perryville, Arkansas. Along with the National FFA Officers, the Arkansas FFA Officer team had the most amazing opportunity to live one night like someone in poverty. Though it wasn’t as severe, I now understand a little more about poverty and world hunger. I could barely sleep throughout the night. Each time I woke up I wanted to scream “How can people live like this?!” Then just as quickly I realized many people do, and not by choice. There I am feeling discomfort for one night, while people live like this every single day. This not only happens in other countries though. Many live like this here in America, basically in our own back yard. We walk by several people every day not truly knowing if they had eaten yet that day. Faces we see on a regular basis can seem so happy, even though they know the only meal they will receive that day is from school at lunch time.  Our theme this year is I believe. As FFA members we need to believe we can do all we can to help end world hunger.

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