Tag Archives: Arkansas

From the CEO: Fighting Poverty Locally

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When some people think of hunger and poverty, they picture people struggling in different parts of the world – many of the countries where Heifer is already working. Very rarely do we picture families and individuals that are living in the United States, but it is a reality we need to recognize.

Many Americans are just one major illness or job loss away from sliding below the poverty line, and millions are already there. Roughly 46 million people in the United States live below the official poverty line. One in every five children in the country is food insecure, meaning he or she may have to forgo nutritious foods or meals all together because there’s not enough money to pay for them.

I think we overlook the poverty here in the U.S. because it is difficult to accept and it is even embarrassing. With all the abundance of resources we have, why are people still hungry? Whatever the reason is – perhaps lack of knowledge or lack of access – it is undeniable that families are struggling.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. And it is not a problem that “someone else” can fix. I want to ensure that we rid the world of hunger and poverty, and sometimes that means that the work starts at home.

I’ve received many letters or met with donors that have asked me how they can support Heifer’s work in the United States. Heifer USA recently kicked off Seeds of Change, a five-year project to support and cultivate sustainable community food systems and create jobs in Arkansas and Appalachia. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other partners, Heifer USA will build a food system value chain that connects farmers with businesses , markets and their communities. I’m so excited about the outcomes from this project and most important is that this project links healthy local food and meaningful work.

Photograph by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

Now this work will not happen overnight. It will take a lot of time, dedication and effort – from ourselves and from our participants – but change is coming.

Hunger and poverty aren’t tomorrow’s problems. We need to address them today, and with your support we can help families and individuals in need become empowered, self-reliant and economically stable.

I invite you to read the latest issue of the World Ark to read more about Heifer’s work in the United States and how you can support Heifer USA’s Seeds of Change.

The Seed of Change is Planted in Hughes

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Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari and Pearlie S. Reed of the
 USDA sign a proclamation of their support for the Delta.
Photo by Russell Powell.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, Heifer and USDA officials on Monday marked a joint focus on areas of the impoverished Arkansas Delta. The flatlands there are some of the poorest parts of the United States.

The ceremony took place in the town of Hughes, a place where, despite a dwindling population, drug abuse, narrow opportunities and poverty, many residents still share a sense of place and hope for their children.

Photo by Russell Powell.

There’s one store to buy food in Hughes, one gas station and a diner. Some homes in town are tidy and neat, defying their age, while others have caved-in roofs, boarded-up windows and insulation bursting from the walls. It can be difficult to distinguish the abandoned houses from the occupied ones.

Photo by Russell Powell.

At Monday’s ceremony, all the people who are trying to turn Hughes around – scores of them – gathered to celebrate the new Seeds of Change program. Its aim is to increase income in this agricultural area by building up a sustainable local food system.

The produce section at Hughes’ grocery store.
Photo by Russell Powell.

One speaker, Dr. Robert Cole, the director of the East Arkansas Enterprise Community, mentioned the Bible verse that says even if you only have faith as tiny as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible to you. “Today,” Cole said, “the seed is planted.”


Cole was saying that with hope and hard work, we can create something much, much larger than anyone envisioned at the beginning.

Heifer CEO Pierre Farrari was given a new hat by Delta officials.
He’s joined by Robert Cole of EAEC and Theodore Eldridge, Sr.
Photo by Russell Powell.

When Cole said, “Today, the seed is planted,” I looked around and knew it to be true. Seeing all the people, from inside and outside Hughes, gathered with such hope and excitement, I saw that Hughes is fertile ground in more ways than one.


Leaders in the town are ready for positive change, and with the right plan, Heifer International will now be a partner in their transformation.

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.

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.

Supplies Are Not Just Materialistic, But Mental

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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 Eastern District Vice President, Clayton Harlan

On the weekend of December 16th through the 18th Arkansas FFA officers and National FFA staff and officers paired up with Heifer International and Elanco at Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas. Over the course of this weekend our group took a look at poverty and world hunger and Heifer Internationals role in it. Our group quickly became a family by our engagement in team building activities and our opportunity to live firsthand in the lives of those in third world countries. On the 17th we were randomly grouped into different countries between Guatemala, Zambia, and the Slums. Each country had its own sort of luxury. For example, Guatemala had unlimited access to a water source, and a house with doors and electricity. Zambia had started out with the firewood that countries would need to split in order to cook food, and Zambia was a small brick hut with a concrete floor with no doors. While the Slums started out with nothing of a luxury, the slums did offer a fire pit, and a wooden shack with old wooden floors.  Guess which country I was placed into, the Slums. The family of 8 that called the Slums home for the night started off with only 1 ½ cup of rice, no fire or metal to cook our food with. We quickly realized we had an ultimatum we either starved that night or we paired up with another country and ate with them. Our family soon sought help from Guatemala family of 4. When we arrived at the Guatemala household we soon found ourselves talking with two representatives of the 6 of Zambia. We together formulated an idea to have a big meal with all three countries sharing their supplies. Soon after our countries split from Guatemala to fetch the rest of our supplies and meet back at Guatemala, Zambia decided they didn’t want to engage in our dinner that included all the countries, soon after they completely exiled themselves from the rest of us.
     
This is when my eyes opened. Being from the slums we started with nothing, we had no way to cook what little food we had, we had the worst living conditions of the three countries, and we needed others to assist us just to help us make it by. When Zambia broke away from our agreement about dinner, I instantly thought,” How could they?” I couldn’t grasp the fact that they didn’t want to work together and to help everyone out. Then it hit me how often does this happen in the world. When promises are made then broken. My family in the slums like many millions of families around the world lost hope. Hope is created by promises, and hope instills confidence. Our family lost all sense of hope and confidence in a few seconds because one country wasn’t willing to share their supplies with others. This was just on a small scale of 18 people; could you imagine this happing in real life with roughly 7 billion people?
     
Over the course of this weekend I realized supplies are not just materialistic, but mental. We use materialistic supplies to help build our mental supplies. Doors create a sense of security, stocked refrigerators let us know where our next meal will come from, medicine helps us stay healthy from disease, best of all anything materialistic is factored into one emotion, Hope. I hope each and every one of you not only donate your time, money, food, but you also create a promise and instill hope and confidence in the lives of others and not only help build material supplies, but emotional supplies around the world.

By Then We Appreciated Every Bite

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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 them on to you. Read the other reflections in this series here. 


From Arkansas FFA Northwest District Vice President, John Coffey

Put simply, it was an experience unlike any other.  The thoughts are a little jumbled up- it was a lot to take in, in a rather short weekend.  I guess the best way to go about it will be to just write out the weekend, point by point.  If that is not what you want, discussion on the lessons learned is at the bottom.
     
We got there Friday afternoon, and were greeted by some of the nicest people I have ever met.  They made us feel right at home, and made sure we were all taken care of.  The rooms they gave us were very nice, neat, and comfortable.  Supper that night was very good, and afterwards we began our discussion on the issue of hunger and food insecurity.  National staff facilitated discussion on what we know, what we think we know, and what we don’t know, about hunger.  We didn’t answer many questions at all at that time- we let them stew to be talked about later on, after we got out of the village.  Free time follow supper, during which we spent some time with the national officers, talking, playing games, telling stories, and getting to know each other better.  
     
Saturday morning came a little earlier than would have been nice, but a good breakfast of biscuits and gravy in classic Couchdale style made it better.  A Heifer Project presenter gave us an overview of Heifer, and taught us the process involved with helping communities help themselves.  It was very interesting and informative.  A cold “hayride” and tour later, we made it to a warm building where they began facilitating team building activities, helping us come out of our shells, grow more comfortable with each other, and get to know each other even better.  They were pretty simple activities, but they made us open our eyes, broaden our perspectives, think outside the box, and work together.  Seemingly impossible activities were done- running 18 people underneath a swinging rope in one try, untangling two people connected by rope handcuffs, getting all 18 people from one, maybe 5 foot by 5 foot, platform, across to another smaller platform and finally to a 5 by 5 foot platform, using only 2 boards, neither of which was long enough to reach the next platform.  The facilitators were adequate, not quite used to our age group, but they definitely did a good enough job.  It was an excellent experience.
     
After a great lunch, we gathered all the belongings we were going to take into the village and went to the village barn.  They had us think about different aspects of our lives that affected our standard of living and our quality of life, and how those were similar in our own group, but different around the world.  We finally took a tour of the village, discovered who would have to have a “baby” (water balloon held by a sash), who would lead a group discussion, who would be affected by a life crisis, and what the families were and where we would live.  Every action once we were in our families had direct consequences.  If the baby died (water balloon popped), then our family had to mourn for 30 minutes, either with silence or by keening.  Each family came to a decision on the life crisis.  They could have a severe consequence for the family member it pertained to, or they could give up something undetermined in their supplies.  In Zambia, if we would have chosen to keep the supplies, Brittany would have had to go blind folded until bedtime.  Because we chose not to make her do that they took a couple potatoes, a couple turnips, and a couple carrots out of our food supplies.  They took the pots from the slums, and a few eggs and oil from Guatemala.  Supplies were doled out to each family, none of us having enough supplies to really make it on our own.  Guatemala had the water rights.  Without water, none of the food could really be cooked.  Zambia had the firewood, without which it would have been a very long and cold night.  The slums had to cook breakfast, and that was basically it.  Once we were placed in the village, we were left, and they said they would come back early in the morning and we needed to be ready with everything packed up and at the barn.  Then we left American society.
     
The village life was interesting.  Within 10 minutes we were bartering for food and supper, wood and water.  Everyone initially decided to come and meet up for supper, making a community meal where all would eat some and have a pretty balanced meal.  Zambia then stepped out of the treaty, wanting to fend for themselves.  We were threatened at our hut that since we had already pooled the resources we needed to barter with, we had nothing and could not step out.  Anarchy ensued.  Their representative was, held up, so the other village wouldn’t know what had happened, while one of our family went to talk to the others and get our pot, turnips, and some water back.  We were successful, and had soup for supper.  While it was adequate for one night, it would not have been a good enough meal for several nights in a row.  Cooking it took forever, and making supper really gave us an appreciation for how cooking in such conditions would be.  Breakfast the next morning consisted of oatmeal, with raisins and a little brown sugar.  By then we appreciated every bite.  
     
Sunday morning was cold.  We met at the barn and got started on chores.  The slums washed dishes, Guatemala made bricks, and Zambia went and picked turnips.  After chores we discussed how the worlds population is dispersed over the globe, and how individual income differs.  This was followed by a debrief of the weekend.
     
Some big things they really hit on that I noticed and liked- 

The activities they had us do we mostly whatever we made of them.  There were no reactions they were really looking for; they just wanted us to see how we would react.  Once we got to the village we were on our own.  They gave us general rules to follow, it was up to us to follow them or not.  They would give us directions and not explain them very well, wanting us to react however we perceived them.  While this doesn’t always work, it did in this case because the way the activities were presented.  

They wanted us to participate, not anticipate.  They wanted every experience to be fresh and not expected.  Information was purposefully withheld to prevent this.  We got a more genuine experience because we didn’t have preconceptions about what we were doing.  Everything, especially in the village, was more real, more meaningful, because of this.  

A lot of the activities they built up to.  For example, at one point we had to get all 18 of us through a rope they were spinning.  It started out that we just needed to get all of us through.  We went one at a time, and were trying to plan and strategize while others were going, and after we had all gone, realized they were counting how many spins it took us.  Going back through, they challenged us to go through in fewer spins.  We strategized before they started, and cut it down by more than 20 spins.  They challenged us to go through in even fewer, so we did.  Finally they challenged us to go through in one spin, which we didn’t think was possible at first, but by the end, we were willing to try, and we succeeded. 

The problem with saying what people learned from the trip is that everyone is different.  The activities are created so that everyone learns the way they are the most comfortable with, and so they learn different things, depending on their strengths.  

I learned a lot about Heifer Project.  They are a wonderful organization that works to make a big difference in the world, which includes the United States.  They operate on the basis of 12 ideals, which they came up with to define their involvement with farmers.  Those 12 stones help Heifer accomplish their goal of making communities self-sufficient.  They have had, and continue to have, a lot of success.  With our help, their success can only be increased.

We Take for Granted the Little Things

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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 them on to you. Read the other reflections in this series here. 


From Arkansas FFA State Secretary, Ethan Thomas

Imagine that every day you had to wake up to garbage knee deep in the streets and your water supply was so toxic that drinking it could kill you. Life in the Urban Slums is just that. On December 16 through the 18, I had the opportunity to experience what it’s like to live in the Urban Slums. Heifer International has a village in Perryville, Arkansas that is designed to look like various third world countries. They had houses and work that associated with each country. 

Our day started out with numerous team building exercises. We then progressed through a tour of all the different villages. We went to Guatemala, to the Urban Slums, to the Appalachian Mountain Range, down to Zambia and various others. As we made our way back to the beginning we were separated into our families by drawing a number. The number I drew was 17 and wouldn’t you know it whoever had picked the number 17 was one of three “mothers.” The water balloon, aka the “baby”, was wrapped in a cloth and cocooned to keep it safely strapped around us. Once we were divided into our families, 8 in the slums, 4 in Guatemala, and 6 in Zambia we had a crisis to solve. One of our family members had “dysentery” and would be bedridden throughout the whole experience unless we gave up all of our metal to sell for medicine. As a family we decided to sell our pots and pans and utensils to cure our family member. The other families had similar crises and chose to give up items so everyone would get the full experience.  Along with very little food each family was given some sort of resource, Guatemala had the water rights, Zambia had the firewood, and the Slums were tasked to cook breakfast for everyone in the morning. It was going to be a challenge since we had nothing to cook with.

We had only a few hours left of daylight and the slums had nothing to cook the cup and a half of rice we possessed. A diplomatic solution was in order: to see if everyone wanted to combine all the food together and make one big pot: the slum’s rice, the Zambian’s vegetables, and the Guatemalan’s eggs and flour to be cooked on their stove. At first everyone was on board, but 4 of the Zambian’s didn’t want to share their food and wanted no part of the diplomatic solution we proposed. We did manage to have an onion to go in our rice and had attempted to make dumplings with the flour. We had no silverware and some of us had to use cups to put our onion flavored rice in. That was a very unfulfilling supper, but that was all we had. After dinner we went back to the slums and made a small fire and just sat around and visited. I turned in quick; thinking I’d get more sleep while there was still a little bit of warmth from that day. The building the eight of us stayed in was about four feet high at the lowest part, 7-8 feet wide and about 15 feet long. The door didn’t shut and if it did there was a board missing. A good portion of the walls were chicken wire which let in a lot of cold air. Even with all its faults it was still the best structure in the village because it was wood floored instead of dirt. All we had to keep warm throughout the night was our sleeping bags. That night it got around 30 degrees. As night progressed my sleeping bag seemed less and less warm. My socks were a little damp from all the work during the day and it made my feet colder. That was a long night of short bursts of sleep. 

Morning came and we started with making breakfast. Getting a fire started proved to be a challenge because the feed sack that carried the wood and the wood were lightly damp from the frost. The item on the breakfast menu that morning was raisin oatmeal with a small amount of brown sugar divided amongst the 18 of us. That was my first time to eat oatmeal and would have to say that it was delicious. That small amount of oatmeal wasn’t quite near what I could have eaten but that was all we had between all of us. 

We all take for granted the little things like having clean water, a door for our privacy, and enough food so we aren’t hungry. The sad truth is over half the world goes without these things. I now see the truth in this statistic: if you have a bed to sleep in, a closet to keep your clothes in, a refrigerator to keep your food in, you are richer than 75% of the world’s population, just by having those things. The next time you think you have it bad, take a moment and think about those less fortunate, because they may be right in front of you, even a classmate.

It is the Quality of Our Lives that Matter

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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 President, Victoria Maloch

Driving up to the Heifer Ranch in Perryville, AR, I realized something; I am selfish. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean selfish in a greedy, bratty way. What I am talking about is the type of selfishness that probably many of us have. I realized that most of the time I conveniently decide to turn away from all of the problems surrounding us, hoping that if I don’t think about it that it will simply go away. But, it won’t; all of the problems, poverty, and trouble in the world won’t disappear by simply turning our heads. And that, is what I realized was selfish; knowing the problems and issues that are out there and simply choosing to push it to the back of our minds. So yes, even I am guilty of being selfish.


The problem with this type of selfishness is that sometimes it sneaks up on you and manifests itself into the greedy, bratty selfishness. As I drove down the road toward Perryville, I found myself dealing with that kind of selfishness. Knowing that only one of the female state officers would get to room with Alicia, the only girl national officer, I found myself hoping that I would be the one that would room with her. The state officers were also having their Christmas party that night and I caught myself wishing for a great present. Did you catch that? I, I, I. Pure selfishness was what that was. But then I stopped myself. What in the world was I doing? On my way to have a third world experience at the Heifer International Village, I was being selfish? When I knew what I was going into and already had an appreciation for all that we as Americans get to have each and every day. And when I thought about how selfish some of my thoughts had been, I began to feel disgusted with myself. I knew that I had no right to feel selfish and my experiences over the weekend helped to draw me out of the selfish funk that I had found myself in on the drive up to Perryville.

On our first night in Perryville, we got to have our state officer Christmas party, get to meet all of the National Officers, and spend the night playing games with and getting to know each other. Also, joining us was 2 National FFA Staff members, a representative from the National FFA Foundation, an Auburn student representing Universities Fighting World Hunger, and Mr. Chris Bacchus. The next day, we spent the morning participating in fun team building activities. Some were even similar to the expedition challenges from ALC! (Whale tale anyone?) After lunch, we entered the Global Village. I was assigned to be a part of the Urban Slums. Out of all of the buildings representing our little community, only one of the shacks had a wooden floor. Since the other shacks had muddy floors, the 8 of us Urban Slums decided we had no other choice but to sleep together in what can best be described as a glorified chicken coup. Sleeping side by side, the shack barely had enough room for all 8 of us, it had wire sides, and a door that didn’t shut. Needless to say, no one got much sleep and in the morning I was pretty sure that my toes had just barely escaped frostbite. But, believe it or not, I still had a great time.

Now I’m sure you are wondering how that could be. I mean, I just told you how uncomfortable the sleeping arrangements were. My experience in the Heifer Village was great because of the ultimate revelation I had as I was driving back home. (Obviously you can tell by now that I do a lot of my thinking while driving)  After we entered the Global Village, the Urban Slums decided to gather with the other 2 communities and see what resources we had. Eventually, we partnered together with the Guatemalans and shared our resources. Thanks to the generousity of the Guatemalans, we were able to go together and cook our supper using our rice and their pots, plates, and vegetables. Later that night, the Urban Slums and Guatemalans sat around a fire (well, what little fire we could get started) and just talked. We shared funny stories, plans for the future, and so much more. After a night of admittedly not much sleep, all of the slums woke up at 8 in order to make everyone a breakfast of oatmeal with a few raisins and a little bit of brown sugar. Then each community left the village to do chores such as washing the plates, making bricks, and picking vegetables. Later we had a time to process and understand our experience.

Over the weekend I really discovered two things. The first, is that when you have little, you become appreciative or proud of things that we normally would turn our noses up at. A great example of this was our mealtimes in the village. The Slums and Guatemalans were so proud of our supper when at any other time or at any other place, if that were the food being served, I’m sure we would have just passed and waited for the next meal. Another great example is breakfast, when people would become excited that they received 2 or 3 raisins in their portion of the oatmeal. Finally, the second thing I discovered and the revelation I mentioned earlier is this, it’s not the things we have or the places we live that add to the quality of our lives. While those things do help our standard of living – something that this weekend even further grew my appreciation for – but in the end, it is the quality of our lives that really matters. What this experience taught me about our quality of life is that it is our friends, family, and relationships that improve our quality of life, not our things. I discovered this when I thought back to all that had happened and the fact that I still had a great time. The relationships and friendships that we were able to form with all of the other participants are priceless. They helped us to get through the cold and bad times. We discovered that when you have nothing else, all you have is each other, so you must value and rely on each other.

But this lesson doesn’t just apply to times when you don’t have anything. This experience taught me to value my friends, family, and relationships, because in the end those are the only things that will always be there for you. Take the time everyday to grow your relationships with friends and family and I guarantee you that you will find yourself happier and see that your quality of life increases.

My experience at the Heifer International Village in Perryville is one I will never forget. Not only did it help to further open my eyes to the needs of those in poverty worldwide, but it also taught me valuable lessons that I can apply in my everyday life. It was truly a life changing experience and I hope that one day you all will be able to have a similar experience, either at the Heifer Ranch, or elsewhere.

Happy Birthday, Heifer Ranch

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This past Saturday we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Heifer Ranch.

A Brief History of Heifer Ranch

Abu, a 5-year-old male camel, was presented to
Heifer Ranch as a birthday gift from Overlook Farm
in Rutland, Massachusetts.

Heifer International dates back to 1944, with an inaugural shipment of 17 pregnant heifers to Puerto Rico. In 1971, Heifer was offered 1,100 acres near Perryville, Arkansas, to raise and house animals being shipped overseas to those in need. The model of shipping animals fromt he United States, however, turned out to be very costly and inefficient and was later discontinued in favor of purchasing livestock from within the project countries. Through the years, Heifer Ranch has evolved into an education and research center, a model farm and ranch, a conference center and a volunteer experience. The farm is now home to water buffalo, camels, pigs and goats, as well as gardens that help feed volunteers and the public. School groups, youth groups, families and individuals have come to the Ranch to experience what it really means to live in a poverty-stricken village with scarce resources. Visitors are introduced to Heifer’s sustainable solutions and learn more about what they can do to help.

The Celebration
Friday night held a Homecoming Tour and Reception for Past Ranchers (staff and volunteers). Three of the past Ranch directors were on hand to help celebrate. It was great to see old friends, but hard to see how the landscape has changed since the tornado this spring.

Jacob Sheatsley leads a drum circle in the Global Village

Saturday was an all-day party. There were crafts and activities for the kids, demonstrations along the Global Village trail, a picnic lunch, hayride tours, birthday cake and a special gift from Overlook Farm, one of Heifer’s other Learning Centers. Visitors had the opportunity to meet some of Heifer’s country directors, who have been in town for meetings.



My Brief History at Heifer Ranch
Heifer Ranch is how I first came to know and love Heifer International. I participated in the Global Village program (now called Global Gateway) when I was 14 years old. Growing up in Little Rock and attending college in Conway, Arkansas, I went to the Ranch several more times as a participant before deciding to become a volunteer. During college summers and after graduating, I spent a total of about 12 months as a live-in volunteer. I became impassioned with Heifer’s mission of ending hunger and poverty and caring for the Earth as I led field trips, facilitated group team-building activities, milked goats, taught cheese classes and became a part of the Ranch community. I met my husband and a great many of my friends at Heifer Ranch.

A volunteer shows how farming on terraced slopes
 helps prevent erosion

Heifer Ranch holds a special place in my heart, so I was excited to take my daughter to Perryville this past weekend to join in the celebrations. She loved the animals, of course. Petting the pigs, lambs and goats in the showbarn was certainly a highlight. But it’s Abu the camel she’ll go on talking about. And the cupcakes and candy (she is a kid, after all). I’m so glad my daughter will grow up learning about Heifer’s work in the world and knowing that she has a place in making the world a better place for everyone to live. And I’m thankful we have Heifer Ranch just down the road where her learning will be hands-on and exciting, not to mention a piece of her family’s history.

Heifer Staff Lend a Hand in Hughes, Arkansas

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Continuing today’s conversation about poverty in Heifer’s homestate, we take you to Hughes, Arkansas, which has a poverty rate of 38 percent. This past Monday, Heifer Headquarters staff, visiting Country Directors and Heifer’s United States Program staff took a road trip to Hughes to lend a hand cleaning up the Mildred Jackson Elementary School for a Day of Service with Hughes citizens. Heifer Copywriter Falguni Vyas was among the staff to participate, and she shares the following reflection.

Hughes,Arkansas: a small blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town located in the Arkansas delta wasonce an agricultural boomtown. At its height, Hughes was a town of 1,900people, a mix of sharecroppers and farmers that put the town on the map as anagricultural hotspot in northeastern Arkansas.
Today,Hughes tells a much different story.
Now,there are more stray dogs than people, more abandoned or run down buildingsthen there are live-able habitats. It’s a town that as little as two years agoechoed a pre-civil rights America (not that racial tension has completelydisappeared today). It’s a town in desperate need to find itself and regain itsformer glory.
Hugheshas become yet another fallen soldier to the mechanization of the agriculturalindustry as well as the dearth of support America’s small farmers receive.Whatever food is produced in the area is normally sent out to the big buyers,leaving little to no healthy food choices for those who grow it. In addition,there are few options for the town’s small farmers as land is expensive anddifficult to acquire. The big farmers in Hughes (and there are a few verysuccessful ones out there) employ very few people, making employment hard tocome by. The town’s economic mainstay? Public assistance.
Whenthe industry started to collapse, many of the town’s small farmers left,leaving the sharecroppers to take over. Because this segment of Hughes’population had so little training, the area went into rapid decline.
“Lackof leadership is the biggest problem in the delta,” said mayor Larry Owens.Owens, the first black mayor in Hughes, has only been in office for 10 months.A Vietnam War veteran, in his past life he also served as a special agent withFish and Wildlife Services with the Department of the Interior. He moved toHughes with his wife five years ago and was appalled by what he saw. With a lotof know-how and more can-do spirit than your average person, he has made it hismission to restore Hughes to its rightful place.
HeiferInternational’s United States Program, several visiting Country Directors fromaround the globe, and Headquarters staff from various departments joined Hughesfor a day of service this past Monday. The event kicked off at 11 am with apress junket, where Mayor Owens, representatives of the state, Heifer and othernonprofit partners said a few words in honor of the shared goals of creating betterfood options, developing the local economy and preserving local naturalresources.
Day of Service Volunteers
Heiferstaff rolled up their sleeves alongside Hughes citizens and got down and dirty.Armed with saws, brooms and a few machetes, these agents of change spent anafternoon clearing away weeds, trash and debris from the Mildred JacksonElementary School.
Hughes community volunteers at work
Heifer staff members Jason Woods, Suzanne Munson
and Gretchen Schirmer bag trash at the end of the day
Translator Sam DuBois takes out the trash 
Hughes Mayor Larry Owens and Heifer
United States Program Director Perry Jones
“It’simportant to recognize that dire poverty exists here in the United States aswell as in developing countries,” said Perry Jones, director of Heifer’s United States Program. “Heifer’s model encourages long-term changes to take hold in acommunity so that healthy food becomes more accessible for everyone.”