I'm Ashley Buhler!
Why Ag? I am an agricultural education major because I love FFA, but one day my ultimate goal is to become an 4-H agent. If you don't know what either of those are check out ffa.org or 4h.org and you will discover that Agriculture is 4 Everyone! Yes, I did grow up on a pig farm and the smell radiating from our farm smelled like money to me. Not the actual smell if you were to pick up a dollar bill and sniff it, but the smell of the money my family was making and our successes. We raised pigs for research at the U of U and to show them at the Utah State Fair and other stock shows and fairs. I love agriculture because it has something for everyone. You may not think you are a part of it, but take and look around and you will discover you are not far off. I hope you ate breakfast this morning. Was it bacon, or yogurt or cereal? A wonderful farmer somewhere made your breakfast possible. I made someone's breakfast possible yesterday morning by feeding dairy calves at 3:45am. One day they will produce the milk that you poured on your cereal or that went into your yogurt. Agriculture is very important and that's why I want to educate people about its impacts.
Who Is this crazy curly haired girl? I grew up in American Fork and ventured to Lehi where the pig farm was located. My mom got me involved in 4-H and FFA and that's what started my love for agriculture. I started school at USU in Fall 2009 to study agriculture. My mom supported me fully until she passed away in a car accident on our way back from my younger sister's FFA State Degree Ceremony. She supported our agriculture endeavors full force. She was a 25 year 4-H leader and a past chapter FFA president. She lived for my sisters and I. Her sacrifices mean the world to me. I went back to USU immediately after her funeral and I met my husband 6 months later. We were married May 28, 2011 in the Idaho Falls, Idaho Temple. We enjoy playing board games, Wii games, watching comedy shows like 2 Broke Girls, The Big Bang Theory and Mike and Molly and others like Covert Affairs and Master Chef. We love going to Aggie Football and Basketball games.
What about literacy? I believe that literacy in agricultural education is important, but not the main focus. In my classroom and labs, students will spend more time doing hands-on activities than reading texts to learn the information. I plan to use textbooks, articles and data sheets to teach the students what they will be doing in the labs. My current definition of literacy is one's ability to read, interpret, and apply texts.
I'm so sorry to hear about your mom's death. It is wonderful that you and your sister continue to make her proud through your actions and through carrying on with your love of agriculture.
ReplyDeleteI do think that it is easy for people--especially in urban areas--to become removed from what they eat and to think that bacon comes from Wal-Mart rather than from a pig. So I think it's great that agriculture reminds us to be connected to who we are and where our sustenance comes from.
And...loved your sentence about pigs smelling like money. :) That sentence is pretty much unforgettable.
Thanks for an engaging posting and I look forward to having you in the course.
I am a recent convert to 4-H! I worked for the USU extension office for Weber County these past two summers and realized that I was meant for 4-H. I'm with ya 100% about agriculture. It is soooo important and really what keeps everything going. This was a wonderful blog post...funny, interesting, and engaging! Maybe i'll be coming to you one day to start my 4-H club!!!
ReplyDeleteIts amazing that I learned more about you in the few minutes of reading this than the year or so of being in the same class as you. What high school did you go to? I am from provo so I am really familiar with the Lehi and AF area. I actually worked at the AF Home Depot this summer, good chance you knew some of my co-workers. Anyway, I loved this post, was pretty cool to get to know about agriculture better. Never looked at it from the perspective that it is in virutally everything I eat. (and I eat alot. Ha)
ReplyDeleteAlso liked your definition of literacy. Simple, yet satisfying.
Naki, I went to American Fork High School. My dad went to Lehi and wanted me to go there because of the FFA program, but AF's FFA program was just as great.
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