Levi Meiwes misses the rush of attending an FFA competition.
“You’re scared. And it’s stressful because you’ve been working for weeks for this contest,” he recounted.
“It’s also an adrenaline rush. Here’s your chance to win District. To win State. We had two teams go to Nationals in dairy judging the last two years. It’s both exciting and scary.”
But since the coronavirus pandemic hit last year, the competitions are very different. There have been fewer, and they’ve all been online.
As chapter president, Meiwes worries how the events of the past year will affect the organization’s future. His peers are missing the opportunities for camaraderie by attending state and national competitions.
“I feel bad for the freshmen. Every contest for them has been virtual. They haven’t experienced what it’s like to dress up in corduroy blue.”
“It’s been a little bit of a let-down. Your senior year, you’re really trying to get that State victory. But it is what it is.”
Meiwes has a long list of achievements in both FFA and 4-H. He’s also well-known for starting his own business, raising and selling eggs and chickens.
Those endeavors earned him one of the highest possible honors. In June, he was named Kansas State Star Farmer. The Kansas FFA Association recognizes three FFA members with the top programs: Star Farmer, Star in Agribusiness and Star in Ag Placement (working in an ag-related field).
“That’s the biggest achievement I’ve won, so that was exciting,” he said.
He’s also won district awards in poultry production.
Though most of his success can be tied to his passion for poultry, he also does well in public speaking and parliamentary procedure contests.
“I think the public speaking aspect that you learn is critical, no matter what you do. And this is one of the best environments to learn in, because you have that classroom component — and Mrs. Strickler is there to help you through it — and then you take it to contest and perform in front of a judge.”
He encourages everyone to join FFA, regardless of their interest in agriculture.
“Agriculture is such a broad field. It really encompasses everything we do. So it’s a good platform, and FFA is one of the largest youth organizations out there.”
