Ryatt Haggerman placed second at state in the soil and water conservation topic and received a cash prize.
The Missouri FFA Area 8 Fall Speaking Competition took place on Nov. 6, 2024, in Jefferson City, Mo. Ryatt Haggerman and his fellow Versailles FFA Chapter members competed in this event, and Haggerman presented a speech to the Missouri Association of Soil and Water Conservation District (MASWCD).
This year’s theme was “May the Forest Be With You,” focusing on the forest’s resilience, how it interacts with the rest of the environment and what can be done to conserve it. MASWCD also requested that the speeches focus on Stewardship Week and, of course, soil and water conservation. Haggerman says he is very passionate about this topic, adding, “That’s what fall speeches are all about—speaking about what you love.”
He says one of the hardest parts of this competition was writing the speech. Haggerman’s speech was required to be 6-8 minutes long. The first and second drafts of his speech were scrapped during the writing process, but the vision for the speech remained the same throughout the entire experience.
While drafting the speech, Haggerman had many opportunities to learn about Missouri’s many programs and events dedicated to conservation, such as Stewardship Week, which focuses on unifying across the nation to protect forest, water and soil conservation. This event is held between the last Sunday of April and the first Sunday of May.
This speech was an opportunity for Haggerman to learn about conservation and the important skill of public speaking. Although he says he hated public speaking when he first joined FFA, Haggerman has grown and excelled at it by learning the importance of body language and what it takes to captivate an audience.
At the Area 8 Fall Speaking Contest, Haggerman placed first and went on to compete at districts on Nov. 13, 2024. He also placed first at this event, allowing him to speak at the MASWCD annual conference and compete against FFA members from all over Missouri who share a passion for conservation. Haggerman placed second at the state contest and received a cash prize for his achievement.
Haggerman plans to become an agricultural education teacher and pass on his love of speaking and conservation to his future students, connecting conservation and agriculture. Competing at the state level gave Haggerman experiences that will prepare the future of agriculture to do the same and help them become more comfortable with speaking publicly.
For now, Haggerman encourages fellow FFA members to compete in public speaking competitions, especially fall speaking. When doing so, he says it is “impossible to fake genuine passion.” Without passion, excelling in your division is not likely.
Soil and water aren’t just a public speaking topic but a passion for Haggerman. He takes every opportunity he can to advocate for natural resources and conservation. He also plans to get his master’s degree in conservation of natural resources, creating even more opportunities to support conservation efforts.
Finally, Haggerman wants to recognize Versailles FFA Chapter Advisor Morgan Looten, who has been his biggest supporter inside and outside of his soil and conservation speech.
“I can’t put into words what she’s done for me,” he adds. “Without her, I wouldn’t have competed at area, let alone make it to state.”
