This Thanksgiving, the National Turkey Federation estimates that Americans will eat more than 46 million turkeys.
For FFA member and poultry farmer Troy Glaser — who specializes in turkeys — it’s all gravy to him.
Glaser started tagging along with his dad to check feed and water lines in the turkey houses at Bar-G Ranch when he was still in elementary school.
Glaser gradually took on more responsibilities, including managing workers and monitoring air quality and mortality rates for the 120,000 turkey poults living on their Buckholts, Texas, farm.
“It’s a lot of work and very time-consuming and stressful,” Glaser says. “But it’s fun to know that you’re raising food for different people across the country.”
Through his hands-on farm experience, Glaser learned a lot of valuable lessons about agriculture and business, which he applied to his supervised agricultural experience (SAE) in poultry production and entrepreneurship.
For example, biosecurity was always a priority. Between flocks, turkey houses were thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Glaser ensured that no unauthorized visitors entered the turkey houses and that all workers wore rubber boots disinfected with iodine and chlorine to help keep the flock disease-free. While it was a lot of work, Glaser learned what it takes to raise healthy turkeys – and, in turn, healthy food.
“Running a turkey operation teaches you proper time management skills, organizational skills, how to manage stress and how to lead others,” he says. “All of those skills are things you can definitely use in other occupations after FFA.”
Glaser also participated in a farm business management career development event (CDE) that piqued his interest in the economics of the food and fiber sector. He discovered that he enjoyed reading balance sheets and interpreting supply and demand curves, which led him to pursue a degree in agriculture economics at Texas A&M University. He’s in his freshman year and hopes to go to law school and practice agricultural law, helping farmers in his community with issues like land and water rights and food safety.
Glaser cites participation in FFA, including serving as the president of the Rogers FFA chapter and as an officer in district and area FFA chapters, as one of the key reasons he feels prepared to achieve his goals.
“FFA did get me started with what I wanted to do with my life,” he says. “The organization really built the foundation with all the leadership, speaking and career events, [and] going through different officer positions, I had to put myself out there in the limelight, which helped build my confidence,” he says. “If you get involved with FFA and take advantage of the opportunities that are available… you’ll come out of the organization a much better person and be ready for your career.”
RESOURCES
Talking turkey is the thing to do around Thanksgiving but turkey production is a year-round affair. According to the National Turkey Federation, around 240 million turkeys are raised on about 2,500 farms in the United States, many of which are family-owned, like Glaser’s operation. To learn more about turkey production, visit the National Turkey Federation website. The U.S. Department of Agriculture website also offers interesting stats and background information.
Here are even more stories and information to check out:
On the Record: Barbara Jenkins
College and Career Teacher Resources
Combating Food Insecurity Curriculum – National Turkey Federation
Awards and Recognition
- Poultry focused competitive events
- National FFA Agriscience Fair
- National Chapter Awards
- Grants and Scholarships
- Supervised Agricultural Experiences
Forever Blue Network
The National FFA Organization launched its own networking platform, The Forever Blue Network, which provides high school senior FFA members, alumni and supporters exclusive access to events, groups, mentors and job opportunities. The Forever Blue Network is now also available as an app on iOS and Android devices. From the Apple Store, download the Graduway Community app and type “National FFA Organization” as your institution. From the Google Play Store, download the Forever Blue Network app.
Educational Enrichment Program
Looking for online learning opportunities for adult learners, transfer students or upcoming freshmen? Check out the FFA Educational Enrichment Program at www.Pearson.com/FFA. FFA members (students and alumni) can utilize a $300 value college planning session for free and have access to discounted online courses transferrable to more than 1,000 colleges and universities.
Living to Serve
The National FFA Organization embraces the idea of building stronger communities. The last line of the FFA motto, “Living to Serve,” signifies the vital role service plays in our organization.
The Living to Serve platform empowers every student in every classroom to make a positive impact in their community. FFA provides quality programs, resources, recognition, and opportunities for our members to put their leadership into action through service engagement.
