Ash was drifting across the range in Canadian, Texas, while Canadian FFA members were practicing for an upcoming range evaluation and management competition. Brandon Meier, Canadian FFA advisor and volunteer firefighter, knew it meant the wildfires were getting closer.
“I was in contact with other firefighters,” he says. “We knew if the wind picked up, the fire was going to fuel right back up.”
Meier was right. The wildfire, which ignited in February, charred 1,500 square miles of rangeland in the Texas Panhandle, including parts of Canadian — making it the largest in the state’s history.
Despite losing its school farm to the fires, Canadian FFA refused to give up. Read on to learn about how these members rose to the challenge thanks, in part, to donations they received from nearby chapters.
High winds sent flames in the direction of the Canadian FFA Chapter’s school farm, destroying barns, welding supplies, tools and other equipment.
“I pulled up [to the school] and just lost the words,” Meier says. “It was all gone.”
Thankfully, there weren’t any show animals in the barns at the time, and the school’s buffalo survived the fires unharmed.
In the days, weeks and months to follow, news of the wildfires impacting Canadian FFA spread fast. Donations began pouring in, including three trailers filled with food, water and supplies from New Waverly FFA, Huntsville FFA and West Hardin FFA.
“Community service is what we do,” says New Waverly FFA advisor Clint Wilson. “We like to help where we can be helpful.”
This wasn’t the first time Texas FFA chapters have helped each other after a natural disaster.
“The day the wildfires happened, [James Merrifield with West Hardin FFA] jumped on board,” says Huntsville FFA advisor Jeff Sockwell. “His chapter had lived through hurricanes and floods, so those members knew what it was like to experience a disaster. They had [donations] ready to go within the week.”
In addition to the Canadian FFA Chapter, advisors knew Texas farmers in the affected areas also needed support. They contacted local companies and started supply drives to gather fencing materials, hay, livestock feed and supplements.
“Our ag mechanics students build large trailers to show at each of the ag mechanics shows throughout the state,” says West Hardin FFA advisor Stacy Hagaman. “We had the opportunity to load hay onto those trailers and send them to the Texas Panhandle.”
In the process, Canadian FFA members learned important lessons about resilience and the power of being part of a large organization.
“My members were getting phone calls and texts from their area officers and district officers as well as seeing calls and [donations] come in from across the country,” Meier says. “It really opened their minds to how big their network is, which can be life-changing.”
Hagaman hopes witnessing these chapters’ efforts also encourages others to turn to their communities when help is needed. “There are always FFA members and advisors who are going to step up,” she says.
As a symbol of support, Cowboy Cool, a Texas-based company, created and donated T-shirts and hats to Canadian FFA members who lost their belongings to the fires.
After experiencing so much destruction, Meier knows it will take time for his chapter to rebuild.
“It doesn't happen overnight,” he says. “It takes all of us working together to come up with a game plan and get where we need to go.”
