Two of Joni Foster’s market swine projects had been accepted for the Lincoln County Fair’s livestock sale in Capitan, N.M., when she observed fellow exhibitors’ disappointment as their animals didn’t make the sale.
“Almost everyone is there 24 hours a day, so you see how much time and hard work they’ve dedicated to their projects,” says Foster, the Capitan FFA president. “They might not make the sale, but they put in the hours and the effort.”
In that moment, Foster thought of her prize-winning agricultural mechanics project: a table and chairs crafted from an old whiskey barrel. Feeling inspired to give back, she asked fair board members if the set could be sold during the auction, with the intention of dividing its proceeds between all Lincoln County Fair exhibitors.
The board agreed. As the items were auctioned off, numerous community supporters were moved by Foster’s generosity and decided to pool their donations to drive up the final price. When the gavel dropped, the set brought more than $41,000 — a collective community effort unlike anything Foster’s mother, Jolie, had ever seen.
“To see a community come together to support not only my daughter and her dream of giving back, but also the local [county fair exhibitors] was one of the most moving things I’ve seen in my life,” Jolie Foster says.
Looking back, Joni Foster says this series of events felt like a dream. “It took a few days for me to process what had happened,” she says. After the auction, community members donated additional funds to the cause, raising the table and chair set’s final price to $48,000. Each Lincoln County Fair exhibitor received an average of $490, which was enough to help them continue showing livestock in the future.
Paying it Forward
Although Foster’s passion is show pigs, finding a love for agricultural mechanics didn’t come as easily. Helping in her family’s metal business began as a chore, she says, and the whiskey barrel and chair set required precise woodworking and welding skills.
Joni Foster repurposed wood from an old whiskey barrel to create a top-ranking table and set of chairs.
“It was very old, so every piece [of wood] I used was different,” she says. “It definitely created a challenge for me.”
Since the materials she used to craft the table and chairs were donated, pocketing the money from the items’ sale didn’t feel right. Instead, Foster decided to pay it forward with the items’ proceeds.
“I’ve seen how much Lincoln County does for its youth and for me,” she says. “I also don’t know what I’d do without FFA.”
Foster’s FFA advisor, Jake Devine, wasn’t surprised by her compassionate generosity.
“It speaks to who she is,” he says. “Joni wants to show up for the person in the back of the room and for the person in the spotlight. She wants them all to feel equal and wanted.”
Transform Interests Into a Career
If you enjoy using your hands to create and discover how things work, consider a career in the power, structural and technical systems pathway.
