Carrying on the blue and gold

HOLDINGFORD, Minn. – Wearing the blue corduroy jacket means more than just being an FFA member to Grace Woitalla. It means she is a second-generation Holdingford FFA Chapter member.
Both her parents, Keith and Patty Woitalla, and uncle and aunt, Kurt and Kristi Woitalla, wore the iconic blue and gold jacket when they were attending high school in Holdingford.
“We didn’t force (our children) to join, but we encouraged them to try it,” Keith said.  
Brothers Kurt and Keith farm together, milking 125 cows in two conjoined tiestall barns. They raise 750 acres of corn, alfalfa and oats. Grace and her sister, Abby, help daily after school and on weekends. Patty helps as needed when she is not at her full-time job in St. Could.
“I knew about the organization from my parents talking about it, and … one of my friends encouraged me to join her team,” Grace said. “I did well and got to go to the state convention, and after that, I just fell in love with FFA. It’s the community behind it; everyone is so supportive and passionate.”
Grace serves as the Holdingford FFA Chapter president, participates in the milk quality and products career development event, the employment skills leadership development event and has had three supervised agricultural experiences.
Abby, likewise, heard about the experiences of her parents and was able to see first-hand how Grace flourished within the program.
“I saw how far Grace got to go with FFA and how much she and my parents enjoyed it,” Abby said. “I also had a friend encourage me to join the floriculture team she was on.”
Holdingford expanded its agriculture program and added a new teacher for middle school, so now students can participate in FFA while in seventh and eighth grade.
That was not the case when Grace joined the chapter.
“I took an ag class the summer going into my ninth-grade year because I really wanted to be in FFA,” Grace said. “Now, we have a bunch of kids in seventh and eighth grade.”
 That includes Abby, an eighth grader at Holdingford Public Schools, who joined the chapter this year.
Patty said Grace was more inclined to give FFA a try on her own.
“Abby was on the fence, and we encouraged her to get involved in something,” Patty said. “We are glad she chose FFA.”
Patty was a member of the Holdingford FFA Chapter from 1996 until she graduated in 1998. She was the chapter secretary and was on the floriculture team.
“It’s a great way to try new things,” Patty said. “You don’t have to know a thing about a cow, but you don’t know until you try it. You might like it. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.”
Patty did not grow up on a farm but embraced FFA. She said she is grateful for the experience.
“For me, it was a place to belong,” Patty said. “Even now, I’m proud to say that I was in (FFA). It really is a community. Keith and I are also involved in our local FFA Alumni chapter.”
Keith was a member of the chapter from 1995-98. He was a member of the dairy judging team and was chapter president his senior year.
“FFA taught me to set goals and to work toward those goals, to work hard and to keep trying,” Keith said.
Kurt began his FFA journey in 1988 and stayed active through his senior year with being president of the chapter and obtaining his State FFA Degree.
All of the elder Woitallas said there are fewer FFA activities today outside of the contests and fewer members at their alma mater.
“There are fewer farm kids now,” Patty said. “It’s harder to get kids without that agriculture background involved because so many just assume it’s just for farm kids.”
Kurt said they made memories during activities outside of FFA contests.
“We would have open gym nights with movies and pizza and just open gym time,” Kurt said.
Keith agreed.
“We would have one ice fishing day and one day of fishing in the summer,” he said.
Going to rodeos, state conventions, pizza nights and attending the National FFA Convention were just some of the many memories for the senior Woitallas.
“My biggest highlight was going to the National FFA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri,” Kurt said.
Everyone agreed going to National FFA Convention was an opportunity they are glad to have had. The sea of blue jackets created by tens of thousands of high schoolers passionate about agriculture is a sight most FFA members will never forget.
“We also got to go on tours while there,” Kurt said. “I got to tour the John Deere tractor factory in Moline, Iowa.”
Now, they see the next generation gaining FFA experiences and memories. Grace competed at the National FFA Convention with her SAE in forage production when she was a sophomore, but that was in 2020 when the convention was held virtually. She did attend the National FFA Convention this past fall in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“I received a silver placing at nationals, and to me, that was a pretty big deal considering I was up against (competitors from) states with farmers who raise thousands of acres and I am from small-town central Minnesota,” Grace said.
Once an FFA member wins the state contest in any field, they are not allowed to compete in that area again. The same goes for nationals. Grace switched to diversified crop production and added dairy production as well. She continues with agricultural services, which she began in 2018.
“I like a lot of it, but I like filling out my proficiencies because then I can show off all my hard work over the summer, my knowledge and experience,” Grace said. “I also really enjoy being an officer, especially president, because then I get to help make the decisions for the chapter and help lead new members into having a successful FFA career.”
At every opportunity, Grace likes telling others about FFA and all the organization has to offer.
“FFA is not just about agriculture,” Grace said. “You should get out and experience it. It’s a great way to try new things.”
Kurt agreed.
“It’s also neat to know that you are a part of a national organization,” he said. “It’s not just a local thing. There are hundreds of thousands of members across the country.”
Just like countless other FFA members, each of the Woitallas learned about agriculture, leadership and career opportunities through the program.
“I have learned a lot with FFA, especially when doing my SAEs and learning about the different career choices,” Grace said.
Being involved with FFA enhanced Grace’s interested in agriculture. This fall, she plans to attend Ridgewater College in Willmar for agribusiness management.
“I’m doing a crop emphasis, and my time on the farm and doing the SAEs helped influence that decision,” Grace said.
Keith and Patty said they love to hear from their daughters about their FFA events.
“I am very proud to see my girls in FFA and doing as well as they are,” Keith said. “It’s fun to see them come home from contests and hear they did well.”
Patty agreed.
“People can be in different sports and that’s great, but FFA is learning how to interview, how to public speak, how to lead a program, how to run governmental processes,” Patty said. “It’s a much more rounding experience for the student that is in it if they choose to be active.”