Luverne High School senior Halle Hough didn’t set out to earn a State FFA Degree, but her path to learn about livestock production four years ago led her to receive the top member award at the Minnesota State FFA Convention April 28-29 in St. Paul.
“I always had an interest in agriculture and animals,” she said. “I wanted more information … and I made a lot of friends.”
The oldest of Jeremy and Erica Hough’s three children didn’t let the lack of an agricultural background stop her from joining the chapter as a freshman.
She embraced the FFA experience through all four of her years of membership.
“I don’t think I missed any FFA event,” Hough, 18, said.
After her first FFA year, Hough earned the Green Hand award.
Following years had Hough adding ag classes to her school schedule, participating on the FFA livestock judging team and exploring various topics through FFA’s supervised agricultural experiences (SAE).
Her favorite SAE involved hog production, an experience she pursued two years ago.
“They are a challenge,” she said.
She credited her grandfather for her initial interest in swine.
“I decided to show pigs because my grandpa wanted some to butcher,” Hough said.
In her first year, Hough’s pigs earned a 4-H trip to the Minnesota State Fair, where she placed eighth overall in market hogs.
Her grandfather never received his home-raised pork. “I get too attached,” she admitted.
This year she added sheep production as another SAE.
“I wanted another challenge,” she said.
Other SAEs Hough excelled in earning chapter recognition include cattle production, community development, fruit and vegetable production, ag sales and service, poultry and veterinary science.
“The biggest thing I took away from FFA is a lot more confidence,” she said.
Hough led the Luverne-Adrian FFA Chapter as its 2018-19 president and was named the chapter’s Star Farmer at her final FFA banquet in March.
Hough is the first FFA’er since 2013 to earn a State FFA Degree, when senior Trevor Teal and junior Andrea Severtson received their degrees.
Chapter adviser Dennis Moritz said in the past six years the FFA organization changed the requirements necessary to receive the state degree.
“It is a lot harder to get it,” he said.
As she rounded out her last year in FFA, Hough reviewed her involvement and realized with just a little more work she could put her name on the list as a state degree recipient.
“She is very diligent in doing the best that she can,” Moritz said.
Hough will pursue agriculture as a career choice, with a focus on animal science, as she attends South Dakota State University in Brookings this fall.
She envisions herself working on the business side of livestock production.
Personally she would like to breed and raise show pigs and have a small cow-calf operation.
She’s never regretted the decision she made as a 14-year-old freshman to join FFA and finding focus for the rest of her life.
“It feels pretty good,” she said. “I’ve put a lot of work into FFA over the past four years.”
Her advice to underclassmen: “You don’t have to be in agriculture to enjoy the experience.”