The annual Section 6 FFA Awards Banquet held this week at Burlington Central High School featured WGN Radio head agricultural broadcaster Orion Samuelson.
“I welcome the opportunity to spend time with FFA members,” Samuelson told the crowd.
Samuelson, 81, said he will celebrate his 55th year at WGN Radio in September.
He currently co-hosts the “Morning Show” on Saturdays with associate Max Armstrong. Samuelson also hosts a three-minute daily “National Farm Report” and a weekly commentary, “Samuelson Sez.” Both are syndicated to various stations across the country through Tribune Broadcasting’s Tribune Radio Network.
Samuelson was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2003. He has been a lifelong supporter of the National FFA Organization.
“I have had the opportunity to visit all fifty states,” Samuelson said. “I have met seven United States presidents. In Chicago, there is a street that was named Orion Samuelson Way.”
Samuelson said his career started because of the FFA.
“I was born on a dairy farm in Ontario, Wisconsin,” he said. “My teacher got me into public speaking with the FFA. I was one of five state finalists and wanted to bring a trophy back to my high school. I came in fourth out of five. I asked my teacher what happened. He said I should treat it as a learning experience. We learn a lot more from losing than we do from winning.”
While “FFA” once stood for Future Farmers of America, the name was changed to the National FFA Organization in 1988 to reflect the expanding career field of agricultural education and its members. The letters “FFA” no longer stand for anything.
Samuelson said that there are over 300 careers today than benefit from an agricultural background.
“When I talk to young people today, I tell them we need geneticists and agricultural engineers,” Samuelson said. “Because of globalization, we need people who can read, write and deal with buyers in foreign markets. We also need large animal veterinarians. So many veterinarians are retiring these days. The majority of new veterinarians are taking care of smaller animals such as cats and dogs.”
Samuelson told the audience that they should pick some heroes to influence their lives. He said his three heroes are: Dr. Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution; Harold Brock, who designed the Ford-Ferguson 9N and John Deere 4020 tractors, and President Abraham Lincoln.
“I interviewed Dr. Borlaug and Harold Brock. I never interviewed Abraham Lincoln, but I slept in his bedroom. Lincoln was the best friend American farmers ever had. He signed the Homestead Act into law. He also formed the Department of Agriculture.”
Samuelson said that young people have no idea of all the things that will happen to them during their lifetime.
“I told my dad that I was not going to spend the rest of my life getting up early to milk cows,” he said.
He now gets up at quarter to three every morning so he can be on the air in time for the farmers who are milking cows.
More Top Picks Best Tremolo Pedals
Samuelson gave a signed copy of his book, “You Can’t Dream Big Enough,” to Susie Thompson, a Central High graduate and Section 6 FFA president for 2014-15.
“I hope it serves as an inspiration,” Samuelson said.
Section 6 FFA Reporter Alicia Sunderlage of Burlington, who graduated from Central High School last year, is currently attending Elgin Community College and plans to study Agricultural Communications at Southern Illinois University next year.
“I would one day like to represent or market an agricultural company in the Midwest,” Sunderlage said.
The banquet drew a crowd of 130 FFA members and about 70 community members, according to Ryan Robinson, a teacher and advisor at Central High.
As FFA member Cody Suddeth, who was elected during the banquet as the next Section 6 FFA president, said: “To belong to the National FFA Organization no longer means you have to own a plow, a sow or a cow.”
Former Plato Township supervisor and lifetime FFA alumni member Kathleen Swanson of Elgin thought the banquet was a great success.
“The FFA members did a fantastic job of getting the word out about the banquet and making people feel welcome,” Swanson said.
Tim Metz of Plato Center recently donated five acres of his land so that Central FFA students can have a place to plant and harvest corn. He said the corn will be planted on Saturday, April 25. He also said that Central FFA will hold a plant sale on Saturday, May 23.
Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News