Girls make strong showing for Hallettsville

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

Female FFA'ers were in strong number at the recent Travis County Livestock Show in Austin. Above, 15-year-old Sarah Petty competed with her steer. Below, Hallettsville FFA President Amy Pustka has shown commercial steers for several years. She is pictured with 13-year-old sister Brandi, who says she will follow in her sister's ag-related footsteps. -- Staff photos

April 14, 2003 -- Once upon a time, only boys could belong to the FFA, but my, how times have changed!

At the recent Travis County Livestock Show in Austin, held in conjunction with the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo, several female FFA members were noticed.

Hallettsville ag teacher Paul Cook said this year the majority of members in the club known for preparing future farmers are female. In fact, the top two FFA officers are female.

Amy Pustka, 18, is a senior and president of the Hallettsville FFA. After four years in the club showing commercial steers, she is looking forward to attending Texas A&M University (TAMU) and earning a degree in Ag Development and Public Relations.

"What I'd really like to do would be like a 4-H Specialist, where they plan leadership with the districts ... that would be really nice," said Pustka. Another plan would be to work for the Texas Beef Council. "I plan on getting an internship there, because I know a couple of people who work there."

Pustka placed fourth in Houston, showing commercial steers, presentation of her record book, tests and interviews. She has been in the top eight every year in high school.

Ashley Schmidt, 17, a Hallettsville High junior, serves as FFA vice president, and she, too plans on attending TAMU, after graduation in 2004.

Schmidt is third-generation in a farming/ranching family, and has grown up with an agricultural background.

"I've been around ag all my life. I live on a rice farm and a cattle ranch. I've been raising cattle since the fourth grade," she said.

"It's my background. It's in my blood, like my dad says, and I'm going to stay in it (ag). It's given me a future." During the summers, she drives a combine for her dad on the rice farm.

Schmidt is looking forward to working in the ag public relations field, either with a feed company, a pharmaceutical group or work as a financial analyst for a feedlot.

She means business, and takes the competitions with the commercial steer very seriously. This year, she's earned $25,000 from her wins, less expenses.

It seems the hardest part of being a member of FFA is finding the time to take care of ag projects and still have time to keep school grades up.

"There's a time when studying commercial steers comes before my academics. Those last two to three weeks before contest ... it's commercial steers!" laughed Schmidt.

Schmidt was also on the team from Hallettsville that competed in the Beef Bowl, held at the Austin Livestock Show. Other team members were Stephen Tobola, Robin Barnes, Dillon Leopard and Brian Jaluska. They placed third in the competition.

Another female competitor at the Austin Livestock Show was Sarah Petty, 15, and a 10th grader at Lockhart High School. She has been showing animals since she was 8. She said she usually purchases her steers when they are about 6-months-old, and halter breaks them, immediately, so she can start walking with them.

This year, she competed with the animal she simply named "Red Steer."

On show day, Petty said her family got up around 5 a.m., and arrived in Austin by 7 a.m.

When traveling to other show competitions, if the show is too far away, the family stays in a motel, close to the show, she pointed out.

Once the animals have been classified and weighed, she begins the ritual of washing and feeding which continues throughout the show. Last year, Petty placed 11th in her class.

All of the young women involved in FFA expressed the desire to continue in agriculture, once they complete college, and all sited they have enjoyed meeting so many other FFA members from over the state, and being involved with great people.

The parents of these students are happy because, among other things, the scholarships FFA members can gain usually carry a hefty dollar amount, and that helps make all the hard work and studying worthwhile.