FFA Week Finale

The final activity for our FFA Chapter, is a dinner and a “hired hand sale”.

It’s not just any dinner. 

It’s a dinner most of our community waits for…all year long.

It’s a Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry.  Otherwise known as a big shindig, in these parts.

If you don’t know what Rocky Mountain Oysters are….well…you probably don’t want to know.

The kids do all the prep work, cooking, frying, baking, serving, and then the clean up.  All the parents have to do is…show up hungry!

This is the outdoor fry shack.

Inside, the boys are busy fryin’ up the goods.

They take this responsibilty very serious…no adults allowed!

When it was all said and done, 130 pounds of calf fries Rocky Mountain Oysters, were served.  And devoured.  In addition, 115 pounds of slow cooked beef, was also served.

Hey, I know these people. 

My brother, my mom, and my precious great-nephew.

Actually, I know everyone here.  It’s a small community, and everyone knows everyone….and their business.

Hey, I know this handsome man, too.

Yes, it’s my beloved.  See the quilt hanging in the background?  That’s the “brand quilt”.

Local ranchers can buy a square on the quilt for their individual “brand”.

Then, several very talented women lovingly donate many hours putting the quilt together.  Each year it turns out absolutely beautiful!  At the end of the evening there is a drawing, and the quilt is given away to one of the brand owners.  The money raised from the quilt is used for FFA scholarships, to be given to our qualifying seniors.

Once the quilt is given away, the auctioneer takes his place, front and center.  Then 33 of the FFA members are auctioned off in exchange for 8 hours of labor.

Currently with the auction plus donations, the chapter has raised over $16,000.00!

What a wonderful, supportive community we live in. 

On the flip side, everyone here witnesses first hand, these FFA members involved in numerous community projects, all year long.  If someone needs something done, who do they call?  Yep, the FFA!