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Deer Farming Gets Passing Grade for FFA

Deer farming is one of the fastest growing industries in rural America, and it might soon be part of children’s homework.

While raising deer and other alternative livestock has been practiced in North America for than a century, the industry itself has always been perceived as a novelty when compared to traditional livestock options, such as cattle, goats or sheep. However today, representatives of the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance (ADWA) and other industry professionals are working together to bring deer farming into mainstream agricultural education.

ADWA has recently addressed more than 100 FFA students and teachers at the Stony Point High School in Round Rock, Texas, located north of Austin. The sessions introduced students, grades nine through 12, to the lucrative aspects of raising alternative livestock, plus increased their awareness for issues that are affecting the wildlife industry, sportsmen and conservationists. The talks are considered by many to be the first ever presentation in the Texas public schools to promote deer breeding as a livestock option.

“With low livestock and produce prices and rising expenses, family farms are having tough times and many farmers are looking for alternatives to make good economic decisions under the circumstances,” says John Meng, president of the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance. “In the past few months, we have met with hundreds of students and teachers, and we are all in agreement that introducing a new curriculum that includes alternative livestock would be a huge benefit for both FFA students and the cervid industry.”

ADWA exhibited at the Texas FFA Convention in Dallas, where hundreds of students and agriculture teachers learned about the benefits of raising alternative livestock. The potential for raising deer created a lot of excitement for the students, who see raising deer as the perfect combination for their love of wildlife and their agricultural education.

Since July 2009, Meng has also been developing a relationship with the Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas (VATAT). The on-going cooperation between ADWA and VATAT, as well as with the Texas Deer Association, could ultimately help deer breeding become part of the vocational teachers’ workshop schedule for the 2010 school year.

Founded as the Future Farmers of America (FFA) in 1928, the organization brought together students, teachers and agribusiness to solidify support for agricultural education. Today, FFA is a dynamic youth organization with more than 500,000 members and it delivers agricultural education programs at middle and high schools across the country.

Carolyn Laughlin, president of the North American Deer Farmers Association and retired teacher, has long advocated educating students to the benefits of deer farming.  She recently attended the 82nd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., where she met with similarly enthusiastic FFA students, teachers and advisers.

“The response was incredible,” says Laughlin, who represented NADeFA at the event. “FFA student members are engaged in a wide range of curriculum and activities, leading to more than 300 career opportunities in agriculture. We believe strongly that opportunities within the cervid industry should be among those career options. These kids are the future for a lot of agricultural endeavors in our country.”