FFA teacher, students run Creek Cattle Company

TRAFALGAR, Ind. — At a time when many high school students are generations removed from farm life, Indian Creek ag teacher Joe Dunn is showing them the importance of agriculture.

Dunn has been teaching for 17 years. Beginning in 2018, he helped shape Creek Cattle Company — the school’s program to raise healthy cattle and bring farm-fresh beef to the cafeteria. It’s also an opportunity for students to learn about livestock firsthand.

Dunn shared his story with AgriNews.

Q: What led you into agricultural education?

A: I always knew I wanted to be in FFA. My grandpa had a small family farm — row crops, cattle and goats — and I showed in 4-H. I knew I wanted to join FFA when I got into high school, but I didn’t know how involved I would be.

I was an athlete and did some wrestling, but my freshman year I broke my ankle. So, I threw myself into FFA. I did a lot of different competitions. I became an officer and grew to love soils evaluation.

I was going to go to Purdue University to be an agronomist. I was fortunate enough to be elected as a state FFA officer in 2004-2005.

As I did that, my career path transitioned from agronomy toward the classroom. I changed my major to ag education.

Q: Tell me about the Creek Cattle Company program.

A: About seven or eight years ago, a school board member and a superintendent came to me with the opportunity to have some property that would fit this operation.

In 2018-2019, I started building out a business plan with my animal science classes. What was this going to look like? How are we going to operate?

Our logo was hand-drawn by a student. From there, in 2019, we got all the approvals from the school and we started fundraising.

Kids were involved along the entire process. Then COVID hit us and our fundraising was kind of stopped.

From that point we built it from the ground up, knowing that there would be improvements over the next five, 10, 15 years.

In the fall of 2020, we started with three cattle. All three were donated. We were off and running.

The majority of the ground beef is sold to the cafeteria here at the school to use in lunches. But we take the prime cuts and have a retail sale a couple times of year to fundraise.

Q: How are the students involved?

A: The cattle are taken care of by the students twice a day, every day. We’re talking Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day, prom — every single day.

Next year I will have seven juniors that are the leadership team that make all the decisions for the farms. I’m involved in it all, as well, but they’re the ones that are making the phone calls purchasing cattle.

They’re the ones that are making the contacts to have people come out and tour and do visits. They’re the ones that negotiate pricing.

They’re the ones that call and order feed. It’s like a taste of work-based learning, but it’s still within the school setting.

Q: What skills are these kids taking away?

A: Every single kid walks around with a phone in their pocket or their hands, but they don’t know what a phone is. For them, this is a device to text, to Snapchat, to watch TikTok, to play games.

But they don’t know how to make phone calls. They don’t know how to write emails.

They don’t understand those soft skills that are a necessity to be a successful adult. And so, the opportunity for me to teach them those skills — I think is vitally important.

Q: What does your involvement with Indiana FFA Board of Trustees look like?

A: I serve as chair for the Board of Trustees. It is the governing body for Indiana FFA. There is state staff that makes the day-to-day decisions, but when it comes to major changes, it runs through the board of trustees.

The board has a representative from every FFA district in the state of Indiana. So, there are 16 different ag teachers that are sit on this board. That way, every corner of the state has a voice.

Q: Do you have any other community involvement?

A: I’m a volunteer for Johnson County 4-H. My grandma started the goat club in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s. When I finished showing goats, I came on board.

I also serve on the Johnson County 4-H Council. I’m a class of 2014 graduate of Leadership Johnson County. I’m also a member of Valley Rider Saddle Club, which my wife is heavily involved in.

Q: What are some of the challenges that you face in agriculture education today?

A: I would say the biggest impact or biggest struggle we all deal with right now is how, even in a rural setting, many students have little to no understanding of agriculture.

Making connections with those who don’t understand how agriculture affects their life every single day is a challenge.

Q: Years from now, what do you hope your students carry on from their time with you and Indian Creek’s FFA program?

A: I want them to appreciate agriculture, whether they are actively in the industry or not. I want them to have the soft skills needed to be successful as an adult.

In the end, I want them to know how to get along with everyone. You may not agree with them, you may not align with their thoughts and their viewpoints, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be working cooperatively with them toward an end goal.