Farm Life Inspires Senior

Addison Kennon is working on a wallet in the Leather Shop at the Ozark Folk Center. On the table in front of her sits a set of custom awards for the FFA officers in her club. These, too, are made partly from leather, partly from wood.

It was Addison’s idea to make the awards, and now she is trying to get them perfect.
Addison has been in FFA since she was 15, and in 4-H Club since she was 5 years old. She shows sheep, pigs, and goats in both clubs.

“I’ve been showing since I was 5,” she says. “Whether it was a pig or a goat, sheep, chickens … anything. I’ve showed basically everything, except for rabbits and horses. I love working with animals.”
In 4-H she also has done public speaking, livestock judging, meats competition, Wildlife Habitat Evaluation, Livestock Skillathon. She has traveled to Kansas City, Memphis, Louisville, and Denver.

Stone County Extension Agent Anna Harlan says of Addison, “I’ve always been impressed by the amount of effort she’s put into learning. She truly absorbs what she’s learning. It’s been impressive to see her in the different contests, the different efforts at home, the high level that she is and the hard work that she puts into whatever she’s trying to learn and accomplish.”

In FFA Addison has also done public speaking, as well as job interview, parliamentary procedure, horticulture, forestry, meats, among other contests.
“Agro science fair was a really good one,” she says. “We did it this past year. We’re probably going to do it again this year.”
She has served as FFA chapter reporter, chapter president, and currently serves as chapter secretary.

Addison is homeschooled, but takes an agriculture class at Mountain View High School taught by her dad, Austin Kennon.
And, for half the week, she is the leather working apprentice at the Ozark Folk Center. It’s a job she really enjoys, one that allows her to tap into her artistic side.
Addison’s mom, Amber, saw a Facebook post from Janice Thomas, who runs the leather working shop. Eventually, Thomas agreed to take on Addison as an apprentice.

”I started apprenticing here in January,” Addison says. “I really like it. I work here half a week, and she works the other half. On Fridays, we get together and work together; I can show her what I’m working on.”

”I’m definitely grateful to be able to work here,” Addison says. “I used to be a really artsy kid. That’s what I enjoy doing so I’ve taken to it like crazy.”

As for what her plans are after graduation, she’s not yet sure, but she knows she wants farming to be part of any future she sees for herself.

Mainly, though, her plans for farming are to produce enough food to feed herself and her family.

”My dad, he likes to garden and he wants to market garden, and that’s his thing. I don’t want to do that. I want to feed my family, eventually, and have the best nutrition and the best food I can for my family, and for me.”

”I think if everybody did just a little bit, it would go so far. A lot of the issues we have in our commercial farming would be much, much better. It’s gotten to a point where it’s so big, it’s not sustainable anymore. We’re running out of our resources.”

”Not that farming is bad; we have to have it. But people aren’t going about it in the right way, and they’re doing it in a way that’s damaging more than they’re giving, and I think that’s where the problem is. I think if everyone grew a little bit, just a little bit, I think that would be a great thing.”