Eaves sisters show their way into the future with FFA
#LanceroftheWeek
Rayann (left) and Rachel (right) recieved their FFA awards at the Frederick Fair with Mrs. Doll.
March 24, 2017
Farming is not just a hobby. It is a way of life. Being born into a family of farmers means that you are naturally going to have an appreciation for the one thing that makes the world “grow” around — agriculture. FFA members, sisters and fifth generation farmers, Rayann and Rachel Eaves, show their love for agriculture each and every day in their community.
“Agriculture goes far beyond the farm… Being a fifth generation farmer is a rare blessing. I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” said Rayann.
Rayann, Class of 2017, transferred to the Linganore community in January of her sophomore year. A former Walkersville High School student, Rayann did not know anyone nor what to expect when coming to Linganore.
“If it weren’t for Ms. Beachy, Mr. Hawthorne, and such a welcoming ‘FFAmily’, I don’t know how I would have made it,” said Rayann.
The transfer was to further prepare Rayann for her chosen future. She needed to earn an Animal Sciences Agriculture CTE completer — which was not offered at Walkersville.
She has over 20 awards and recognition’s for her accomplishments, both in and out of school. Besides FFA, Rayann is involved in many other school extracurriculars which include: NHS, NTHS, NEHS, and NSHS. Her extracurriculars outside of school include: 4-H, Damascus Road Community Church Youth Group, the New Market Grange, and the Mt. Pleasant Ruritan club. She also currently works at USAMRIID in Frederick.
She plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Sciences: Pre-Veterinary Medicine Concentration, and then to later achieve a PhD and/or a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Her plan is to then become a large animal veterinary practitioner or work for a government or federal agency, such as the USDA, DoD, or CDC. Although the two seem different, they both follow her main career objective: to ensure the health and safety of food and fiber production animals.
Rayann’s love for animals is clear, as she could not see her life without them and she has had almost every animal imaginable. Along with her sister, she raises dairy cattle and shows market pigs and alpacas. The two show their market pigs every year at the Great Frederick Fair. They show all throughout Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and North Carolina with their alpacas.
Older sister, Rayann, holds the title of National Senior Division Championship for Alpaca Performance. Rachel holds a national title as well, she was the National Junior Division Championship with alpacas. Both titles were received at the national AOA show.
Younger sister and Class of 2020 member, Rachel, said she plans to keep the family tradition of FFA alive in her future. Rachel is a Ben Carson scholar, a first year member of the FFA, and a point guard for girls’ JV basketball.
When given the choice to stay at Walkersville or go to Linganore, Rachel chose to move to Linganore. As a Ben Carson scholar, you must be a student who has shown great promise throughout school and their community. Alongside her sister, Rachel has done just that. Her good grades and extracurricular potential as a freshman has already led her into a bright path for her next few years in school.
At the Great Frederick Fair, she held the title for Grand Champion Market Hog, and third place for landscaping. She plans to compete in Horticulture judging at Westminster in the spring with other members of our FFA chapter. As a first year FFA member, she encouraged one of her fellow classmates to join the chapter. She won the Greenhand award and plans to continue after her sister with her involvement in the FFA office.
Rachel plans to keep the FFA family tradition alive, along with farming. FFA has helped her, and will continue to help her gain leadership qualities and needed qualities to be productive in the real world. “FFA is a cool family tradition, and it’s always cool to hear about how my grandfather was the first junior to become President at Frederick High,” Rachel said.
Just as Rayann, Rachel loves being a fifth generation farmer. She said, “It’s really amazing to think about how hard my past generations worked and the things they sacrificed to become the successful dairy farm my family owns and operates today.” Their family farm, Oak Bluff Dairy Farms, is located in Woodsboro, Maryland.
The sisters have spent their entire lives around animals — and they plan to keep it that way. Their constant appreciation for agriculture has shown, not just with their involvement in the FFA, but in their daily lives. Not only the students, but the teachers have also noticed their enthusiasm.
Tom Hawthorne, agriculture teacher, said that Rayann has had a great impact on FFA. “I think it makes it all more special for her, since her grandfather was also the president of the FFA when he was in high school.”
They love being a part of the community just as much as they love being a Lancer. “When you are really passionate about something it’s hard not to share that passion. As FFA President, my goal is to keep Agricultural Education alive and well at Linganore!”
