Strange cattle, green fields, no AC: Marble Falls FFA experiences Ireland

A group of Marble Falls FFA students recently returned from an overseas field trip to Ireland with a new passion for world travel and agricultural practices and a stronger appreciation for Texas cuisine. 

While on the 10-day tour of the “Emerald Isle,” the group dove into the Irish ag scene and history.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said incoming Marble Falls High School sophomore Kaydee Smith, who is treasurer of the school’s FFA. “I had never been out of the country, and it was my first time to fly.”

Kaydee and 10 other FFA members were abroad from May 27 through June 5. The adventure was nearly a year in the making, with plans first being laid in June 2024. The students were accompanied by parents and teamed up with FFA groups from Illinois and Tennessee.

The Marble Falls teens visited dairy, beef, and oyster farms, toured apple orchards, saw castles and cathedrals, delved into ancient mines, and got up close to famous Irish thoroughbred horses. A few brave students even dived into the cold Celtic Sea.

While Marble Falls FFA Advisor Madison Crane did not go on the trip, she still gets to share in the excitement with her students.

“Watching them experience a world that is different from ours is so cool,” she said. “Not only will they have those memories, but now they get to share all of this knowledge (back home).”

Kaydee, for example, got an interesting lesson on Aubrac cattle, which are common in Ireland but relatively unknown in Texas. She has two Brahmans, a cattle breed that her Irish counterparts had not heard of.

Incoming MFHS senior Tyler Belk witnessed firsthand an advantage for Irish farming and ranching: no need for irrigation.

“It was green everywhere,” he said.

The teens also remarked on other “oddities” in Ireland: cars driving on the opposite side of the road, the lack of air-conditioning across the country, and the notable absence of Mexican food.

While Marble Falls FFA facilitated the trip, many of the students paid their own way. Kaydee raised money over the past year, while Belk used stock show prize cash and worked odd jobs for months.

They both agreed that FFA is more than an extracurricular for them.

“It’s like another family,” Kaydee said. 

And that family is growing, according to Tyler, who is now buddies with some of the students from Illinois.

“I never would have met them if it wasn’t for FFA,” he said.

Keep up with what Marble Falls FFA is doing on its Facebook page.

dakota@thepicayune.com