History holds its place in the future

Through Central Valley Ag's "Old or New, Show Us Your Blue" campaign, we connected with past and present FFA members willing to share their stories. This feature highlights Dennis Sclichting's experience, shared through a personal interview and centered around his 75-year-old FFA jacket. 

Learning In the Corduroy

After 75 years, the FFA jacket that started the lessons in the past for one Central Valley Ag (CVA) member-owner, Dennis Schlichting, still bring out character today.  When CVA put out the call of "Old or New, Show Us your Blue" to FFA members past and present, one jacket stood out. 

Dennis Schlichting brought in his 75-year-old FFA jacket to CVA's Oakland Hub location. 75 years after he first bought his FFA jacket for his high school FFA experience in 1951, the blue corduroy still hands in his possession. Carefully kept, quietly placed. For decades, the blue jacket has been kept tucked away but still held with care. 

"It is a very special piece to me," said Dennis. 

At the first glance, the age of the jacket is present. From the fabric to the emblems with worn edges, it's a jacket that is still preserved with memories. The pins on the jacket that are placed underneath the name on the jacket, represent awards and accomplishments. 

For Dennis, the pins on his jacket represent his Greenhand Degree, Chapter Farmer pin, State Farmer pin, and Treasurer pin. 

"They didn't give out many medals and pins back then," Dennis shared. Each pin was earned. 

Lessons Beyond the Jacket

Dennis grew up 7.5 miles north of Oakland, Neb., where hard work wasn't a choice, it was simply the way of life. On his family's farm, there were cows to milk by hand, hogs to tend, and fields to work. His days started early, with an hour and a half of chores before school and those days ended the same way. 

"You don't cry over spilled milk," he said. "Life was what it was, and you worked hard." 

With that kind of schedule, there wasn't much time for activities. But FFA gave Dennis an opportunity to step off the farm and into a broader world. 

It didn't come easy. 

Through FFA, he found himself working concession stands, participating in judging events, and learning how to interact with others. 

"You learn to work and to deal with people in FFA," he said. "It opened up a whole new world for me." 

That lesson stayed with him long after high school - through his six years in the Iowa National Guard, decades of farming, and later in jobs that pushed him to connect with all kinds of people. 

Dennis' time in FFA wasn't defined by trophies or competitions. However, his advisor submitted his treasurer record book to a state contest where his report earned first place. An accomplishment that remained on display in his school for years. 

Still for Dennis, recognition wasn't the point. It was a jacket he was wearing, and everything it represented, that meant the most to me. 

Holding onto what matters

Dennis doesn't consider himself a hoarder, but rather a saver: a saver of memories. The jacket has hung in his closet for decades, moved from place to place, but never forgotten. After graduation, he made a decision that he would never remove the emblems from the blue corduroy. 

"If you were going to wear it, you had to take them off," he said. "I wasn't going to do that." To him, those pins placed underneath his name, and the memories attached to them, were not something to take apart. 

"There are some things that mean a lot to me," he said. "I can't destroy them at all." 

More than just a jacket

Today, Dennis no longer farms, but agriculture is still part of his life. Whether it's helping his granddaughter raise baby chicks or restoring pieces of the past such as old engines and historic equipment, he continues to stay connected to the land and its history. 

And in many ways, that's exactly what his FFA jacket represents. Not just a time in his life but the weight of the lessons he carried forward. Lessons that still matter today. For current FFA members, his advice is simple: 

"Appreciate the land and be satisfied with what you accomplish in a day, and take good detailed records." 

Through CVA's "Show Us your Blue" campaign, stories like Dennis Schlichting's remind us that the blue jacket is not just a story. Those who wear it become a part of something larger. 

"How do you know where you're going to go, if you don't know where you've been," Dennis said. 

By investing in the next generation of agricultural leaders, CVA continues to help create meaningful memories and opportunities for those who will one day wear the blue jacket. As agriculture keeps evolving, today's FFA members are given more opportunities to learn, grow and discover different corners of the industry. The lessons earned through early mornings, hard work, and quiet determination remain unchanged.