Tattered Jeans

Rodeo highlight: Future Farmers uphold the spirit of what makes America great

Being the youngest of four, I was tolerated as the tag along. But my brother, Kit, was kind.

When we were toddlers, Kit used to kiss me like Bugs Bunny kissed Elmer Fudd. When we got a little older, he’d sometimes sock me in the stomach. By high school, there was 20 yards between us as we walked into school every morning but I always knew that from the corner of his eye, Kit watched over me. He cared. He played football on the high school team, wore his FFA (Future Farmers of America) jacket proudly, and worked part time at a veterinary clinic. I adored him. Still do.

So whenever I see someone wearing the blue and corn gold colored FFA jacket something inside just feels good. Hopeful. Affirming.

Last year at the rodeo I spotted a group of youngsters wearing their FFA jackets and went over to chat with them awhile. They were as nice as the FFA members I knew in high school. Courteous too. “Yes ma’am” isn’t something I often hear from a bunch of teenagers.

Courteous too. “Yes ma’am” isn’t something I often hear from a bunch of teenagers.

Usually, when I go to the rodeo, I have no particular assignment story, but this year was different. I remembered those FFA youngsters from a year ago and thought now this is one I could happily go looking for.

I found them gathered under a big sign that said WELCOME TO AGVENTURE – waiting to take young school kids on a tour through a building full of chickens, cows, rabbits and more.

Some were in charge of taking the children on the swine tour. Others were responsible for leading them through the chicken and cattle exhibits. They were kind enough to let me mosy along and learn too. Throughout the tour, it was easy to see that these FFA members connected with the kids as much as they did with the animals. Afterwards, I had the pleasure of visiting with a few of them.

Caitlin Toomey, age 16, grew up around the rodeo and has shown llamas. “It (FFA) teaches you a lot about responsibility,” she said, “and we get to help a lot of people.”

Throughout the tour, it was easy to see that these FFA members connected with the kids as much as they did with the animals.

Miles Hackstedt, also 16, says it makes him feel good to teach kids about agriculture. “How they get food, clothing, stuff they need,” he explained. “Hopefully, these kids will keep the cycle going.”

Hunter Bean, age 15, believes that the FFA “teaches you lessons you can carry with you your entire life.” He likes the responsibility of taking care of animals. “I learn from them,” he said.

Later, I asked the youngsters if I could take a group photograph. Taking one look at these fine folks, you gotta believe that the FFA is alive and very well. But, if any of you youngsters need some encouragement, just talk with someone who still exemplifies the FFA spirit.

At age 61, Kit runs his farm and works in the trust department of a bank. Early most mornings, we talk on the phone over coffee. He tells me about the geese on the pond, how many calves he’s counted. We talk about the long, cold winter there but how beautiful spring should be. I can’t wait to go see.

If Henry Ford’s right, “The farther we get away from the land, the greater our insecurity,” Kit need never worry. Neither do any of you, Future Farmers of America.

In the Rabbit Hole: A New Zealand rabbit and young student practicing the “two fingers, two touches” rule.

$Katie Oxford Houston Rodeo FFA March 2015 In the Rabbit Hole - a New Zealand rabbit and young student practicing the \u201ctwo fingers, two touches\u201d rule.$

Photo by Katie Oxford

In the Rabbit Hole: A New Zealand rabbit and young student practicing the “two fingers, two touches” rule.

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children don't come cheap

This is how much the cost to raise a child in Houston increased in one year

Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash

It costs more than $24,000 to raise a child in the Austin area in 2025.

A new national study has revealed it now costs $472 more to raise a child in the Houston area than it did last year.

SmartAsset's report "Cost of Raising a Child in Major U.S. Metros – 2025 Study" compared data from MIT's Living Wage Calculator to determine the annual costs for raising a child in 2024 and 2025 across the 48 biggest metropolitan areas in the U.S. Factors that contributed to each metro's total included the cost for childcare, additional housing costs, food, transportation, medical costs, and "other necessities."

In 2025, it will cost $21,868 annually to raise a child in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlandsregion, the report found. That amount has risen 2.21 percent since 2024, when childrearing in the Houston area cost $21,396 a year.

Houston only has the third-highest costs for raising a child out of the four biggest Texas metros, and even though that cost has increased slightly in the last year, it's still on the low end nationally. SmartAsset said Houston is the 8th most affordable U.S. city, ranking 41st (out of 48) in the overall ranking of metros where the cost of raising a child is the highest.

"The cost of raising a child can change quickly, making it important for budding families to keep an eye on trends in their locale," the report said. "Between 2024 and 2025 alone, the average projected annual cost of raising a small child changed by a range of -15 percent to +22 percent, depending on the metro area."

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Massachusetts led the nation with the highest annual cost for raising a child, totaling more than $39,000, up from $37,758 in 2024.

Costs for raising a child in other Texas metros
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is – unsurprisingly – the most expensive Texas metro for raising a child, with costs surging nearly eight percent from 2024. It now costs $24,188 to raise a child in the Austin area, compared to $22,406 the year before.

There's better news for families in San Antonio. The San Antonio-New Braunfels area clocks in as the fifth most affordable U.S. metro in the study. In 2024, it cost $21,014 to raise a child in the Alamo City, but in 2025, it costs 0.33 percent less, at $20,945.

This is how much it costs to raise a child in San Antonio, according to SmartAsset:

Cost of childcare: $9,123
Housing costs: $3,232
Food costs: $1,644
Medical costs: $2,590
Transportation costs: $3,090
Civic costs: $474
Other costs: $791

Raising a child in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington now costs $22,337 per year, which is only $411 more than it did in 2024.

childcare costs reports smartasset families houston the woodlands pasadena