RITZVILLE, Wash. — Andy and Lori Williams might just be one of the busiest couples in the Pacific Northwest.

Andy is in his 20th year as the Lind-Ritzville FFA advisor. Lori has been executive director of the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane since 2022.

They’ve been married 20 years. Daughter Alyssa is 17, a high school senior. Son Landon is 12, a seventh-grader.

They’re also 4-H leaders.

“As much as we probably should, we don’t go fishing or go to movies or whatever — if we’re on the road somewhere, it’s probably to a show. Through the summer, we’re on the road taking kids to a livestock contest or whatever it might be,” Andy Williams said. “Our professional lives, our personal lives, our personal business, our hobbies — everything we do is (centered) around youth and agriculture.”

In a given year, they’ll manage four to six fairs, jackpot shows or junior shows.

The couple raises 35 cattle and 10 sheep on the 4W Ranch near Ritzville, and runs a custom feed business with 40 products, selling about 1,000 tons a year.

“Our full-time, outside jobs keep us a little busy,” Lori Wiilliams said. “But it allows us to have this small operation and still be connected to production agriculture.”

“I can’t think of a more impactful couple, or even individuals, for that matter,” said Randy Williams, 4-H programs coordinator for Lincoln and Adams counties and a retired longtime FFA advisor, no relation to Andy or Lori. “They’re kind of the go-to couple when it comes to how things should be run, publicized, carried out.”

‘Starts in the classroom’

“I think it goes back to the fact that we both have an appreciation and an understanding for what production agriculture offers us as a people,” Andy said. “I don’t think it’s any secret that the average consumer is (getting) farther and farther away from that, and farther and farther away from an understanding of that. And yet all of them are consumers and voters, and they impact American agriculture, whether they know it or not.”

All that 4-H and FFA travel helps connect those youths without a direct tie to ag, Lori said.

“It’s great to be able to share that with the other kids, starting from age 6 in 4-H all the way up through seniors in high school,” she said.

“The American public has to understand production agriculture more, they have to understand what goes into it, the resources, time, effort, labor and so on that’s needed,” Andy said. “They have to be wise consumers and wise voters. It starts in the classroom for us.”

Lori encourages open-mindedness, noting that often the latest policy or political angle might have downstream impacts on farmers and ranchers that the public doesn’t know.

“Producers are less than 2% of the population, and it’s really hard for that small of a group to shout to the world exactly what some of these policies will do to food availability in the grocery store,” she said.

People with a calling for ag must do their best to educate, Andy said.

“The best way to do that, in my opinion, is to start with youth,” he said. “That’s why we do it. Every facet of our life is right around that.”

“It’s just what we enjoy,” Lori echoed. “It’s our family interests.”

The kids

During the COVID-19 shutdown, their daughter, Alyssa, jumped into showing animals and went all-in on FFA career development events and leadership development events.

Their son, Landon, likes meats judging and showing cattle and steers. His favorite part is meeting new people.

The siblings got to compete on the same dairy evaluation team for the first and only time this past spring, placing first and third. Alyssa will compete with teammates at the national convention in meats judging, Landon in dairy evaluation.

“He surprised me, actually,” Alyssa said. “We did a team activity and he said something that was off-the-wall smart.”

Alyssa is very tenacious and goes after what she wants full-throttle, while Landon is “our laid-back jokester,” Mom and Dad said.

“They do balance each other,” Lori said.

“Sometimes he drives her nuts because he doesn’t really work at something that hard, and then it’s like ‘Oh, he was paying attention — he just won that,’” Andy said.

This year, Alyssa is an ambassador for the junior livestock show and Wheat Land Communities’ Fair.

“With my parents so heavily involved, a lot of people think I’m kind of forced into it, but it’s definitely my choice,” Alyssa said. “It’s my past, my present, my future — it’s everything I want to do.”

“I’m excited it’s my turn to be in FFA,” Landon said. “I’m learning the creed and hope I get to go to state convention for a contest. I’ve watched from the sidelines for a long time, but 4-H and FFA activities are where I spend my time. It’s so much fun!”

Opportunities abound

Alyssa received a competitive events scholarship to attend Texas Tech University. She could compete on up to seven different teams and be an assistant coach while earning her master’s and doctoral degrees, Andy said.

The university held a signing ceremony for her, just like a signing for a football or basketball player.

That’s an opportunity available to all 4-H and FFA members, Andy said.

“We need more people in the food science, meat science, animal livestock production industry to consistently make better … eating experiences and improve products that are available,” he said. “Kids who judge meats and livestock are actually considered D1 college athletes.”Division 1 college athletics are considered the highest level of intercollegiate sports competition.

Other Eastern Washington students also competed at various state camps and received similar scholarships, Lori said.

“When I was in high school, I didn’t know you could judge in college,” she said. “I just assumed that when you’re done with high school, you move on to college and your FFA career was done.”

“I know it’s our own kid, but that is a culmination of why we do what we do,” Andy said.

‘Extraordinary’ couple

Blake Foraker, former meats scientist with Washington State University Extension, worked with the Williamses as program stakeholders.

“They’re very passionate about setting youth up for success for careers in ag, animal ag especially,” Foraker said. “Their unselfishness to help others is quite extraordinary.”

The couple has “huge impact” on “a tremendous number of kids,” said John Dixon, a Pomeroy, Wash., rancher and longtime family friend who sold the Williamses their first cattle.

“First and foremost, you have to care about kids and you have to care about agriculture,” Dixon said. “That’s just who they are as people. Not only have their kids been successful, but they’re mentoring a large group of kids that are also being successful.”

Randy Williams has known the couple since they were in high school. Andy was his student in Medical Lake FFA.

He asks Andy and Lori to manage the beef part of a 4-H jackpot show in Davenport, Wash., every spring, which draws kids from four states.

“When you do that, a show runs extremely smooth, from getting kids into the ring to weigh-in to associating with the judge, all those good things,” Randy Williams said. “The energy and expertise they bring to this area, relative to the livestock business and the show ring, is second to none.”

Balancing act

Between Andy and Lori, who’s busier?

“It depends on the day,” Lori said. “Andy has a lot of irons in the fire. We divide and conquer, I guess. My job is 70 miles away and heavily dependent on the time of year.”

“I have more irons in the fire, but Lori is a detail person,” Andy said. “Lori handles every little detail of things, where I’m more of a big-picture, top guy. The simple fact is we work very, very well together because of that.”

For example, during the May jackpot event, Lori does all the lead-up work, gathering prizes and many other details.

“I just want him to show up and move panels,” she said with a laugh.

“The day of, they all come to me with questions but really it’s Lori doing it in the background,” Andy said.

Friends and family also step in when they’re stretched.

A neighbor and former student helps feed the Williamses’ livestock about 100 days out of the year, Andy said. “He’s invaluable to us.”

“We juggle it, and are so thankful for our neighbors, friends and family that help us, because we would not be able to do what we do without the support of people who share the passion for youth and agriculture,” Lori said.

Title

Andy: Lind-Ritzville FFA advisor for 20 years

Lori: Executive director, Junior Livestock Show of Spokane for two years

Age

Andy: 42

Lori: 43

Married: 20 years

Children: Alyssa, 17; Landon, 12

Hometown

Andy: Medical Lake, Wash.

Lori: Ritzville, Wash.

Current location: 4W Ranch in Ritzville, Wash.

Education

Andy: Agricultural economics degree, Washington State University; master’s degree in business and teaching certificate, Eastern Washington University

Lori: Agricultural economics degree, Washington State University

Hobbies

Andy: “It’s our entire life, whether it’s going to a show, judging a show or a judging contest. We have 25 calves here right now we’re going to be working on halter-breaking soon. That’s how we fill our time. Landon and I like to fish, we just don’t do it often.”

Lori: “It’s really hard for me to go to a show and just sit there and watch … I just want to grab a computer and see what I can do to help.” Baking, if she has the time.

Website

4W Ranch: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057319546762

Junior Livestock Show of Spokane: https://www.juniorshow.org/

How they met

{p class=”p1”}In 1998, both showed steers at the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane. Lori won the junior/senior division for showmanship and Andy the freshman/sophomore division.

{p class=”p1”}Was it love at first sight?

{p class=”p1”}”Probably not,” Andy said. “We danced at the junior show dance.”

{p class=”p1”}”He was from Medical Lake, I was from Ritzville,” Lori said. “Probably not the most common connection there.”

{p class=”p1”}Lori grew up on a wheat and cattle farm. Andy’s parents were small business owners; he got involved with FFA and cattle in high school.

{p class=”p1”}Both were in the Block and Bridle livestock club at Washington State University.

{p class=”p1”}”My first year at WSU, we just kind of dated a little bit but it was real clear neither of us were mature enough or whatever,” Andy said. “About a year later, we were in the same friend group and it just seemed right. We started dating and that was it.”

{p class=”p1”}”I guess he found my baking and wit irresistible,” Lori said.

{p class=”p1”}A longtime advisor would ask the audience during the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane benefit auction: “How many of you met at junior show?”

{p class=”p1”}The Williamses were among the many couples to raise their hands.

{p class=”p1”}”He’d say, ‘If you want to meet someone with common interests and common work ethic, meet someone at junior show,’” Lori said. “Twenty-some years later, common goals and a sharing of strengths to get us there has played out all right.”