RALEIGH, N.C. – Attending the latest National FFA Next Gen Conference has led Avery Bivens, an FFA member from Kentucky, to re-think his plans after high school.

Bivens, a sophomore at LaRue County High School in Hodgenville, said before he went to the conference, he had expected to return to his family’s grain farm after graduation. Now, he wants to go to college and intern with agencies and businesses such as USDA, John Deere or Case IH.

“I wanted to attend the conference to learn to improve business opportunities, improve social skills and meet members from other states,” Bivens explained. “My brother had gone to one before and encouraged me to apply.

“I gained knowledge about how some people improved their business skills, social skills and knowledge over time. It was great getting to tour the John Deere (Turf Care) facility and BASF. It was also neat to travel to North Carolina because I’d never been there before.”

FFA hosts Next Gen conferences three times a year. They focus on specific career pathways to in-demand industries, the organization said. The March 3-7 conference in Raleigh focused on power, structural and technical systems. Seventy two members participated.

Bivens said he had an interest in those topics because he lives on a grain farm. “I wanted to learn more about building grain bins,” he said. “I also wanted to learn more about this area because I know I will be using this in the future and will take some classes in high school dealing with agricultural power.”

Touring BASF was his favorite part of the conference.

“Getting to see their greenhouses and how they grow crops and then test certain pesticides and insecticides was neat,” Bivens said. “As a grain farmer, this was especially interesting for me because I know they are doing research on things that I could potentially use. Getting to see some of the opportunities there that are options for me in the future, that they got to show off (was a favorite part).”

He said he likes the variety of topics included in the Next Gen conferences. He hopes to attend one next year on plant science. This year’s remaining Next Gen conferences will be in Chicago in June (agribusiness systems) and Kansas City, Mo., in September (animal systems).

For Bailey Anderson, a senior at Forest Park High School in Ferdinand, Ind., the conference helped confirm her post-graduation plans. She intends to attend Vincennes University, majoring in agribusiness with a concentration in photography.

“The conference reinforced my career interests and provided me with practical skills that will benefit me in college and future careers, including communication, leadership and adaptability,” Anderson noted.

She said she wanted to attend the conference because it provided a unique opportunity to expand her knowledge and gain hands-on experience. It also allowed her to meet new people and connect with industry professionals. Anderson said she saw it as chance to explore different career paths and better prepare herself for opportunities in agriculture and related fields.

“Early on in my high school career, I had a strong interest in engineering and robotics, which I still find fascinating,” she said. “However, my focus has shifted toward agribusiness and agricultural education. I attended this conference with the mindset of gaining knowledge and skills that I can apply in a future classroom setting or in an agribusiness career.

“The conference helped me develop valuable skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership and professional networking. I also gained insight into working with different generations and improving my resume and career readiness skills.”

Anderson said overall, the conference broadened her understanding of the wide range of opportunities available within the agriculture industry.

The tour of the John Deere facility stood out because it showcased the wide variety of careers within one company, she said. The BASF tour provided insight into the company’s operations and allowed members to explore a greenhouse while learning about research and production processes, Anderson said.

“In addition to the tours, we participated in hands-on activities, attended presentations from industry leaders and engaged in roundtable discussions with professionals from various companies,” she said. “These experiences opened my eyes to career paths I had not previously considered.”

Anderson said she would encourage FFA members to attend future Next Gen conferences. She said she initially felt intimidated because she didn’t know anyone else attending and was unsure how her knowledge compared to others.

“However that quickly changed,” Anderson recalled. “By the end of the conference, I felt a strong sense of belonging. One activity that stood out to me was creating an illustration wall based on a word that represented our experience. I chose the word ‘belonging’ as it reflected how stepping outside of my comfort zone allowed me to connect with others and feel welcomed in a new environment.”