INDIANAPOLIS – It was a record year for the National FFA Convention and Expo in terms of attendance numbers.  This year more than 72,954 members and advisors attended the event which was held in Indianapolis Nov. 2-4. 

Amara Jackson of Michigan was elected national president during the convention. The officers are selected from 35 candidates who take part in an extensive interview process. Jackson is a former member of the Corunna FFA chapter.

Grant Norfleet of Missouri was elected national secretary. He is a former member of the Mexico FFA Chapter. Carter Howell of Florida was elected southern region vice president. He is a former member of the Durant Senior FFA Chapter. Kanyon Huntington of Iowa was elected central region vice president. He is a former member of the East Union FFA Chapter. Morgan Anderson of Ohio was elected eastern region vice president. She is a former member of the Amanda-Clearcreek FFA Chapter. Emily Gossett of New Mexico was elected western region vice president. She is a former member of the Silver City FFA Chapter.

Throughout their year of service to the National FFA Organization, the officers will interact with business and industry leaders; thousands of FFA members and teachers; corporate sponsors; government and education officials; state FFA leaders; the general public; and more. The team will lead personal growth and leadership training conferences for FFA members throughout the country and help set policies that will guide the future of FFA and the next generation of leaders.

The convention is a time for students to learn if they or their chapter have won any of the prestigious FFA awards. Following is a roundup of students and chapters from the Farm World readership area who won awards. For a full list of winners visit www.ffa.org. 

Tennessee student Lainey Hutchison won the 2023 Star in Agribusiness. Horses have been a staple of agriculture for centuries, and people like Hutchison are educating the next generation of cowboys and cowgirls.

“My supervised agricultural experience (SAE) is in an area of equine entrepreneurship,” Hutchison said. “My ag business consists of me teaching horse riding lessons [and] doing youth farm camps.”

Hutchison, a member of Crockett County FFA in Tennessee, has been riding horses since she was 3 years old and competing in rodeos since she was 7, she said. Horses are just one part of her life, however — Hutchison comes from a cattle ranching family, and she has also worked with goats for many years.

In addition to typical ventures like breeding and selling goats, Hutchison said she spent a few months in high school using her herd’s milk to make luxurious cleaning products.

“A smaller part of my business was making and selling goat soap and lotion,” Lainey said. “There was a lot of experimenting and trial and error, but we finally perfected our recipe, and we sold a lot of it in a very short amount of time. … Honestly, one day, I would like to start that back up again.”

At 19 years old, Hutchison said she is proud of her financial independence and how much agricultural knowledge she gets to pass on to younger generations at her youth farm camps. She also credited her parents and FFA advisor, Haley Williams, with making her SAE a success.

“I never was a huge SAE kid in high school,” Hutchison said. “I didn’t understand why they wanted me to compete with it at all. Now I do. … [Ms. Williams] definitely has pushed me and encouraged me to keep going.”

Hutchison is currently attending the University of Tennessee at Martin on a rodeo scholarship. She’s majoring in farm and ranch management, and she said she plans to continue expanding her operations after graduation. She already has a few ideas, including hosting retreats and birthday parties on her family farm.

For FFA members looking to start an SAE, Hutchison’s advice is to chase your passions.

“I found something that I loved, and I made a business out of it,” Hutchison said. “Without my SAE and without FFA, I would not have been able to showcase my independence as a woman in ag. I think FFA is a great decision for anyone.”

The Taylorville FFA of Illinois was named the 2023 Premier Chapter. The chapter identified the need for adult role models and established a program called My Mentor. The chapter worked with its alumni and supporters to organize and facilitate this support group involving 137 FFA members and 38 community volunteer leaders. As a result, students gained relationship-building, job interviewing and career skills.

The National Chapter Award program recognizes outstanding FFA chapters that actively implement the organization’s mission and strategies. These chapters improve operations using the National Quality FFA Chapter Standards and a Program of Activities that emphasizes growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture. Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership.

National FFA recognizes the top chapters with innovative activities in three divisions: growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. Chapters that receive three-star ratings during judging are eligible to compete for the premier chapter awards. Ten FFA chapters competed for the honor. 

Agricultural proficiency awards honor FFA members who, through supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs), have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers. Students compete in areas ranging from agricultural communications to wildlife management. Proficiency awards are also recognized at local and state levels and provide recognition to members exploring and becoming established in agricultural career pathways. 

Proficiency award winners from the Farm World readership area include the following: 

Nursery Operations – Entrepreneurship/Placement

Vanessa Trotter of the Peebles FFA Chapter in Ohio began a small pumpkin patch when her father purchased a piece of land in 2012. With that, TNT Greenhouses was born. She owns three greenhouses to produce flower and vegetable flats, pots, planters and hanging baskets. Trotter is responsible for trimming, deadheading, and watering plants. She is supported by her parents, Holly and Carl, and her FFA advisor, Rebecca Minton.

Specialty Crop Production – Entrepreneurship/Placement

Noah Koth of the North Huron FFA Chapter in Michigan helps farm 1,200 specialty crop acres of sugar beets and black turtle beans. He started working on the farm by driving the loader tractor to pick stones in the field. His responsibilities have increased and now include tillage, running the self-propelled sprayer, hauling water, mixing liquid fertilizer, and more. Koth is active in the repair and maintenance of the farm machinery and equipment, too. He is supported by his parents, Kelli and Donald, and his FFA advisors Joseph Ankley and Haley Talaski.

Turf Grass Management – Entrepreneurship/Placement

Dawson Woerner of the Shenandoah FFA Chapter in Indiana works for his father’s 900-acre sod farm, supplying landscapers and builders throughout central and northern Indiana. When he started helping with the operation, he was limited to clearing the fields of rocks. Today, he accomplishes everything from grass seedbed preparation, irrigating the sod fields weekly, and mowing the sod fields. Woerner hopes to one day be a full partner in the family business. He is supported by his parents, Susan and Darren, and his FFA advisors Dawn Baker and Tammie Starkey.

Fiber and/or Oil Crop Production – Entrepreneurship/Placement

Matthew Gossett of the Lynchburg-Clay FFA Chapter in Ohio began his supervised agricultural experience (SAE) in the fall of 2019 when he rented 12 acres of ground to farm soybeans. He’s since increased his land to 43 acres. Gossett also works his family’s soybean farm of 662 acres. He plants, fertilizes, sprays and harvests the crop. He is supported by his parents, Lori and Ronnie, and his FFA advisor, Dara Landess.

Goat Production  –  Entrepreneurship/Placement

Chase Hummel of the Tri-Point FFA Chapter in Illinois works with his family’s livestock show goat breeding division, raising approximately 500 head of meat goats annually to be sold as 4-H and FFA projects across the country. He became responsible for monitoring the body condition and general health status of the 350 does, implementing parasite management practices and an embryo transfer program. Hummel is supported by his parents, Holly and Dale, and his FFA advisors Diana Loschen, Jenna Baker and Kaylee Shouse.

Poultry Production  –  Entrepreneurship/Placement

Sam Bolen of the South Central FFA Chapter in Ohio works for Double A Eggs Farms, a free-range and organic layer operation with two barns that each house approximately 30,000 birds. His duties were initially very simple, but today he is charged with adjusting belts, welding rods on the rock conveyor, advanced troubleshooting, supervising other farmhands, and more. Bolen is supported by his parents, Lorraine and George, and his FFA advisor, Sarah Lucha.

Sheep Production  –  Entrepreneurship/Placement

Bailee Amstutz of the North Union FFA Chapter in Ohio sold her first lamb on the sale block when she was 2 years old. At the age of 6, her grandmother gave Amstutz her first show lamb. Today, she has 78 ewes and three rams. Amstutz raised the Reserve Champion Commercial Ewe at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in 2021, and a stud buck named Deuces Wild that produces semen and offspring that are sold across the country. She is supported by her parents, Leah and Brock, and her FFA advisors Breck Mooneyham and Thomas Jolliff.

Swine Production – Entrepreneurship

Davis Howell of the Clinton FFA Chapter in Illinois has a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) consisting of two projects: breeding swine and show swine. For his breeding operation, he has between 12 and 15 sows and gilts along with a check boar. He breeds twice a year with the goal that offspring will be transferred to his show swine project. Howell is supported by his parents, Rebecca and Zachary, and his FFA advisors Hannah Riedle, Kayla Riedle and Savannah Riegler.

Swine Production – Placement

John Buryl Neely of the Woodbury FFA Chapter in Tennessee works with his family’s swine production. The project has allowed him to learn about all aspects of the process, including growing and finishing of all ages and weights of pigs. He has learned to apply the best swine management practices while monitoring their health, and cleaning and sanitizing facilities and trailers. Neely is supported by his parents, Alanna and Johnny, and his FFA advisors Wesley Foster and Emily Kopko.

Also named at the convention were the winners of the FFA Agriscience Fair.  The National FFA Agriscience Fair recognizes students who gain real-world, hands-on experiences in agricultural enterprises. Students use scientific principles and emerging technologies to solve complex problems related to agriculture, food and natural resources. The agriscience fair is for middle and high school students. Students compete in one of six categories in the agriscience fair and under one of the six divisions — either individually or in a team. 

 Winners include: 

Social Science: Division 2: Kamryn Kiser and Prezley Furer of the Ridgemont FFA Chapter in Ohio

Social Science: Division 5: Olivia Shike of the Unity FFA Chapter in Illinois