KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind. - A former FFA student in Indiana is happy with her results in resurecting the FFA program from the high school where she graduated. 

Jessica Stoten said enrollment in the FFA program at Knightstown High School had shrunk to about 10 students when she took over as the lone Ag instructor at the school and sponsor of the FFA program five years ago. She now has 26 students in her FFA branch with a goal of reaching at least 50 participants.

Stoten said the program at her school appeared to be on solid ground when she graduated in 2015 and went on to earn a degree in agricultural edition at Purdue. But somewhere along the line she said “the foundation of the chapter got lost.” 

Stoten said her primary motivation is wanting give her students the opportunity to benefit from what the program did for her ability to learn, grow and develop. She also wants more students to have an FFA instructor take an interest and care about their futures like she had while in high school. 

“I would not be who I am today without FFA.  I’m willing to do whatever I can to make those kids worth it,” she said. Further momentum for the program was realized when Bunge, a grain elevator in nearby Rushville and a soybean oil processing plant at Morristown, reached out with its support in recent months. 

Nathan Card, superintendent of the Bunge operation at Rushville, said the company has been wanting to give back more to some of the communities they serve recently and he didn’t hesitate when learning FFA at Knightstown could use some help in restoring the program to good health. On Nov. 2, Bunge personnel, Emily Loveall and Jennifer Colsen, went into the high school and provided agriculture class students with instruction on grain quality grading.

Card said the company now plans on donating in other ways to the program and looks to be actively involved in the possible construction of a livestock barn for the school. Card said he’s also helping to rally other grain elevators and agriculture related companies behind the cause.

“There’s things people can do but if no one really knows about it or is talking it about then you’re not going to get anywhere,” he said. 

Card said the ag industry investing in FFA helps more younger people become aware of the good job possibilities related to farming and increases the future pool of potential employees. Bunge employs about 130 people at both of its locations near Knightstown. 

Stoten said the support from Bunge came as a major surprise because the FFA branch in Knightstown is overshadowed most of the time by programs in surrounding communities like Rushville that have much higher FFA enrollments and instructors. 

Her vision for a livestock barn is for her students to help raise the animals until they’re butchered and offer the meat whether it be in hot dogs or hamburgers during school sponsored athletic events.

She said interacting with farm animals at school can bring out the best in her agriculture students in areas like morale along with their desire and ability to learn.

Stoten, a former 10 year 4-H youth member, said interacting with animals can also help students become more effective speakers from them wanting to talk about their experiences with the livestock.

She credited FFA with helping her overcome shyness from her discussions and public speaking events that arose from her FFA related experiences in areas like caring and judging of farm animals. 

Stoten said she also won an Ag Business Management contest at the state level of FFA and went on to compete at an FFA national convention in Denver, Colorado.

She grew up on a family farm raising cattle and hogs along with corn, soybeans and wheat in nearby Carthage.

Currently, she’s working with decision makers at the school to obtain funding for the livestock barn and possibly expand the program even further. 

“I guess we got to wait and see until they decide what to do.  I’m just happy for anything at this point,” she said.