Each year at the National FFA Convention & Expo, four FFA members are honored with American Star Awards for outstanding accomplishments in FFA and agricultural education.
The American Star Awards, including American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement and American Star in Agriscience, are presented to FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through completion of a supervised agricultural experience (SAE). A required activity in FFA, an SAE allows students to learn by doing, by either owning or operating an agricultural business, working or serving an internship at an agriculture-based business or conducting an agriculture-based scientific experiment and reporting results.
Congratulations to the 2020 American Star Farmer winner:
Cole Ketterling, North Dakota
At first glance, Cole Ketterling seems like a typical American farmer. He raises beef cows for his supervised agricultural experience (SAE) with Wishek FFA in North Dakota. He grows corn, soybeans, spring wheat and sunflowers on a rotation. But his time with FFA has taught him a unique, valuable skill: welding.
“I learned how to weld in the classroom and did a few competitions that involved that,” Ketterling said. “I actually weld a lot on the farm now because of it.”
Ketterling said he mostly puts his welding skills to use repairing broken equipment, but he also uses it for building fencing and other useful structures.
“It’s stuff you don’t think you would use every day — and you don’t use it every day — but once in a while, it comes in handy,” he said.
Ketterling’s beef cattle SAE got its start when he was just a kid backgrounding his father’s cows to make them ready for placement in a packed feedlot. From there, he bought his own cows and began renting land for raising cattle and crops. Ketterling said he started with 39 acres and currently farms on “about 1,000 acres” in 2020.
FFA taught Ketterling about more than just welding and farming, though. He said he also learned a lot about business management in his agriculture classes. He credited his father, Kermit Ketterling, and his FFA advisor, Rocky Brown, for inspiring him to try new things.
“It was a good foundation to get me going in the right direction,” Ketterling said.
Ketterling recently graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in ag economics, and he has started working as an ag loan officer in his hometown. He is still farming, though, and he said he has two paths to choose from for his future.
“For now, this is where I’m starting,” Ketterling said. “I’m getting a little off-the-farm income to help start farming [more] because, economically, it’s not the best time to be farming full time right out of college.”
For FFA members working on their SAEs, Ketterling said his best advice is to try new things and accept failure as it comes along.
“Don’t be afraid to fail,” Ketterling said. “Try something. If it doesn’t work, you’re young; you can walk away and try something different.”
Ketterling competed against the following American Star Farmer finalists:
Mikara Anderson, Pennslyvania
For Mikara Anderson, starting a single supervised agricultural experience (SAE) with the Southern Huntingdon County FFA Chapter was not enough. She wasn’t satisfied with two SAEs, either — or three, or five, or seven or nine.
So, how many has she had?
“I actually have 11 supervised agricultural experiences that I completed throughout my time in FFA,” Anderson said. “Nine of which are what I have used to apply for the American Star Farmer Award.”
Over the last several years, Anderson has kept herself busy with rabbit breeding, market swine, dairy cattle and more. Her main operations, though, are all various sheep breeding ventures.
“Not all of these SAEs are still active to this point, but my breeding sheep enterprise is very active,” Anderson said. “I currently have about 60 animals in my barn.”
Anderson added that when business is booming, she has more than 100 animals to take care of at any given time. She said a lot of people like to ask her when she finds the time to sleep.
“I think about it as time management,” Anderson said. “It all works out.”
The Anderson family has been farming in Pennsylvania for generations, she said, but her primary motivation for being so heavily involved in agriculture has more to do with the big picture.
“The main thing that I love about agriculture is that it’s a necessity,” Anderson said. “Without agriculture, we wouldn’t be able to eat, wouldn’t be able to clothe ourselves, wouldn’t be able to build our houses or our cars. … I think we often take it for granted.”
Anderson said her involvement in FFA helped her develop public speaking and leadership skills, and teachers like Rebecca Sellers and Cortney Booher gave her a well-rounded ag education from an early age.
“Both of them were very willing to go the extra mile,” Anderson said.
She also said Sam Hayes Jr., former Pennsylvania secretary of agriculture, played an “integral role” in mentoring her through her plethora of SAEs.
As a college student at Pennsylvania State University, Anderson keeps herself plenty busy with an animal science major and two minors. Upon graduating, she plans to attend Pennsylvania State Law School and eventually practice law with a focus on agricultural issues.
As for her dozens of sheep and other livestock, Anderson said she won’t be letting go of them anytime soon.
“For my breeding enterprise, I hope to only grow that in future years,” Anderson said. “I’m very fortunate that my parents are willing to take care of the animals when I’m away.”
Anderson’s best advice for FFA members looking to start their SAEs is to seek help early and often.
“People that are experienced in the agriculture community, they want to offer advice,” Anderson said. “They want to tell younger generations what they did, what worked and what didn’t so that we don’t repeat their mistakes.”
Nole Gerfen, Ohio
Like many young American farmers, Nole Gerfen owes a lot to his family, and taking care of them is a top priority — even if it means making sacrifices on their behalf.
“I enrolled at Ohio State when I graduated high school, and my dad … broke his hip, and I dropped out to help my parents,” Gerfen said. “And six months later, Dad broke his other hip. And then Mom broke her leg.”
For the past few years, Gerfen has been raising pigs, cattle and sheep for his supervised agricultural experience (SAE) with Ridgemont FFA in Ohio. His parents are steadily recovering, but back when they were both unable to work, Gerfen said he was taking care of around 1,250 pigs by himself.
“It kind of tore me there, but I knew I had to help my family,” he said.
Despite the personal setback, Gerfen said he does not regret his choice to drop out. His family has been farming for generations, and his parents have been helping him through every step of the journey.
“Year in, year out, they’ve helped me out,” Gerfen said. “I started helping them since the day I could walk. I was carrying feed buckets for Mom and Dad to use when I was three years old.”
Gerfen said his family connection isn’t the only reason he’s involved in agriculture, though. It’s highly satisfying work for him.
“In the spring, you get to see the new livestock hit the ground, and in the fall, you see the corn coming off,” Gerfen said. “It just lights a fire in me and makes me want to do it again.”
Gerfen’s time with FFA has been immensely helpful for his farming operations, he said, particularly in the areas of soil judging and birthing livestock. Gerfen added that he would like to continue his agricultural education and go back to college someday, but he thinks it will be a while before he has the time because he is still needed at home.
“My dad … he can’t do any of the hard work,” Gerfen said. “Mom doesn’t want to do any of the hard work anymore, too, because she’s afraid of re-breaking her leg.”
For FFA members wanting to start an SAE of their own, Gerfen said his best advice is to listen to your parents.
“You may have different ideas on how things work, but they will always be there to support you,” Gerfen said.
JaLeigh Oldenburg, Oklahoma
When JaLeigh Oldenburg first joined Mulhall-Orlando FFA in her home state of Oklahoma, she wasn’t sure what she would do for her supervised agricultural experience (SAE). But before long, she realized her passion for an animal breed she’d never get tired of raising: Southdown sheep.
“They’re the sweetest animals,” Oldenburg said. “I’m currently the third-largest breeder in the nation of Southdowns, and I think that they’re just simply an amazing breed.”
Oldenburg said Southdown sheep are a docile breed, and they’re growing rapidly in popularity across the nation because they mature quickly, making them faster to market and faster to breed. Oldenburg inherited the breeding operation from her father, and she currently has 174 purebred Southdown ewes and counting.
As one of the country’s most prolific breeders in a niche market, Oldenburg said her passion for raising and showing sheep has taken her to new heights. She has traveled across America to market her flock and expand its numbers, and she said the people she’s met on her travels are like a “second family” to her.
“To me, it’s not just about raising the money … or showing sheep,” Oldenburg said. “It’s about the friends and family that you make across the nation being able to show the sheep.”
Oldenburg said her FFA advisors and agriculture classes were a huge help in getting her operation started. She’s currently studying family sciences at Oklahoma State University to become an agriculture educator herself someday.
“I love working with kids,” Oldenburg said. “I always have.”
Although balancing her studies and her sheep has been difficult for her, Oldenburg said the move to online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic has unexpectedly benefitted her because she gets to spend more time at home with her flock. After graduating, she still wants to continue expanding her Southdown breeding operation.
“I plan on trying to find a house and possibly some land … and really, truly raise them on my own,” Oldenburg said.
She also shared some wisdom for students who want to start their SAEs.
“It’s going to be difficult,” Oldenburg said, “so the thing that you have to do is find something that you’re passionate about … because it’ll take you places that you’d never think you’d ever be.”
Sixteen American Star Award finalists from throughout the U.S. are nominated by a panel of judges who then interview the finalists. Four are named winners and receive cash awards. Case IH, Elanco Animal Health and Syngenta sponsor the awards.
