When Wibaux FFA advisor Ethan Igo launched the “Small Town Big Ideas” podcast in January 2021, he thought it would be an educational, fun project for his agricultural communications class.
He was right, but he couldn’t have anticipated where the project would lead and how it would impact his chapter members.
“We were fortunate to receive a grant from the Montana FFA Foundation so we could purchase the equipment we needed to get started, including microphones, headphones and a soundboard, and we’ve been going full speed ahead ever since,” says Igo, who serves as the grades 7-12 agriculture instructor at Wibaux High School in Wibaux, Montana. “What I thought might be a simple classroom project has evolved into so much more.”
Igo envisioned the podcast not only serving his students but also their community and beyond, with each episode shining a light on the importance and magnitude of agriculture.
“If it weren’t for the ag industry, places like our small, rural town of Wibaux wouldn’t exist,” Igo says. “Plus, people across our nation and world rely on agriculture every day. It’s the backbone of our society.”
Although Igo remains heavily involved with the podcast, he now has four FFA members who rotate the responsibility of choosing the episode topics and leading the discussion each week.
“I’m one of the hosts of the ‘Small Town Big Ideas’ podcast, along with Rylan Maus, Abby Begger and Ashlynn Varner,” says Annika Lunde, vice president of the Wibaux FFA and senior at Wibaux High School. “We have a blast, and it’s been a great way for us to get more comfortable expressing ourselves as we learn more about agriculture and share our unique perspectives. Plus, we’ve had the opportunity to interview state and national FFA officers, which was so special.”
The chapter’s hard work is paying off. In addition to winning first place in the FFA Agricultural Communications Career Leadership Development division at the 2022 Montana FFA State Convention, the Wibaux FFA Chapter is garnering attention from listeners far outside its hometown and inspiring other young people to advocate for agriculture, too.
“The four ‘regulars’ on the podcast are respected and recognized as leaders in our chapter, school and community,” Igo says. “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing each of them transform as they’ve grown their public speaking and communication skills and become more confident and creative. I’ve also seen their passion for both FFA and the agriculture industry increase to levels I could never have imagined. That’s been incredible to witness.”
Listen to the “Small Town Big Ideas” podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and check out Wibaux FFA on Facebook to see videos of the podcast’s live recordings.
