To have a chance at winning the annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow national STEM competition, Wilton FFA members knew they’d have to create something truly innovative – and they did just that.
The Iowa chapter looked to its own backyard and developed something that could not only improve lives but also save them.
“In this competition, students are tasked with identifying a real-world problem, creating a unique solution and presenting it in a way that compels others to get behind it,” says Olivia Sippy, agriculture instructor at Wilton Jr./Sr. High School and Wilton FFA advisor. “Our students saw a gap in the agriculture industry and decided to fill it.”
Read on to learn about how Wilton FFA members put their creativity to the test.
After speaking to her father and other grain farmers in her community, Wilton FFA Treasurer Madelyn Thede realized farmers needed a way to determine grain levels inside bins from the outside.
“Grain farmers put themselves at risk of injury — or even death — every time they climb the ladder to look into their bin,” Thede says. “Plus, it’s time-consuming. If [these farmers] could know how full the bins are without having to climb, they’d be safer and more efficient.”
Madelyn’s realization led to the creation of the EliteGrain Tracker, which includes four different LED-colored lights and pressure sensors that communicate a bin’s fill level.
“My sister-in-law, Hannah Sippy, helped our six-student team take their invention a step further,” Sippy says. “With her guidance, they created a mobile app so farmers can see the levels of their grain bins from anywhere. It’s truly unlike anything else on the market.”
In March 2024, Wilton FFA took its EliteGrain Tracker to the statewide Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. The chapter won and received a technology package of $12,000.
From there, the chapter became one of 10 finalists selected to advance to the national competition, which was held in Washington, D.C., in April 2024.
At the national Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, three Wilton FFA chapter officers — Madelyn Thede, Kaitlyn Thede and Lexi Henning (pictured above left to right) — presented and pitched their EliteGrain Tracker to a panel of judges.
“We felt honored and excited to represent agriculture at a STEM competition because this industry is often left out of the conversation,” says Wilton FFA President Kaitlyn Thede. “Even though we lost, we were proud, and we know we’ll be back in the future.”
Now that the competition is over, Kaitlyn Thede says Wilton FFA is focused on improving its invention so it can hit the market someday.
“We want to make the EliteGrain Tracker more versatile so it can be used to determine the levels of liquids, too — not just grains,” Thede adds.
Reflecting on the experience, Sippy says she was impressed by her students’ poise and professionalism under pressure.
“When presenting the EliteGrain Tracker in Washington, D.C., these young ladies were nervous, but you wouldn’t have known it because they prepared so well ahead of time,” Sippy adds. “They were composed and confident. I couldn’t be prouder.”
