John Fietsam grew up listening to his grandfathers talk about their experiences in the FFA chapter at Marion Township High School in Marion, Ill.
His paternal grandfather, Robert Fietsam, grew crops and ran livestock operations, while his maternal grandfather, Donald Broeking, was a full-time coal miner who worked part-time on his family’s farming operation. Fietsam’s father was also an FFA member and, alongside his brother, continues to operate the Fietsam family farm today.
“As I was coming up through high school and college, both of my grandfathers talked about just how much farming had changed and how they watched the transition from farming primarily with a team of mules to the mechanization of agriculture and the introduction of fertilizers and hybrid genetics,” Fietsam recalls. “Their adoption of new technologies, new techniques and their commitment to lifelong learning really played into how they operated on the farm.”
Fietsam remembers looking through a scrapbook that his grandfather created, which included a report he wrote as an FFA member in the 1930s about the future of farming, including the latest innovations in feed rations, animal husbandry and the potential convenience and efficiency of recent advances in agricultural mechanization.
“It was interesting to see things through his eyes and, at that time, compare them to what he was seeing when he was in his 80s and 90s,” he recalls.
Fietsam continued the family legacy and joined the Marion FFA Chapter at Marion High School. Although the chapter was less active during that period, he still benefited from agriculture and ag mechanics classes and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in plant and soil sciences and a Master of Science degree in plant and soil sciences, specializing in weed science.
Career Success
Today, he’s the associate director of strategic alliances at Valent U.S.A. In his role, he manages third-party partner relationships, collaborates on development agreements and supply contracts, and explores areas of new growth, especially as they relate to collaborations, investments and acquisitions.
Fietsam has continued to demonstrate his commitment to the Live to Serve motto over the course of his career through active participation in company and regional FFA alumni organizations, attending a Regional Alumni Leadership Development Conference and engaging with current FFA members about potential careers in agriculture and STEM at the National FFA Convention & Expo.
Agriculture has changed a lot since Fietsam’s grandfathers joined FFA in the 1930s, but the core values of the organization remain the same.
“We’ve had the opportunity to see the value of FFA from the perspective of multiple generations, from the influence it had on my grandfathers and the influence that it had on us to the influence that it’s having on the current wave of students,” he says. “The world of agriculture has changed, almost immeasurably, but the commitment to developing leadership is as strong as ever.”
