New Blue Jackets Continue FFA Gold Standards
The impact of the FFA jacket lives on, and nearly 1,000 members received their own at convention this year.
Six Named as NAAE Outstanding Agricultural Education Teachers
NAAE award celebrates the most influential teachers in agricultural education.
Opportunities for All Ages in FFA Alumni Association
There are opportunities for members of all ages in the National FFA Alumni Association.
U.S. Army Shares Ag-Related Career Options and Activities at FFA Expo
FFA members explored Army careers related to food, technology and veterinary science.
Help One Help Many: Keynote Speaker Mick Ebeling Delivers Inspiring Message
FFA members learned how to turn the impossible into the possible during fourth general session.
Secretary DeVos Visits National FFA Convention & Expo
The U.S. Secretary of Education spoke at the fourth general session of the convention and toured the expo.
Joseph Arnold is the 2017 American Star Farmer
INDIANAPOLIS – Growing up on the family farm, Joseph Arnold of Holloway, Minn., knew early on that he wanted to pursue a career in agriculture. When Arnold joined FFA and began learning even more about the industry through classes, he realized working on the farm would be perfect for his supervised agricultural experience (SAE). In the process, Arnold discovered he needed to diversify his crops to sustain his operation. As part of his process, he invested in shares of stock in the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative. He then researched the possibility of growing additional varieties of beans and other produce. As a result, today his operation yields corn, soybeans, navy beans, kidney beans and sugar beets. For the past four years, Arnold has farmed and controlled every aspect of the production and marketing of his crops. He also strives to learn new ways to improve his operation. This persistence and drive have earned him the honor of being named a 2017 finalist for American Star Farmer. “In high school I learned a bit about the business [...]
Ohio’s Chrysta Beck Named 2017 American Star in Agriscience
INDIANAPOLIS – Since third grade, Chrysta Beck of Archbold, Ohio, has raised broilers and layers to sell meat and egg products to local customers. As she got older and joined FFA, she developed a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) that would look into the health of poultry. But what started as research to assist her with personal production goals soon developed into a project with a vastly larger scope. It focused on U.S. and global poultry production and welfare. Beck’s work began when she was in ninth grade and started looking closely into broiler production factors and exactly how the birds grew. She also learned how to determine meat quality. By her senior year, Beck was investigating alternative methods for replacing antibiotics. This research has earned her top honors as she has been named a 2017 American Star in Agriscience. “I was looking into the gut health of the chick,” Beck says. “I was looking into the microbiology of chickens and doing probiotic research.” In her lab trials, Beck has been testing different types of bacteria to determine [...]
“20 Seconds” Workshop Teaches FFA Members How to Talk About Ag
Twenty seconds of "insane courage" can lead to positive dialogues about ag.
Kellie Einck is the 2017 American Star in Agricultural Placement
Indianapolis – When Kellie Einck was a youngster, she found horsepower and torque far more interesting than playing dress up. The Paullina, Iowa, resident’s fascination with engine mechanics eventually led her to take agriculture and power in addition to other technical courses while she was in FFA. And the combination helped fuel her desire to become an engineer. For her supervised agricultural experience (SAE), Einck worked at a small car garage as a general mechanic and service technician in her hometown of Primghar, Iowa. Then she went to diesel tech school at a community college in town. There she enjoyed the hands-on work of mechanical engineering. Einck’s experience with agriculture was limited while she was growing up, but most everyone in her family drove trucks. “They hauled livestock, so to an extent it was agriculture, but getting in this field has broadened my horizon. There’s crops, animals and custom work on top of it,” she says. Einck decided to look into a career that focused on mechanics, perhaps mechanical engineering. She began taking classes for a [...]
