Ellie Taylor is a senior at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Indiana. She is the Indiana FFA District V reporter.
Starting the Journey
For Ellie Taylor, agriculture is a way of life that has shaped her into the passionate advocate and inspiring leader she is today.
Taylor is currently a senior at Hamilton Southeastern High School. She serves as the Indiana FFA District V reporter and recently retired as the president of her local chapter. She has been heavily involved in the National FFA Organization for four years, where she has developed leadership skills and grown her passion for agriculture and advocacy.
In addition to her work with FFA, Taylor participates in 4-H, where she has cultivated a variety of skills and knowledge. She also serves on the Women’s Council for A Kid Again, an organization dedicated to supporting families with children battling life-threatening illnesses, and is a member of her youth group’s worship team.
Through these experiences, Taylor has grown as a leader, volunteer and team member. She is excited to continue her journey of personal growth and community involvement in the years to come.
The Path to Ag Advocacy
Taylor’s journey into agricultural communications began her freshman year when she asked her FFA advisors if she could create print media and social content for chapter events. What started as a small task soon grew into managing digital media for Indiana FFA District V and launching her own platform, @abridgetoagriculture
Passionate about connecting people to agriculture, Taylor says, “Agriculture communications gives you so many outlets to connect and encourage others.” Her role evolved from social media management to writing blogs, designing banners and sharing industry updates across Instagram and TikTok.
Through Career Development Events (CDEs) and Leadership Development Events (LDEs) like agriculture marketing and agricultural communications, Taylor refined her skills and discovered her true passion — bridging people to agriculture through communications, leading to the creation of “A Bridge to Agriculture (ABTA).”
Becoming the Next Generation
In March 2024, Taylor attended the National FFA Organization’s Next Gen Conference: Agricultural Communications held in Fort Worth, Texas. After returning home, she felt a strong drive to continue making an impact in the agriculture industry. In a conversation with her mom about the inspiration she was feeling, Taylor said, “I had this concept in mind and, wanting to do something to contribute, I realized it was as easy as creating a social media platform. I already knew I was extremely passionate about agricultural communications and had the skills to hopefully make an impact.”
ABTA is a platform with the mission of educating people about agriculture and connecting them with the industry. “It can be overwhelming for consumers to understand agriculture, with so many sources and platforms,” Taylor says. ABTA provides unbiased, engaging content that’s thorough yet easy to understand.
Through Instagram and TikTok, Taylor shares her personal experiences, highlights industry professionals and encourages consumers to engage with agriculture. “Agriculture is one of the greatest industries, and I think many don’t realize its impact on their daily lives,” she says. ABTA strives to present agriculture in a relatable, unbiased and engaging way, serving as a bridge between consumers and the industry.
Ellie Taylor at the 2024 Next Gen Conference: Agricultural Communications.
Building Bridges
As its name implies, the mission of ABTA is simple, yet impactful: “Creating a bridge for everyone to come to agriculture.”
Taylor uses her platform to share industry facts and connect followers with agriculture-related events and opportunities. “I also want consumers to feel as though they are able to fully grasp important concepts and topics within the industry, so they can support agriculture in the ways the industry needs and make informed decisions,” she says.
Her content spans multiple themes, including industry education, advocacy, and even agriculture-inspired fashion. “My content on Instagram consists of a few different series/themes,” she says. “I have a ‘Ways to Get Connected to Ag’ series, Ag Fact Friday, FFA event experiences, advocacy posts, ‘Outfits of the Week’ and more.”
To generate content ideas, Taylor takes inspiration from her camera roll. “The first slide of my advocacy posts is always a picture, and the following slides contain information related to that photo,” she adds. “I love doing this because it presents a true example of how anything in our lives can be connected to agriculture.”
She also keeps up with industry news to ensure her content is timely and relevant. This dedication to authenticity and engagement allows her to effectively bridge the gap between consumers and agriculturists.
Taylor’s “A Bridge to Agriculture” logo.
Mapping Out Stories, One Post at a Time
When Taylor created her agricultural communications supervised agricultural experience, her prior experiences made it clear staying on brand was essential to her content creation.
When launching ABTA, she knew strong branding was key. “The first thing I did when I started was create a logo and select four brand colors,” she says. These elements now guide her social media graphics, helping keep her platform cohesive and recognizable.
Graphic design also plays a significant role in her process. “It’s about making sure the space is filled, but not too busy or overwhelming,” she adds. Taylor also prioritizes research to ensure accuracy, reading multiple sources and gathering diverse perspectives. “When I make a post, I always take time to read many different articles, listen to different viewpoints and collect facts about the topic,” she says. This ensures her posts are well-informed, neutral and engaging.
Visuals are another key element. “I find they help make a platform extra engaging and easier to understand,” she says. Whether using existing photos or capturing new ones, Taylor pairs each post with a relevant visual to enhance its message.
Taylor interviews FFA members.
Navigating the Bumps on the Road to Success
When creating ABTA, Taylor initially feared judgment and public scrutiny. “If I am being honest, the biggest challenge I had is getting over the fear of what other people think,” she says. She also worried about being accused of spreading misinformation or appearing egotistical. To overcome this, she focused on thorough research to ensure her content was accurate and reminded herself that “more people are kind than judgmental.”
Positive interactions and encouragement from her followers inspired her to keep going. “There’s been many interactions I have had with people who follow my platform that have been very encouraging, which inspires me to continue pursuing it,” Taylor adds.
She also faced challenges in growing her audience and generating fresh content. “I knew I wanted to share about agriculture, but I wasn’t exactly sure how,” she says. Throughout time, Taylor developed structured content themes and remained consistent, steadily expanding her reach. “It definitely can be a little difficult to gain new people, but I just keep pushing out content, trying to connect with others, and always maintaining the mindset of the passion I have for it,” she adds.
Despite these obstacles, Taylor remains driven. “Overall, the challenges I have had with ABTA don’t compare to the amount of joy I have,” she says.
Taylor (center) and her Agriculture Marketing CDE teammates compete at national convention.
The Starting Point
FFA has been crucial in shaping Taylor’s passion for agricultural communications. “A key part of my passion for agricultural communications and the industry is FFA,” she says. “If it weren’t for my advisor allowing me to take initiative with our chapter’s media, I never would have served in officer positions or had the experiences I did.”
In addition to attending a Next Gen Conference, Taylor competed in the National FFA Agricultural Marketing CDE and Agricultural Communications CDE, which helped grow her abilities and gave her firsthand exposure to the industry.
At the district and state levels, she worked in the Indiana FFA State Convention media room, competed in agricultural communication competitions and managed her district’s media. “FFA provides an incredible amount of experiences that immerse you in real-world situations and grow your skills,” she says.
Through FFA, Taylor has developed leadership, career and technical skills, adding, “FFA has constantly provided me with opportunities to apply what I’ve learned.” She believes she wouldn’t have the confidence, abilities or insight that have shaped her journey without FFA.
Taylor visits the RFD-TV station in Texas.
Building Bridges to New Destinations
Since its creation, Taylor expanded ABTA it to include a design commission service, creating custom invitations, banners and more. She envisions reaching 1,000+ followers, launching merchandise and forming partnerships with agriculture professionals.
She also hopes to feature personal conversations with industry leaders, showcase events such as stock shows and rodeos and provide more ways for followers to engage. “I think the message of agriculture is vital to consumers, and any outlets for people to learn about it are necessary,” she says. “That’s why I hope ABTA can expand its impact.”
With the passion and drive Taylor has, ABTA will continue to grow, making a significant impact and educating countless individuals.
Taylor (third from left) and her teammates earned fourth place in the National FFA Agricultural Communications CDE.
In the 2024 National FFA Agricultural Communications CDE, Taylor earned first place individual in the social media practicum.
On the Road to Success
Beyond her online presence, Taylor has gained real-world experience through job shadowing marketing professionals at agricultural companies, networking with industry leaders and participating in national competitions. “This experience has opened me to a variety of skills, connections and opportunities to understand what career path I want to pursue and how to get there,” she says.
Beyond skills and experiences, this journey also provided Taylor with a sense of joy and purpose. “I’ve developed a sense of excitement about everything I do and have absolutely loved getting to document it with the hopes of positively impacting others,” she adds.
Taylor’s deep love for both the agriculture industry and agricultural communications is a direct result of the opportunities and growth she’s experienced through ABTA and her SAE.
Navigating the Road Ahead
For those looking to start their own journey in agricultural communications, Taylor has simple yet powerful advice: “Just ask!” She encourages students to network, collect business contacts and take initiative. “If you take the initiative in what you want to do, you will always find success — even if it’s really hard at first,” she says.
A Lifelong Advocate
Taylor’s journey is just beginning. This fall, she will attend Purdue University – West Lafayette to major in agricultural communications. She looks forward to joining student organizations like Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT), the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) and Block and Bridle. “I think extracurriculars can give you key insights into your passions and provide you with amazing relationships,” she says.
Although saying goodbye to the iconic corduroy blue jacket is bittersweet, she knows her time with the National FFA Organization isn’t over. She plans to stay involved at the chapter, state and national levels, helping local chapters and contributing to the organization in any way she can.
Although she is uncertain about her exact career path, Taylor knows one thing for sure: “I want to do something within agricultural communications.” No matter where the road takes her, she is determined to leave a lasting impact on the industry she loves.
