Gabby Howell is serving as the 2024-25 Florida FFA State President. Her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is a beef production — entrepreneurship project, an endeavor she’s been involved in since 2021.
Before this, Howell’s SAE took the form of a placement, where she worked for her older brother, Carter Howell, in his beef production business. He taught her foundational skills and responsibilities like basic cattle care and the ins and outs of the beef industry.
When Carter graduated high school, he handed the business over to Gabby, and she transitioned from working under him to running the operation herself. This step was both challenging and exciting, as it meant taking ownership of the cattle and making critical management decisions on her own.
Her responsibilities primarily revolve around raising cattle and marketing their offspring within her community. Each year, calves are sold to young exhibitors, who show them at local fairs. This, in turn, helped them gain valuable experiences and learn how to handle and present livestock.
This process is meaningful to Howell because it serves as a reminder of her own high school years when she showed steers and heifers at fairs. These experiences played a significant role in shaping her passion for beef production as well as her desire to help other students navigate the complexities of raising and showing cattle. By offering guidance to these students, she hopes to make their experience as fulfilling and educational as hers was.
Gabby Howell and her brother, Carter, medicate their cattle.
Facing Challenges
As a first-generation agriculturist, Howell faced the challenge of stepping into an industry where she had little family background or knowledge. Many of her peers come from generations of farming experience, but Howell had to build her understanding from the ground up.
This has been daunting at times, especially in a sector as complex as beef production. Learning the various aspects of cattle genetics, herd health management, feeding protocols and marketing strategies required significant time and dedication.
“I’ve had to do a lot of catching up on all of the current methods and standards in the beef industry, which has been challenging, but also rewarding in its own right,” she said.
Progeny Prodigy
Howell shows her cattle.
Through her SAE, Howell’s developed essential skills beyond the technical aspects of cattle management. Running a business has taught her the importance of financial planning, communication and customer relations. Balancing the books, coordinating with students and their families, and promoting her business within the community have also helped her become more organized and resourceful. These skills will serve her well in any career she pursues.
Additionally, her SAE has instilled in her a strong sense of responsibility, both to the animals she cares for and to the students she supports. She’s learned that agriculture is about more than producing a product; it’s about building relationships and fostering a sense of community. Her goal is not only to succeed in beef production, but to inspire other young agriculturists to pursue their own goals and overcome their challenges.
Start Your SAE
SAEs offer work opportunities in agriculture and take place outside of educational hours. These projects prepare FFA members for their futures by helping them gain experience in the industries they want to pursue. Get SAE ideas here!
