In Tennessee, Dyersburg FFA member Ann Thomas Lowery is a fourth-generation farmer on her mom’s side of the family, where she grew up raising pigs and row crops.
Thomas has been around agriculture her entire life. Her mom sells crop insurance and is an agriculture teacher at Dyersburg High School, and her dad is a row-crop farmer who works as the outside salesman for Gibson Farmers co-op.
“I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in the agriculture industry,” Lowery says. “As I entered FFA, I had no idea the impact it would have on securing that decision.”
She has learned a significant amount of perseverance during her FFA journey. “Whether it be late school nights at the barn working with my show animals, going home from my favorite competition without the placing I was hoping for, or practicing my prepared speech over and over until I can say it in my sleep, I can say for a fact there are tiring and difficult times while being an agriculturist and an FFA member,” she says.
Those persevering times have taught her this helps shape FFA members into the hard workers and leaders who grow the future of agriculture.
Lowery’s most valued characteristic is being a hard worker with everything done inside or outside of the blue jacket. “From scooping out pig pens to planting soybeans late into the night with my dad, hard work is something that encompasses the life of so many people in the agriculture industry,” she says.
She has grown as an FFA member by writing speeches, practicing for competitions and making up school work while she was at an event. Lowery strives to achieve her goals by being a servant leader and advocating for anything she does. FFA has helped her further her drive and determination to achieve her goals outside of the blue jacket as well.
FFA is one of her top priorities, but she is involved in many different clubs, roles and organizations throughout her school, community and state. These include serving on the Dyer County Junior Livestock Board, Dyer County Youth Fair Board, Western Region 4-H all-Star, student body reporter and more.
“While these roles and activities certainly keep me busy, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she says. The roles and activities Lowery has been involved in have given her invaluable leadership, networking, communication and community service skills that will help her for the rest of her FFA journey and the rest of her life.
Lowery was selected as the 2025 Miss AgHERculture.
A piece of advice she gives FFA members is, “Get involved in everything you can because it will truly help you to become a better version of yourself as a citizen in your community and as a member of FFA.”
As she looks back on her busyness, although sometimes she was be overwhelmed or had a tough time balancing it all, she believes it was essential for her success inside and outside the blue jacket. This has helped her become a well-rounded, hardworking and driven individual.
Lowery serves as the West Tennessee FFA regional president alongside her teammates.
“I believe the valuable skills and lessons I have learned in FFA will help me grow as a leader, a servant and, most importantly, an agricultural advocate,” Lowery says.
