When it was time to choose a supervised agricultural experience (SAE), King William FFA member Tanner Lipscomb followed his curiosity, and that curiosity has helped him cultivate a career in production agriculture that is considered unconventional to many.
Tanner’s SAE included working at Lipscomb’s Crabs, a Virginia-based crabbing operation established by his grandfather, Larry Lipscomb. Tanner’s main tasks include harvesting and sorting blue crabs and steaming them to prepare them for purchase.
Additionally, Tanner obtained his boating license, which included completing a six-week course and a driving test in the Chesapeake Bay. He also assisted with boat care and maintenance. The skills he learned in FFA helped him effectively communicate with customers and market products.
“A lot of FFA members are drawn to more traditional SAEs, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I had the opportunity to pursue something different through my family’s business, and I wanted to take it,” says Tanner, who graduated from King William High School in King William, Va., in 2020. “I’m so glad I did because I really enjoy crabbing, and I’ve been able to use the communication skills I developed in FFA to help with the customer relations side of the business.”
Tanner’s SAE success scored him the Eastern Regional FFA Star Award in Agribusiness in 2020. That came as no surprise to his advisor, Howard Hill, who says he knew Tanner had great potential when he joined the King William High School FFA as a freshman.
“Tanner’s love for FFA and his hard work in CDEs [career development events] and his SAE project made him special,” Hill says. “At a small school, very seldom do you get kids like him. He’s worked so hard in his family’s business and has put in a lot of time and effort to make it successful.”
Currently, Tanner and his older brother, Quinton, operate Lipscomb’s Crabs alongside their father and grandfather, harvesting blue crabs from Virginia’s Rappahannock River and Mechims Creek and selling to patrons across several counties from late May through September.
Tanner also serves as a deckhand for Norfolk Tug Co., and in the future, he hopes to continue expanding his skill sets and also attend the Marine Mechanic Institute.
“I love being out on the water; it’s my second home,” Tanner says. “Every day, I’m grateful I’ve found a way to combine two of my favorite things, boating and agriculture, and make a career out of them.”
For more information on SAEs, visit https://saeforall.org/.
