The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions made it impossible for the 2020-21 New Mexico FFA State Officers to travel and connect with their fellow members in person. In response, the team launched the Evolve podcast in October. As a result, the officers are able to share their message and mission while also fostering connections with members from afar.
“After hours of brainstorming ways to reach out to our members in a meaningful way during the pandemic, we came up with the concept for the Evolve podcast, and we’re really proud of how it’s turned out,” says New Mexico FFA State Vice President Kaylin Klein.
The twice-monthly Evolve podcast addresses topics specific to New Mexico’s agriculture industry and fosters leadership development and career success. Throughout their tenure as state officers, each team member will record two episodes, one focused on leadership qualities and the other highlighting an agricultural topic or featuring an industry expert.
For example, New Mexico FFA State Vice President Emily Gossett interviewed New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte for her first episode, and in the following episode, New Mexico FFA State Secretary Anne Hodnett discussed the importance of generosity.
“We recognize that our younger members – especially those who are in their first year of FFA – have not had many opportunities to attend events and workshops and see firsthand how much this organization has to offer,” says New Mexico FFA State President Brandon Larrañaga. “With our podcast, we aim to bring those kinds of experiences to our audience virtually, whether that’s through interviews with leaders in agriculture or solo episodes where we share how our leadership skills have grown and developed during our time in FFA.”
The Evolve podcast also helps members get to know their state officer team and strengthen relationships from a distance.
“One of our goals for the Evolve podcast is to help New Mexico FFA members and supporters feel connected to us, even though we may not meet face-to-face,” Klein says. “No matter where someone is or what they’re going through, in FFA, we are united by the blue jacket. We hope listening to our podcast reminds our audience that they’re not alone; we’re all in this together.”
Interested in tuning in? You can listen to the Evolve podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public and Overcast.
