Most of America’s farms are located in Midwestern states but California is host to its fair share of farmers as well- including Willis Wolf, member of the Merced- El Capitan FFA Chapter.

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Luke Scott is among four in the nation recognized as an American Star in Agribusiness finalist. Scott and his family farm about 1,500 acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat in Ohio. However, his primary agribusiness concentration is owning and operating LS Custom Application, where Scott owns two sprayers he uses to apply herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers to the fields of local farmers in need.

Scott tells FFA members, “If there’s a risk you think you should take, take it… Have confidence in yourself. You always have people who have your back.”

Learn more about Scott and how he aims to reduce his economic footprint on the ecosystem.

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Not many Americans are called to the White House on official business, but Hadden Powell, a member in the Bleckley County FFA Chapter in Cochran, Georgia, had the opportunity to do interior Christmas decorating for the Executive Mansion at just 19 years old.

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Kacie Haag is among four in the nation to be selected as an American Star in Agriscience finalist. Her research focuses on soil nitrogen levels and figuring out the best practices to reduce the farm’s environmental impact as well as increasing potential yield. Haag says her research aims to change her part of the world.

“There’s a huge dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, and that is contributed by nitrogen in the water sources that comes from 11 states,  Illinois being one of those… So I think it’s super important, the research that I’m doing, to make sure that we take care of the land and it can be used for future generations.”

Haag, from the Tri-Point FFA Chapter in Illinois, visits with Alex Voichoskie about her FFA experience.

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Olivia Pflaumer, a member of the Zane Trace FFA Chapter in Chillicothe, Ohio, started her agriscience supervised agricultural experience (SAE) as a freshman, first studying the amount of pollen found in her bees’ honey versus commercially produced honey found on store shelves.

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Cole Riggin, of the Riverton FFA Chapter in Kansas, travels across the country custom harvesting all sorts of crops. His lifelong experience with his family’s custom harvesting company, Riggin Farms, turned into a placement supervised agricultural experience (SAE).

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Amelia Hayden is among four FFA members in the nation to be recognized as an American Star in Agriscience finalist. Hayden’s research focuses on producing peanuts for people with peanut allergies. She shares her advice for FFA members.

“Go one step at a time. You don’t have to start off seventh grade or freshmen year saying ‘I want to be a star finalist.’ I think you just slowly build up your Supervised Agricultural Experience. Take it one semester at a time, and constantly look for ways that your SAE can help other people out, too.”

Hayden is from the Big Foot FFA Chapter in Wisconsin.

Listen to her conversation with Alex Voichoskie.

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Garret Talcott is among four in the nation to be recognized as an American Star Farmer finalist. Talcott started with 14 acres of wheat on his family’s farm. Today, he farms over 500 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat. In recent years, he expanded into livestock and excavating. Talcott is from the Palmyra FFA Chapter in Nebraska.

Learn how Talcott uses his FFA experience to build a successful operation.

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Courtney Cameron is from the Lowndes FFA Chapter in Valdosta, Georgia. Her supervised agriculture experience (SAE) is conducting plant disease research.

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Nicole Harder represents the Lacrosse FFA Chapter in Kahlotus, Washington and is a Star in Ag Placement finalist after pursuing various opportunities to learn more about livestock and meat production. Listen to learn more about her SAE.

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