Young Advocates for Agriculture & The Next Generation of Leaders

“I saw the difference an ag teacher could make in the lives of students,” Riley says. 

He explains that his ag teacher, Mrs. Hendrix, provided him with guidance when he decided to start a cow/calf herd as part of his supervised agricultural experience. He explains that all FFA members need to have a supervised agricultural experience. The definition of what a supervised agricultural experience is broad – it can be anything from agriculture-focused printing shop or working for an agri-business to raising crops and livestock.

Riley was curious about raising livestock, but neither he, nor his parents had any experience or land. So, he depended quite a bit on Mrs. Hendrix to guide him through the process. She connected him with a rancher near Rapid City. Riley worked for him, and as part of the work agreement, he was able to run the six Angus cows he purchased with the rancher’s herd.

Today, Riley’s herd has grown to 14. The small herd has helped him finance two vehicles and other college expenses. But more than income, Riley says he learned what it means to be a rancher. “I didn’t have a ranching background, so I had to learn everything. General stuff, like working on tractors, driving equipment, animal health to more complex things like planning for the future so that I don’t have too many cows to pay for feed, make sure I have finances in order to make sure debts are paid,” Riley explains. 

By the time he graduated, Riley was working as a crew leader, helping the rancher train other high school students. 

“FFA takes the passions that students have and lets them run with it. You always have your chapter adviser to turn to for guidance, but as a member, you can pave your own path,” Riley explains. 

Riley, Robbins and their teammates share their personal stories with FFA members they meet and work to help them discover their own pathway to success through FFA. They also keep busy advocating for agriculture. 

“Traveling to D.C. and across the state visiting with farmers and ranchers, we have learned a lot about local, national and global issues impacting agriculture today. You look at the average age of farmers and see the importance of getting the next generation excited about agriculture,” Riley says. “Also, it is easy for people not involved in agriculture to believe the wrong idea, especially if it is something they are not familiar with. We want the truth out there.” 

To learn more about FFA, visit www.ffa. org. To learn how you can get involved in your local FFA chapter or at the state level, contact Beth Mayrose at Elizabeth.Mayrose@ sdstate.edu. 

2018-2019 South Dakota State FFA Officer Team includes (left to right): TJ Bigge (Sentinel), Grady Gullickson (Treasurer), Colton Riley (President), Marie Robbins (Secretary), Sarah Kroeger (Vice President) and Carolyn Blatchford (Reporter).

State FFA President Colton Riley started a cow/calf herd as part of his FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience.

State FFA Secretary Marie Robbins (center) takes a selfie with a group of FFA members during a leadership retreat.