Successful Farming staff remember their FFA days

As we celebrate National FFA Week, Successful Farming staff members recall their favorite memories and lessons learned in FFA. They all agree their experience gave them important skills and tools they use to this day.

Stormy Miller

National Account Executive

Stuart, Iowa, West Central Valley FFA Chapter

I owe a lot of thanks to my advisor and chapter for allowing me to find my place in the ag classroom and spark my passion for ag. Being the youngest of 3, I joined FFA because it was just 'something we did.' After attending Greenhand Camp my freshman year, I was immediately drawn to the organization and its members. Throughout my FFA years I competed in many CDEs, served as the South Central District Secretary, and obtained my Iowa FFA Degree. Some of my best friends still today were met through FFA. One of my favorite FFA opportunities was being a Stage Attendant at the Iowa State Fair - loading and unloading tour buses for many artists (whose names you probably know) was hard work, but all the memories made in those 11 days are priceless! 

Lauren Quinlan

Content Manager

Mexico, Missouri, FFA Chapter

The blue jacket continues to impact my life in more ways than I can count. I joined FFA after receiving some encouragement from my older brother, Caleb, but quickly paved my own path in the organization. I loved competing in career development events and leadership development events (floriculture, livestock judging and FFA knowledge, to name a few!), attending various events and holding multiple officer positions within my chapter. 

After graduating high school and earning my American FFA Degree, I discovered additional avenues for continuing my involvement. I interned in the newsroom at the Missouri FFA and Oklahoma FFA state conventions, as well as the 95th and 96th National FFA Convention & Expos, and began freelance writing for the National FFA Organization. These experiences helped me recognize career opportunities available within the agricultural communications field, and eventually led to landing my first job as editor of FFA New Horizons magazine.

From my hometown to our nation’s capital, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and beyond, I’m grateful for all I’ve encountered while being connected to FFA. As an alumna, it’s my honor to continue experiencing its lasting impacts, and a joy to share the stories of talented members, alumni and supporters.

Karen Jones

Executive Machinery Editor
Roanoke-Benson, Illinois, FFA Chapter

Growing up, I remember looking at my dad's American FFA degree certificate hanging in his office and wanting to someday earn one too. As a freshman in high school, I joined the Roanoke-Benson (Illinois) FFA chapter and jumped right in, joining the parliamentary procedure team at the first meeting. From there I was hooked. 

I participated in almost every career development event our school had a team for, with public speaking becoming my favorite. I competed in Creed speaking my freshman year and prepared speaking in the years to follow, with speeches about bT corn and genetic engineering. I kept record books on growing popcorn, and then added a second agricultural communications book which helped lead me into the career I'm in today. 

I served as chapter and section president, and earned my American degree in 2001. I stay connected to my local chapter through the FFA Alumni and Supporters group and volunteer to judge events when my schedule allows. I hope my daughter will be the third generation in our family to earn her American degree!

Natalina Sents Bausch

Associate Digital Director
Columbus Junction, Iowa, FFA Chapter

Back in high school when we were piling into the school van for contests and staying after school to practice, I just thought FFA was fun. There were opportunities to skip school and travel. What more could a 16-year-old kid want? Now, I look around and realize many of my closest professional relationships had their beginning in FFA. Friends and coaches who stood with me in a pit judging soil are now keynoting industry events and the farmers I regularly touch base with for my Successful Farming coverage. (That's me on the left in the photo below.)

Tom Hosack

Director of Sales
Harlan, Iowa, FFA Chapter

It's hard to pick a favorite memory, but winning the state title in parliamentary procedure was a special one. We also had a point system established that we tracked to qualify for a fishing trip to Canada. I was able to make it twice, and the memories I made on the those trips will stay with me forever. Below is one of my senior pics rocking the blue and gold.

Chelsea Dinterman

Assistant Agronomy Editor
Walkersville, Maryland, FFA Chapter

My favorite FFA memory was joining the Ag Communications CDE team a week before the state competition. After a fast and furious few days of practices, we ended up placing first in the competition! It was my first real event with FFA and it taught me to get out of my comfort zone and take risks.

Morgan Svare

National Account Executive
Williamsburg, Iowa, FFA Chapter

I was drawn to FFA initially because of the classes available at my school. For some reason, I would much rather learn about animals than math! The fact that they were fun and experience driven made FFA — and school in general — that much more enjoyable for me. FFA gave me opportunities to get out of my comfort zone through public speaking and making new friendships.

Diana Weesner

Editorial Production Manager
Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, Iowa, FFA Chapter Mom

I wasn't a member, but I'm a longtime supporter. I got to be an FFA mom and I even have a T-shirt to prove it. My son, Max, was an FFA member and chapter officer just like his dad and grandfather were. Carrying on that family tradition was very important to Max and his dad. My greatest memory was actually getting to see his dream fulfilled when he was a member of the National FFA Chorus in 2019 and watching him sing in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Lisa Foust Prater

Family & Farmstead Editor
Southeast Warren, Iowa, FFA Chapter Mom

Like Diana, I wasn't a member myself, but have enjoyed supporting FFA as a mom. All three of my boys were (or are) members, but my younger two, Luke and Will, were the most active, both holding the position of stakeholder committee chair and earning the Iowa Degree. Not only did they have a great time, but they learned so much about agriculture and life from their amazing advisor, Alex Rodgers. Luke raised and showed pigs at the county fair his junior year. The pigs had been donated by a recent graduate, and the proceeds from the sale were donated to the chapter. The two pigs that sold brought in more than $5,000 toward the chapter's new livestock building. Will put his cattle experience to work several times helping Mr. Rodgers pull calves for older farmers in the community.

Gil Gullickson

Editor in Chief, Retired
Langford, South Dakota, FFA Chapter President 1978-1979

I likely would have never gone into agriculture had it not been for my vocational agriculture teacher, Floyd Lehman. A local farmer, Pete Waletich, had long lobbied to get an FFA program and vocational agriculture program in my high school, and finally we got one during my senior year. Floyd mixed with several of my friends and I just like a baseball and a bat, and we just hit it off and formed a tight-knit group. It was so much fun studying things that we all used in our daily lives, whether it was my FFA wheat production project or how to run a meeting through parliamentary procedure. He inspired me to major in agriculture at South Dakota State University.