In his book, 40 Chances, Philanthropist Howard Buffett talks says farmers get about 40 chances to grow a crop in each lifetime. Just 40 chances to do it right – work around the weather, make the right marketing choices, get the crop through to harvest, transport, store or sell, all without complications.

That’s a lot of pressure when you think about it. No room for screw-ups.

Now combine that stress with the fact that commodities you produce won’t make much, if any, money this year. Will that drive some folks out of business?  Will they get discouraged? If you’re still a teenager focused on a future in ag, are you wondering if it’s still such a hot idea?

“I have learned that if I work hard at anything, I can make it happen,” says 13-year-old Addy Battel. Photo: Sue Stuever Battel

These were some of my thoughts when we began focusing on this summer's special issue devoted to young farmers.

And then I met Addy Battel.

Addy is already a driving force in her Cass City, Mich., community, where she helped start a junior high FFA chapter and a 4-H club, serving as president for both. “All my family has been in FFA and I’ve seen them grow up to be such amazing people,” she told me. “A lot of it has come from FFA.”

In the past few years she helped start a hunger relief project, a dairy education clinic, and her own maple syrup and meat businesses. Her two younger brothers who were adopted through foster care have autism, so Addy sometimes acts as a third parent. “I try to help as much as I can,” she says. “Other than agriculture, that’s my passion – helping people who don’t have the usual advantages in life.”

A year ago the only grocery store in their village closed down. “We didn’t have fresh protein available within 20 miles,” she explains. Addy and some friends earned a $2,500 grant for hunger relief through National FFA, then doubled the money by fundraising with local civic groups. The money paid for chicks, piglets, feed, supplies and processing, and the kids put in the legwork raising the animals. They volunteered to distribute the meat they produced through their project, called “Meat”ing the Need for our Village.

Did I mention that Addy is just 13 years old?

Yes, the farm economy can giveth and take-eth away. But I’m confident young people will succeed in farming or any other career in agriculture, provided they have something close to Addy’s attitude. She shows livestock and has opened up her barn to students who don’t have their own place to raise animals. After delivering the opening speech at the Michigan Maple Syrup Association conference, she discovered that a huge segment of Michigan maple trees are untapped because it’s not allowed on state lands. She wrote a proposed bill to change the policy and met with the Michigan Department of Agriculture director and her senator, who has promised to consider supporting it.

13!

What’s next? She’s planning to create a new blog to tell the positive story of agriculture from a teen’s perspective. She has her sights set on an animal science degree at Michigan State University, where she’s already earned a $2,000 scholarship.

Hopefully she first finds time to go to high school.

“There’s so many things that need to be done in this world, I’ve always believed you don’t have to wait,” says Addy. “My philosophy has always been, start making a difference now.”

It’s comforting to know that, where some people see obstacles, others see opportunities – even teenagers. Is Ag in good hands? You bet.