by Erin Padgett

One thing farmers, educators and parents have in common is planting seeds and waiting for a bountiful harvest. Farmers plant physical seeds and watch the growth until harvest. Educators and parents plant seeds of knowledge, character and much more while providing encouragement and sometimes tough love on the path of growth. Harvest season looks a little different for the two groups; however, the uncertainty of the outcome remains the same.

You hope the nurturing you provide through encouragement, guidance, structure and sometimes discipline will result in a young person ready to tackle all that comes their way in life. As it’s often said, it takes a village to raise a child, and through the agricultural community, we build these young people up to be our future leaders, thinkers and problem-solvers. We give them strong roots so they can grow tall and withstand the unknown.

As an FFA advisor and mentor to the Indiana FFA state officer team, I can say there is nothing quite like teaching some of our state’s young leaders. For almost a year, we have had the opportunity to laugh together, get our hands dirty, weather the storms and rejoice in the glorious sunshine! It is not an easy task to be given such a big responsibility and honor as these teenagers receive. We are lucky that they come to us at the state level with strong character from loving families, the desire to learn and grow from their former teachers, and a passion for agriculture and FFA from themselves.

Blooming where planted

On behalf of the entire state staff, I believe I can positively say that these seven individuals have given their hearts to Indiana FFA this year. They have learned to plant seeds of their own and to help nurture those seeds into confident up-and-coming FFA members.

When this year’s state officer team takes the stage at the 94th Indiana FFA Convention in June, they can be proud of the roots they grew this year, leaving the Indiana FFA Association in a great place to withstand all that comes its way in the future. As they pass on the planting, tending and harvesting to the next team, I predict that the “blue jackets, gold standards” attitude will remain a strong constant among the over 13,000 Indiana FFA members.

My hope for anyone reading this is that you can build a connection with these members. It is a privilege to know and support the FFA members in all our small towns and large cities. They renew my passion for the industry daily. Indiana FFA is full of bright, well-rounded, dedicated and hardworking youth. As farmers plant and tend their fields, so too will Indiana FFA. May we continue to nurture these resilient advocates for our shared passion.

Padgett is assistant director of youth development for the Indiana FFA Association.