Blue Earth Area FFA students pose at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Left to right are Reed Sturtz, Rhionna Weerts, Sara Wirth, Laura Steinhauer, Ellaina Moore, Ruby Allis, Madison Ehrich, Delanie Bruellman, Lexi Muchring and Leah Becker.

The 96th annual National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention & Expo drew a crowd of over 70,000 members and guests to Indianapolis, Indiana last month. Approximately 1,000 of those individuals were FFA members and advisors from Minnesota.

A group of 10 Blue Earth Area FFA students were excited to be among the 1,000 ag enthusiasts from Minnesota who attended the convention, which is held each year to allow FFA’s members and advisors to gather and celebrate the future of agriculture.

“It’s pretty much to be in the environment of FFA,” summarizes Laura Steinhauer, a junior member of BEA FFA.

“You get to interact with other FFA members from other states,” adds Leah Becker, a BEA FFA senior.

The 10 students were accompanied to the convention by BEA FFA advisor Nick Milbrandt, who also teaches agriculture at BEA High School.

The group departed for Ankeny, Iowa on Oct. 31 to tour John Deere Des Moines Works en route to the convention. They arrived at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Nov. 1, at which point they attended the convention’s Expo and a few of its workshops.

In total, the National FFA Convention Expo offered 287 exhibitor booths for the students to explore. Its workshop offerings totaled 132 – 96 workshops for students and 36 for teachers.

The BEA FFA students say a workshop led by speaker Juan Bendaña was one of the highlights of their trip. Bendaña told the students about his miniature horse, Pepe, and taught them about overcoming their fears.

The following day, the students and Milbrandt ventured further south to visit Louisville, Kentucky – home of the Kentucky Derby and Louisville Slugger Museum.

However, they were back at the convention on Nov. 3 to attend an early morning distribution of American FFA Degrees and a talent show. In total, 4,423 American FFA Degrees and 213 Honorary American FFA Degrees were distributed during the convention.

Later that day, the students visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and did a little more exploring at the convention Expo.

The BEA FFA students who went on the trip – Steinhauer, Becker, Delanie Bruellman, Lexi Muchring, Madison Ehrich, Rhionna Weerts, Ruby Allis, Sara Wirth, Ellaina Moore and Reed Sturtz – say they enjoyed meeting FFA members from across the country.

However the students also say some of the best parts of the trip were spent together on the bus ride, eating nachos at 9 a.m. one morning, and exploring new parts of the Midwest during their free time.

BEA’s FFA students have plenty of opportunities to spend time together during the remainder of the school year. Indeed, the 2023-24 BEA FFA calendar of events has only just begun.

Over the next few months, the students have several CDEs, or Career Development Events, to look forward to. The CDEs span subjects like horses, livestock and dairy cattle, to milk quality, poultry and soils, to meats, forestry and companion animals.

The students will also attend an invite at the University of Minnesota in December, participate in an Ag Bowl hosted at Southwest Minnesota State University in February, and attend a science fair at the University of Minnesota in March.

Meanwhile, National FFA Week is slated for the week of Feb. 17-24. The Region 7 Spring Leadership Meeting will occur on March 13, and the State FFA Convention is scheduled on April 21-23.

The students are also excited to participate in Ag Day in May of 2024. The event – geared toward elementary students – is an opportunity for BEA High School’s FFA members to educate their young counterparts about agriculture.

The students are enthusiastic about recruiting more of their classmates to the FFA program, and spreading awareness about agriculture.

Bruellman, a senior, observes that FFA offers something for any student, whether they live on a farm, or live in town.

“Everyone can do FFA,” she explains.