COLUMBUS — O-H? I-O! The 97th Ohio FFA Convention kicked off with pride and purpose as thousands of young agricultural leaders gathered to celebrate the impact of the 96-year-old organization that is as dedicated as ever to preparing them for leadership, personal growth and career success.
With nearly 30,000 members across 342 chapters in Ohio, the Buckeye State’s FFA convention was a showcase of how far FFA has evolved beyond its roots as “Future Farmers of America” to embrace the full spectrum of careers possible in agriculture and industry.
Among those attending were students from the Putnam County Leipsic FFA chapter, including Mia Valdez, Lindsay Frankart and Jackson Spitnale, who shared their experiences and reflections on their membership with Farm and Dairy during an interview at the Ohio Expo Center.
Valdez reflected on the organization’s impact on leadership development.
“In school, you have to take charge. If you want something to happen, you’re going to have to create it yourself,” she said, emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes and taking initiative, whether by serving on student committees or planning school events.
For Spitnale, hands-on learning sparked his initial interest in joining.
“What pushed me into joining FFA was to know more about woodworking. Like, making benches and stuff,” he said. He added that FFA has helped him “make a lot more connections … and meet new people.”
The students also shared a favorite FFA memory from the national convention: slipping notes under the door of a neighboring hotel room that turned into a late-night game of Uno with new friends from Illinois.
“And then they missed their alarm the next morning and got in trouble for it,” Frankart said, adding that such bonding experiences make their involvement in FFA unforgettable.
“Everybody’s like family,” she added. “We just grow a tight bond.”
Awards
The convention also served as an opportunity to recognize outstanding achievements from across the state. Several newly chartered FFA chapters were honored for joining the organization for the 2024-2025 academic year, including Buckeye Local FFA, Hicksville FFA, Jefferson Township MVCTC FFA, Logan Elementary Middle School FFA, Maysville FFA, Northridge Local FFA, Russia–UVCC FFA, Six District Educational Compact FFA and Unioto PRCTC FFA.
Celebrating the spirit of teamwork and excellence, the Ohio FFA Foundation recognized the Top 10 overall chapters — those that exemplified the FFA’s mission to build communities, strengthen agriculture and grow leaders. This year’s top chapters included Cardington, Covington UVCC, Felicity Franklin, Miami East MVCTC, Monroe Central, National Trail MVCTC, Ridgemont, Southeastern, Versailles and Wilmington.
Among individual recognitions, Ohio’s candidates for the prestigious Star American FFA Degree were also announced. Earning this distinction signifies years of dedication to agricultural experience, leadership and service. Joanna Hamilton, of Felicity Franklin FFA, was named the Ohio Star American in Agriscience. Maddox French, of United FFA, was selected as Ohio’s Star American in Placement, and Delaney Jones, of Allen East FFA, was honored as the state’s Star American Farmer. They will represent Ohio this fall at the 98th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis.
CDEs
Career Development Events (CDEs) were another highlight of the convention, showcasing students’ academic and technical skills in various disciplines.
In the Agricultural Biotechnology CDE, students demonstrated their understanding of lab safety and scientific methodology. The state-winning team came from the Fort Loramie FFA Chapter, and the top individual performer was Evan Ballard of the Global Impact FFA Chapter.
Speaking with Farm and Dairy, members of the Fort Loramie FFA team shared insights into their award-winning efforts.
The contest format included an online exam held in December, followed by a state-level practical assessment involving lab safety and a demonstration of technical skills. The team also completed a collaborative activity where they were challenged to solve a real-world problem using biotechnology methods.
That problem is a big one: addressing the avian flu. Team members also demonstrated lab techniques such as interpreting a Gram stain, using a micropipette and analyzing lab safety data sheets.
“We just love science and stuff … and with it being tied into ag, it just makes it a lot more personal to us, I feel like,” said team member Madison Pleiman.
Preparation for the event involved countless hours of individual and group practice. The most challenging part?
“I would have to say probably the team activity,” said Jared Baker. “Making sure everybody has a part and knows what they’re talking about. ‘Cause we only have an hour to put that together … To come up with an idea, make our slides look good, and then ultimately end up presenting that to a judge.”
“Cramming,” Pleiman added.
The experience, however, is already paying off. Baker, for instance, is headed to Auburn University in Alabama to pursue animal sciences and pre-veterinary studies.
“I definitely think it would be cool to do some genetics research in the field of veterinary medicine. And I feel like this competition definitely helped me,” he said.
When asked for advice for first-time FFA or CDE participants, the group encouraged open-mindedness.
“Be willing to try new things. Branch out,” Pleiman said. “I honestly didn’t think that I would be good in this contest … But then, here we are.”
“You might not know anything about it, but you can learn,” added team member Ava Schaffer.
“I feel like people who think of FFA think it’s like (only) a farmer’s organization, like animals, livestock. There are so many opportunities in it,” Baker concluded. “And there really is truly something for everybody.”
“Keep an open mind”. That diversity of opportunity is something Derek McCracken, a former ag teacher and FFA advisor at Halston High School in western Ohio, knows well. Now the founder of The Owl’s Nest, an ag education resource company, he spoke about his years in the classroom and what FFA offers today’s students.
“I think, at least in my perspective at my school, those were some of the brightest kids,” he said. “Their ambition is high to achieve great things. The high-achieving students in our school really gravitated to the program because it allowed them to have that competitive edge through CDEs and things like that.”
Some of McCracken’s former students have become business owners, even building companies from their Supervised Agricultural Experience projects. Others have gone on to medical school or pursued various careers in agriculture.
“FFA really prepares your students for doing a lot of different things within the career aspect after high school,” he said.
His advice for new members?
“There’s a vast variety of opportunities. You never know what you’re going to be good at or what you’re going to be interested in. Keep an open mind and step out of that comfort zone to try some of those new things.”
That spirit of curiosity and courage was the theme of a heartfelt keynote address by outgoing Ohio FFA President Anna Moeller, who reflected on her own journey in the organization and the challenges that shaped her path.
“I have always believed that everything happens for a reason,” she said, adding that through her experience she realized that what once felt like a disappointment was actually part of a greater plan — one that turned out to be far more extraordinary than she could have imagined.
“We can have faith in believing that what lies just ahead is so wildly wonderful that sometimes we have to be prepared through trials to experience and appreciate these blessings to come fully,” she said.
