PREPARING FOR FUTURE
SUCCESS By Kayla Walden
WHERE CAN YOU LEARN everything from poultry judging to public speaking or cattle evaluation to community service? For kids or teenagers, youth development organizations – in particular, FFA and 4-H – can teach an array of abilities. CULTIVATING AG LEADERS One of the most popular youth organizations in the United States is the National FFA Organization, formerly known as Future Farmers of America. As the name suggests, it has a rich history in preparing young men and women ages 12 to 21 for careers in agriculture. However, they broadened their mission in the late 1980s to welcome those interested in pathways such as biology, chemistry, engineering, veterinary 24
sciences and entrepreneurship. Florida is home to a whole host of leaders in these fields, but agriculture remains one of the most impactful industries in the state. And thanks to organizations like FFA, students like 17-year-old Sam Mills of the Chiefland FFA chapter are stepping up to the plate to continue moving the industry further into the future. Since the sixth grade, Mills has dabbled in everything from livestock evaluation and land judging to food
FLORIDAGRICULTURE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
science and agricultural mechanics. His commitment to becoming an outstanding member has earned him numerous accolades, including the State Star Discovery Degree, the State Greenhand Degree and the State Star Chapter Degree. This year he received news that he was in the running for State Star Farmer, which would make him the first in the state of Florida to win all the State Star Degrees. While Mills has spent the last two years in the Cooperative Diversified Education program, his goals are to continue his involvement with FFA, win more awards, and eventually receive the American FFA Degree to follow in the footsteps of his father and sister. While he currently leaves school early each day to work in the agricultural sector, he plans to work full time in his family’s pine straw business once he graduates. “Teaching the next generation about agriculture will bring them back to their heritage,” Mills says. “Growing crops and tending livestock used to be a way of life, and I think it’s important to educate people on where our food comes from.”
PHOTO: MELISSA MILLS
Sam Mills is a member of the Chiefland FFA chapter.
