It was a simple statement delivered in that matter-of-fact style that characterizes most speeches by Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman. Its simplicity, delivered with such understated confidence, masked the power and profundity it its content.

In her welcoming address to the 2009 National FFA convention, Skillman said, “These are your issues now, and I am confident you will take ownership of them.”

The issues she was referring to included a list of some of the most pressing and problematic issues facing agriculture, such as food safety, hunger, climate change, renewable energy, animal welfare and more. Skillman correctly characterized these issues as things that will not be solved by the current generation but by the next generation sitting in the audience wearing blue and gold jackets.
So I decided to find out what some of these future ag leaders have in mind for the future of agriculture.

Blaire Boyer, from Tipton County, Ind.; State Secretary, is just out of high school but is already on the front lines of the battle to save the livestock industry. Experienced in livestock showmanship, she has been the target of those who feel livestock should not be shown, confined or eaten.

Blaire believes that presenting a positive image of the livestock industry is a way to counter the negative images that appear in the media and on the Internet. High school and college students are some of the strongest supporters of animal activist groups like PETA and HSUS. Blaire sees FFA members speaking up for animal agriculture and presenting an alternative viewpoint to their fellow students.

Travis Martin, from Carroll County, Ind.; who serves as Indiana FFA President, summed up his vision of the future by saying, “Agriculture is going to have to feed more people with less land.”
The answer, he said, is technology. This is a major push by FFA which wants to bring America’s brightest young people into the areas of science and technology to provide the tools that will allow the farmers of the future to produce more food, on less land, and with less environmental impact.

Emmy Kratz, Indiana Northern Vice President, agrees that technology will be a big part of the future of agriculture, but she worries about the impact this will have on smaller farms.
She said, with larger more efficient farms dominating food production, rural American will see a decline in smaller family farms. This will lead to even fewer young people coming from farming backgrounds and having that agricultural worldview.
Joe Rust, Indiana Southern Vice President, is worried about how FFA will continue to grow with fewer farms in the future. He is also concerned about the number of high schools having vocational educational departments.

Rust said current FFA members must educate new students about the benefits of FFA and educate local school boards about the benefits and funding they will receive if they add an agricultural program to their school.

Heidi Melton, Indiana State Reporter, is all about communication and education.

While communication with the public is important, reaching members of her own generation is even more important. She says today’s communication technology is the answer.

“Most kids today are watching You-Tube, that is just the way it is; and we need to get some positive message about agriculture on You-Tube,” said Melton. She said FFA has a positive story to tell about agriculture and members need to use today’s social media to reach the future leaders and consumers with that message. She said young people are interested in issues like world hunger and they need to be shown how agriculture is a key part of that issue.
FFA has been a youth leadership development organization, but Daniel Bechman, State Treasurer from Franklin, said FFA needs to become an advocate for agriculture as well.

What an advocate it could be. With more than 500,000 members and an estimated 8 million alumni, a well-organized and well-funded FFA could become a powerful force in shaping pubic opinion toward agriculture. Just putting 50,000 blue jackets on the streets of Indianapolis for four days, sent a powerful message to Hoosiers who seldom give a thought to how agriculture touches their lives every day.

The potential and the problems of agriculture’s future belong to the young people in the blue jackets. It is reassuring that they are ready and willing to take the lead and to face the future head on with optimism, determination, and energy.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Gary Truitt may write to him in care of this publication.