FFA EXPERIENCE HELPS COLE KETTERLING BECOME A STAR FARMER

Oct 28, 2021

If there's one thing Cole Ketterling values more than anything, it's the importance of helping around the family farm.

Cole grew up in Wishek, North Dakota, a small town with a population less than a thousand. His family has rented and owned farmland. They use the land to grow sunflowers, corn, spring wheat and soybeans and feed over sixty beef cattle.

"I grew up on the production side of agriculture," says Cole. "I have been heavily involved the farm operation ever since I can remember and loved every minute of it."

While in high-school, Cole participated in his local Wishek FFA chapter. One of the required FFA projects was for the students to complete a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). SAE provides practical agricultural activities to students outside of classroom. It's student-led and instructor-supervised with a focus on measurable outcomes.

For Cole, deciding his SAE project was an easy choice. He wanted to help the family farm, but he also wanted to use this as an opportunity to learn, experiment and become a more well-rounded farmer. Without hesitation, he purchased five steers and rented pasture, starting his SAE journey.

"This FFA experience was nothing short of outstanding," explains Cole. "I learned a lot and developed skills that I continue to use today."

Cole's dedication to the SAE project, along with his expectational honors throughout high school, won him national recognition as the American Star Farmer winner in 2020. The prestigious award is given to a FFA member that demonstrates top production volumes and outstanding achievement.

Cole mentioned that the FFA program taught him the meaning of hard work and responsibility. Even today, he uses these skills as an agriculture loan officer and continued right-hand farmer to his dad. He attributes this success to his FFA experiences, mentors, coaches and advisors.

When asked about the "future" of agriculture, Cole explains, "It depends on our ability to be sustainable. The Ag industry needs to continue to take steps towards being more sustainable to be successful."

Source : John Deere

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.