INDIANAPOLIS — A small southwest Nebraska FFA chapter is celebrating a top-five national finish after months of preparation, early morning practices and a commitment to competing with the best in the country.
The Eustis-Farnam FFA team of Hunter Kugler, Madelyn Kugler, Christian Maurer and Malakai White placed fourth nationally in the Agronomy Career Development Event at the 99th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.
The team, coached by FFA advisor Chad Schimmels, earned its trip to nationals after winning both district and state competitions in Nebraska.
Christian Maurer said the team spent much of the summer preparing for the national contest, often practicing for two to three hours at a time.
“We looked at everything from when they’re a seed to a seedling to a full-grown plant,” Maurer said. “We looked at insects. We did everything we possibly could, and we had our noses in a book whenever we could.”
The national agronomy competition tests students on plant and seed identification, agronomic disorders, insects and team problem-solving.
Preparation extended beyond the classroom. Team members worked with specialists at Kansas State University and former national agronomy champions to sharpen their skills ahead of the competition.
The commitment also meant showing up for practices early in the morning and on weekends.
Schimmels said the team’s willingness to put in the work is what makes its national accomplishment especially meaningful.
“I hear a lot that young people today don’t want to work. And that’s just not my experience,” Schimmels said.
He pointed to team members who regularly attended 6:30 a.m. practices twice a week and showed up on Saturdays for additional preparation.
Two members of the team are now attending college, requiring them to take additional responsibility for preparing independently.
“For me, it’s about their work ethic and how hard they’re willing to work,” Schimmels said. “I will always remember this team for showing up.”
That dedication helped the students compete against FFA programs at schools considerably larger than Eustis-Farnam.
Schimmels said the team’s finish demonstrates that students from rural Nebraska can compete at the highest level, regardless of school size.
“We can take young people from southwest Nebraska, the middle of nowhere, and we can compete with the best in the nation,”
Rural Radio Network’s National FFA Convention coverage is made possible by the Nebraska FFA Foundation and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.