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Feature Stories

Exploring issues and innovations through people stories

Successful Farming •

Carbon market opportunities for ranchers

The past three years have brought more excitement and investment in carbon markets than Debbie Reed saw in her first two decades of working on the concept. She currently serves as executive director for the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium. While ESMC has worked with ranchers since 2019, carbon markets for crop farmers are generally further developed at this point.

Less than a half dozen marketplaces are currently available to ranchers, estimates Chad Ellis, who serves as chair of the ESMC
Successful Farming •

Pork powerhouse began as a small Tennessee family farm

Jimmy Tosh liked to tell people he was a row crop farmer who got into pigs. Now he calls himself a pig farmer with row crops.

He’s not just any pig farmer, though. Tosh, CEO of Tosh Farms in Henry, Tennessee, was ranked 26th among Successful Farming’s exclusive listing of Pork Powerhouses in 2021, with 36,000 sows. Tosh’s operation was one of the 11 out of 37 that expanded last year. The farm is set to grow again, by at least 2,500 sows, by the end of 2022.

Like many pork producers, Tosh is wa
Successful Farming •

Carbon market contracts: A legal perspective

Nothing is standardized in the emerging era of carbon markets, so the answers to most practical questions about them are, "It depends," and "Read the contract."

Contracts between landowners and companies promising to pay for carbon are getting a little more “meat on the bones” compared to when Todd Janzen, an agriculture attorney in Indianapolis, first reviewed one for a farmer about four years ago. However, these contracts still have many open-ended terms that ag lawyers and others say produce
Oklahoma Living Magazine •

Tiger tales

Circus tigers with a conservation cause find retirement at Growler Pines

Ryan Easley stands with confidence inside the smallest of several secure, steel-framed tiger habitats that he built at Growler Pines Tiger Preserve. This one is especially for demonstrations.

Three tigers sit on stools behind him. A fourth, 9-year-old Zuri, nestles her head against Ryan’s shoulder as he prepares pink and purple children’s fingerpaint. She patiently lifts her paw when Ryan gives the cue, pressing it into t
Oklahoma Living Magazine •

Must-see Museums

Educational experiences that make the past meaningful and today fun

A trip to the museum can take you anywhere: to the past, to a far-off country, even into the world of your imagination. These five Oklahoma museums are not to be missed when embarking on an educational adventure.

Tips: Complementary guided walk-in tours are offered most afternoons as well as public events throughout the year. Check the museum’s online events calendar for the latest details.

Setting in purposeful alignment wit
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National FFA Organization •

5 Skills Developed Through Parliamentary Procedure

No matter what you do in life, you’ll likely need to work with groups of other people to get things done — whether it’s at your job, in your community or beyond.

Someday, you might join a professional society, your local fair board or a statewide agriculture committee. Chances are, you won’t agree with everyone in your organization or team on every topic or situation.

Disagreement is not necessarily a bad thing in a group setting. However, you’ll need to navigate differences in opinion fairly,
National FFA Organization •

Member‘s Legacy Offers Official Dress

Nicholas Elizalde’s spot at Walter B. Saul High School, a special admissions agricultural high school in the School District of Philadelphia, was secure.

The 14-year-old was enrolled in a natural resources management course — one of four subject areas including animal science, plant science and food processing — that Saul students rotate through before choosing their focus. The 130-acre school campus includes a working farm and instills leadership skills and an appreciation for agriculture in u
Successful Farming •

Navigate the drone learning curve

Sprayer drones had hit the agricultural market by 2018, but Taylor Moreland was having trouble finding a dealer who understood agriculture in the Midwest.

He wanted to solve a problem for the farmers he serves through his Pioneer seed dealership, Moreland Seed & Soil, in Centralia, Missouri. Many of his customers rely on crop dusters for aerial applications of fungicide, which often leads to yield-reducing delays during busy, but critical, weeks. He thought he would buy a sprayer drone and beco
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6-5-4-3: The Fundamental Principles of Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Health

There is no step-by-step process to regenerative agriculture, but there are a few fundamental principles to follow.

Regenerative agriculture is not a prescription. There are no set rules or formulas for you to follow. Instead, regenerative agriculture depends on individual farmers and ranchers applying principles to their specific operations.

These principles help you make management decisions that work with the natural processes taking place in the ecosystem.

Below, we outline the fundamenta
National FFA Organization •

Sunflowers Make a Bright Community

Not many people see fields of sunflowers in northwestern Iowa, where corn and soybean fields dominate the landscape. This summer, however, travelers along Highway 3 just east of Akron were treated to a bright patch of yellow sunflowers grown by Akron-Westfield FFA member Ben Philips.

Philips, whose family grows crops and raises cattle, decided to do something different for his supervised agricultural experience (SAE) in 2022. During the first week of June, with help from his father, he planted
National FFA Organization •

Advisor Ed Terry Delivers Decades of Impact

Ed Terry decided as a 10th grader in the early 1960s that if he could not farm full-time right after high school, he wanted to become an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor. So that’s what he did.

Terry graduated from the University of Minnesota with an agricultural education degree in 1968 and took a job in Farmington, Minn. Six years later, his father retired from farming, creating opportunity for Terry and his brother, David, to farm together on the family land. They took it.

He assumed he
National FFA Organization •

5 Ways to Partner With Your State FFA Foundation

Many of the opportunities FFA members have access to are, in part, through support from state FFA foundations. Foundation staff build relationships with potential supporters and industry connections that can benefit members through sponsorships, scholarships, grants, networking opportunities and more.

State FFA foundations want to help FFA members succeed, now and in the future. Here are some ways you can help contribute to that goal.

Start by visiting your state FFA foundation’s website. Foll
National FFA Organization •

American Falls FFA Honors Hispanic Heritage

American Falls FFA in Idaho excels at giving its members opportunities to lead, grow and work toward career success. Since 2006, the chapter has been recognized nationally each year for achieving the three-star rating in the National Chapter Award Program.

It’s also a very diverse chapter, with 45 percent of members identifying as Hispanic, 10 percent as Native American and 45 percent as Caucasian. Its diversity reflects that of its community, which is active in both agricultural production (in
National FFA Organization •

6 Reasons to Join a Collegiate FFA Alumni and Supporters Chapter

Your FFA experience does not have to end with high school. Joining a Collegiate FFA Alumni and Supporters chapter can be a great way to stay involved in FFA.

Read on for why collegiate alumni membership is a great opportunity to expand your FFA experiences.

Connecting with other FFA members at college can make transitioning to college life easier, says Jon Ramsey, professor of agricultural education at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and the OSU Collegiate FFA Alumni and Supporters advisor. It
National FFA Organization •

8 Tips for First-Year FFA Members

You decided to join your school’s FFA chapter. Now what? There are plenty of opportunities ahead to explore agricultural career paths, develop your leadership skills and start lifelong friendships.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your FFA experience.

Say “yes” to as many activities as you can, especially at first. Colton Roy, Missouri FFA president from Trenton, Mo., says he spent his freshman year trying everything he could. Once he discovered he liked public speaking and lea

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