Agriculture’s effects touch us all, state FFA president says

Indiana FFA President Seth Ariens, a 2022 North Putnam High School graduate, entertains the Putnam County Ag Day breakfast crowd Saturday morning with a humorous look as how Midwesterners live.

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The Ag Day message from the state president of the Future Farmers of America was simple.

“Agriculture touches all aspects of life,” 2022 North Putnam High School graduate Seth Ariens, current FFA state president, told those assembled Saturday morning for the annual Ag Day breakfast at the Putnam County Fairgrounds.

“And that’s true for FFA, too,” Ariens continued.

Giving a big thumbs up to her young listening audience, 2022 Putnam County Fair Queen Handley Everman reads the book “I Like Strawberries” to children during the Ag Day celebration Saturday in the Community Building on the Putnam County Fairgrounds.

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“One of the things I’ve gotten from pride in Putnam County was a sense of service,” he said. “A sense of pride and a sense of service. I thank Putnam County for instilling that passion in me.”

Ariens and the rest of the FFA state officer team deferred their first year of college to instead live together at the Indiana FFA Association office in Trafalgar, traveling around the state as ambassadors, leaders and trainers in the state FFA.

Ariens said he never realized until he was in the midst of his presidential term how far his state office would take him, sending him “many more miles” than he could ever expect.

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That includes a trip to Washington, D.C., as part of a leadership summit and attendance at the annual FFA Convention much closer to home in downtown Indianapolis.

“It was a cool experience to see 70,000 members in their blue jackets gathered in Indianapolis,” Ariens added.

Ariens entertained the Ag Day breakfast crowd with a humorous look at life in the Midwest, including the way we often “make saying goodbye so painful.”

But, Hoosiers wouldn’t have stayed and talked at length “if we didn’t care about you and desire to keep you around as long as we can because we enjoy your company,” he said.

Ariens, who has also been honored as an FFA State Star Farmer for his efforts raising sheep, dairy cattle, beef steers and Australian shepherd dogs, as well as managing the North Putnam High School farm, said Putnam County Ag Day “is always one of the most fun events I get to wear my blue jacket to.”

When his year as state FFA president ends in June, Ariens plans to attend Purdue University to major in ag business.

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