Name: Alexis (Alli) Jennings
FFA Chapter: Ozark High School
Family: Mom, Rebecca Jennings and grandparents, Gary and Velvet Jennings.
How are you involved in agriculture?
“I’ve been with my grandpa on the farm my whole life. It seemed natural my SAE with FFA would be horses and cattle. I started with two cows and in four years I now have 20. I started with one breeding and one non-breeding horse. Now I have 20 head. I barrel race and show Fox Trotters and halter Quarter Horses. My mom and I trick ride in rodeos.” Alexis is the Missouri FFA 2009 Area 12 Star Farmer.
What's in the future for you?
“I plan to attend Missouri State University this fall, get my general ag degree with an emphasis in Animal Science and Ag Business. I plan to attend vet school at MU for large animal care. Hopefully one day I’ll own my own equine operation, vet clinic and possibly a rescue facility for horses.”
Who is your role model?
“Definitely my mom. She is very self-sufficient and independent, and I think that’s awesome.”
Why is it important for youth to be involved in agriculture?
“Without youth in agriculture, it has nowhere to go. One of my favorite quotes my ag teacher says all the time is, ‘Without farmers we’d have no food.’ If you don’t get youth involved, it’ll die out.”
What is one of the biggest challenges facing agriculture?
“Definitely falling horse prices. It’s sad to see a registered colt going for $75 at a sale. It’s easy to buy now, but not worth it to feed them up and sell them. It’s hard to make this business a source of income.”
How do you hope to overcome that challenge?
“You have to know where the market is and be informed on who’s looking for what, and appeal to those buyers.”
By OFN Staff
