Samuel Burleson
Parents: Scott and Tina Burleson; brother Jacob, 14
Hometown: Yellville, Ark.
FFA Chapter: Yellville-Summit FFA
Advisor: Rick Zeigler
How are you involved in agriculture?
“We’ve had a family farm since my great-grandpa. We’ve had dairy farms, we’ve had cedar mills for 30 years, we’ve run sheep for 20 years, we do it all. And then I do what I do here at the school. At the family farm, I do more of the upkeep. I help my grandpa and we do the cattle together. I cut firewood for everyone and we sell firewood, clear off the pasture, pretty much anything a farmhand would do.”
Why do you like agriculture?
“It’s something I’ve always enjoyed being in. I love it. I do it every day. It really clicks with me.”
What are your goals?
“My idea is to build up a lot of money so I can buy a farm and have my own farm and have my own cattle on it. I think I’ll probably just go straight to work. The only way you can get your farm started is to get out there and get to working with it.”
Who has had the most influence in your life?
“Probably my Grandpa Charlie. I’ve always grown up with him. When my Dad was at work I’ve always been with him and we worked on the farm together. I’ve been with him ever since I can remember. He’s pretty much taught me everything.”
If you had the power and could change any one thing in agriculture today, what would it be?
“I would like everyone else to get a better understanding of it, knowing what it does and getting more people involved in it. Everyone just says, ‘That’s all rednecks do.’ But I’d like them to know how it helps everyone around us, from the buildings we’re in to the food we eat. I’d just like for everybody else to have a chance to experience it.”
