Laci Casteel
Parents: Scotty and Jan Casteel; Siblings: sister, Kasi and brother, Cody
School: Yellville-Summit High School, Yellville, Ark.
FFA Advisor: Rick Zeigler
Age: 17
How are you involved in agriculture? “My family owns a turkey farm and I take an active part in it. I understand how each part works. I enjoy most of it, but not so much the cleaning part.”
Why do you like agriculture? “Agriculture has to do with everything. I really enjoy hands-on, especially with the animals. I used to work in a vet’s office. I’d like to try being a vet tech, but it takes a lot to get through those schools. But I’d really like a job in ag somewhere. I just really enjoy it a lot.”
What goals do you have?
“I’m going for my agribusiness degree when I go to college. I’d like to come home and use my degree to help my family, with the finances, to keep it from being hectic and crazy.”
Who has had the most influence on your life in agriculture?
“Probably my grandpa, Bob Casteel. He’s got me most involved in it. I was in the barns with him since I was four. As soon as I could pick up a feed scoop, I was in there. So I do understand the business. He’s a good teacher.”
If you had the power and could change any one thing in agriculture today, what would you change?
“Probably what they’ve been doing with the turkey business, because they’ve changed to where each farm does different things, specializes, like, a farm will raise baby birds or they’ll do big birds. Recently the bird flu is going around. I blame the turkey farms for changing how they raise them, because they move the birds so much. I’d like the turkey farms to go back to raising them from a chick to a finished bird.”
