Name: Missy Newman
Parents: Kathy and Darin Newman
School: Junior at Hermitage High School
FFA Advisor: Ashley Brown
What is your interest in agriculture?
“Even though my family is one generation removed from the farm, my grandparents, Max and Kay Potter, still have their farm at Weaubleau, Mo. They raise commercial beef cattle and chickens and we’ve always helped out there when needed. I’m also in FFA and what I like about it, is that agriculture is something that relates to every other industry. If you operate a restaurant, the food comes from an agriculture source. An alternative energy source is ethanol, which comes from corn. The fiber and clothing industry goes back to cotton, an agriculture product. It all relates back.”
When did you get involved in ag education?
“I started in ag classes in middle school and I loved the classes. It was something that connected with my family’s life, something I was already passionate about and that made it fun. We learned about natural resources, conservation in farming methods, things I’d already heard about regularly from my grandfather, like crop rotation. Ag classes allowed me to expand my knowledge on a topic I was already interested in and then that of course, led right into FFA.”
Future Plans and Family Tradition: Missy Newman will be the Hermitage FFA chapter president for the 2013-2014 school year. Her grandfather, Max Potter was the FFA Chapter president of his own Weaubleau High School FFA chapter exactly 50 years before. “I hope to go to Missouri State University or University of Missouri. I’m not sure yet but I’d like to study either ag education or ag communications.”
Story and Photo by Laura L. Valenti
