Age: 18
Hometown: Richland, Mo.
Parents: Jerry and Amanda Pemberton
Sibling: Brice
FFA Chapter: Richland FFA
Chapter advisor: Shane Kardosz
Involvement in agriculture: Dakota Pemberton comes from a family of farmers. He grew up helping in his family’s beef cattle operation and involved himself in his local 4-H club, where he showed his own livestock. Through this experience, he got involved with people his age and soon joined his FFA chapter in Richland, Mo.
“I stay on the cattle side,” he said. “I try to advocate for agriculture by educating others around my community and the state.”
Favorite part of being involved in agriculture/living on a farm: Dakotoa’s favorite part of being involved in agriculture is the fact that Missouri is so diverse.
“If you travel from one end of the state to the other end, you will see so many different kinds of agriculture,” he explained.
Future plans: Currently, Dakota is serving as a Missouri State FFA Vice President. He is currenlty a student at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., majoring in animal science with a minor in agricultural policy.
After college, he wants to return to the family farm to use the knowledge he has gained.
The best advice received: The best advice Dakota said he has ever received is “don’t stay in one industry. Try to branch out.”
Dakota has utilized this advice in his own life.
“I’ve went and toured a lot of counties in Missouri learning about different aspects we have to offer,” he said.
Advice to other young people who wish to become involved in agriculture: Dakota encourages other young people to find what they’re most passionate about.
“This will make life so much easier and more interesting as you move through your life journey,” he said.
