Hometown: Wyandotte, Okla. and Adair, Okla.
Family: Husband Garrett
In Town: Shelby Bergman has worked in some form or fashion in her husband Garrett’s agricultural education programs since they began dating in 2015. For the last two years she has worked professionally with him as the FFA agricultural assistant at Miami, Okla. High School.
Shelby got her start in ag ed first as part of the Adair FFA Chapter, and then later, as a student at Northeast Oklahoma A&M College in Miami. Initially, Shelby began pursuing an ag ed degree at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. Since joining the staff at MHS, she has gone on to complete her agriculture degree at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
“My favorite thing is watching students learn and achieve both big and small goals,” she said. “I enjoy being able to coach them along the way and encourage them to try new things and step outside of their comfort zone. I remember how scared I was when I first enrolled in FFA vs. where I am now. My hope is to create a little spark of interest that can be turned from a flame to a wildfire.”
In Country: Her background includes showing beef cattle nationally and competing on the horse evaluation team while a student at the U of A. The couple now have a 7-acre farm in Ottawa County. They use the land for whitetail deer hunting, spending recent years cleaning up excessive brush and adding landscaping. Long-term goals include expanding their property and either raising Boer goats or beef cattle. Shelby jokes she would like a few guineas and chickens, but has not convinced Garrett to venture into poultry.
“I have an interesting perspective in regard to the agricultural industry as I joined my FFA Chapter as an eighth grader and began exhibiting LimFlex and Angus heifers,” Shelby said. “My interest and passion for the industry began there and has never stopped. I’ve learned a lot but there is still so much to learn. I love the traditions wrapped up in farming and enjoy being able to watch my hard work and efforts pay off. Whether that is in growing my own produce, my interest in horticulture, livestock, or students it’s what I enjoy.”
In the Future: Shelby hopes to build long-term relationships in the community.
“The more relationships we build, the more opportunities and doors we can open for students,” Bergman said. “There are some big things in the works that I can’t quite share at this time but I can say there are some amazing things happening within our community and our program so stay tuned.”
