Landon Haney, Arcanum Miami Valley Career Technology Center graduate and FFA member, was named American Star in Agribusiness during an onstage ceremony at the 97th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis.
The four American Star awards represent the best of the best among thousands of American FFA degree recipients. The award recognizes FFA members who have developed outstanding agricultural skills and competencies by completing a Supervised Agricultural Experience.
An SAE is a required activity in FFA and allows members to learn by doing. Members can own and operate an agricultural business, intern at an agricultural business, or conduct an agriculture-based scientific experiment and report the results.
The lessons, experience and mentorship that FFA exposed Haney to helped him launch and grow his own successful business, Haney’s Mowing and Landscaping LLC, in high school. What began as completing small lawn care and leaf cleanup jobs has turned into a seven-person operation, offering hardscaping, drainage solutions, gravel grading, sod and seeding, and snow removal.
“The experience of starting a business from scratch has impacted my future because I know now that there is no limit on what I can accomplish in my life,” Haney says. “Becoming a business owner allows me to be a well-rounded individual in society and learn multiple types of skill sets.”
He takes pride in employing six people and providing them with valuable income, and he takes that management responsibility to heart. Haney was the first business owner younger than 18 in Ohio to offer a workers’ compensation policy.
He hopes to continue growing the business and transition from owner-operator to manager of a larger operation with many more employees. Haney gives back to his community in more ways than just employment opportunities, including donating landscaping services to his school’s athletic fields.
Visit ffa.org/stars for more information about the American Star awards.
Register for organic grains conference
Registration is open for the third annual Ohio State Organic Grains Conference, which is set for Jan. 9-10 at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Sandusky.
The conference offers programming for experienced organic growers, growers transitioning to or considering organic, and consultants or educators who support the growers.
“Attendance last year was encouraging,” says Eric Richer, conference director. “There's a growing interest in organic production and practices. We're pleased to move to a larger venue that allows organic farm equipment on display at our trade show and more room for concurrent sessions and networking.”
Featured speakers for 2025 include Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin-Madison state Extension specialist in organic and sustainable cropping systems; Damon DeSutter of DeSutter Farms in Attica, Ind.; Osler Ortez, Ohio State corn and emerging crops specialist; and Sophie Rivest-Auger, organic field crop adviser for Quebec’s Centre for Expertise and Transfer in Organic and Local Agriculture.
Bob Evans Farms supports ExploreAg program
In a display of continued commitment to cultivating the future of agriculture, Bob Evans Farms has donated $115,000 to the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation.
“We are very grateful for the unwavering support from Bob Evans Farms and their dedication to fostering educational opportunities and igniting a passion for agriculture careers among youth,” said Kelly Burns, executive director of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation. “It’s partners like Bob Evans Farms that enable the foundation to continue to offer innovative programs that shape the agricultural leaders of tomorrow.”
Bob Evans Farms has been a supporter of Ohio Farm Bureau’s ExploreAg program since it began in 2018. The company’s investment has offered young minds a peek into the world of agriculture through exclusive tours at their production facilities in Xenia and Lima.
As Ohio Farm Bureau’s signature ag literacy and workforce development program, ExploreAg offers free weeklong, multiday and daylong immersion programs for high school students. In ExploreAg, teens learn about agriculture and related STEM fields from industry experts, scientists and educators.
Participants visit locations such as Bob Evans Farms and Kroger, manufacturers like John Deere and Certified Angus Beef, and college research laboratories at Ohio State, Wilmington and Findlay. Youth are able to develop their leadership and collaboration skills and prepare for a career in agriculture.
To learn more about how to support ExploreAg, visit ofbf.org/foundation.