Ashleigh Bryant, Tyrel Hoover, and Kenny Daniels were all raised around agriculture.
As she grew up, Ashleigh Bryant’s family was involved in various aspects of farming, including raising steers and dairy cows, and selling seeds to other farmers in the area.
Tyrel Hoover’s family raised beef cattle and grew crops like soybeans, wheat, and corn.
“When I wasn't in school, I was usually working on the farm,” Hoover says. “There were a lot of times, like after football practice, I'd go jump in the tractor and move it to the next field—and you know, get stuff done.”
Bryant, on the other hand, says she had different plans for her future back then.
“I was going to be like a marine biologist and move somewhere warm and live on this amazing beach somewhere,” Bryant laughs.
Hoover and Bryant are now in their mid-twenties and explain that they each reached a crossroads about their family’s businesses while in high school.
For Hoover, his dad’s decision to buy out the rest of the family’s interest (rather than selling the family farm) was the turning point. Hoover graduated from high school and began to work the farm full-time.
“I think it was a pretty easy decision that this is what I wanted to do,” he says. “Since I could walk, I have always been on the farm, running around with my dad and just doing stuff. So, I knew this is what I wanted to do.”
For Bryant, it was her involvement in a local
FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter that helped her “fall in love with agriculture again,” as she describes it.
The FFA has
a long history of helping young people interested in all things agriculture.
In fact, according to the
Michigan FFA website, the organization is committed to “providing a path to achievement in premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.”
Today, there are chapters all over the state. Bryant was a part of the
FFA at Alma’s high school, and Hoover was a member in
Beal City.
16-year-old Kenny Daniels is currently involved in the organization’s
Ithaca High School chapter.
“I've been doing a competition every year at least since eighth grade,” Daniels says. “We've done decent every year. Last year, we made it to States with my Agriculture Issues team.”
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Photo courtesy Kenny DanielsKenny Daniels holds a vibrant display of mums at his mom's greenhouse, a testament to his hands-on experience and the agricultural knowledge he’s gained through FFA and family involvement.
Daniels explains that Agricultural Issues is just one of the many leadership contests that students can compete in through FFA. Other categories include Extemporaneous Public Speaking, Parliamentary Procedure, and Conduct of Meetings.
Students also learn science, business, technology, and critical thinking skills they’ll need to work in farming industries. Additionally, there are opportunities to learn about new agricultural careers through various resources and events.
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Photo courtesy Kenny Daniels.Kenny Daniels with members of Ithaca High School’s FFA team.
Daniels was encouraged to join the organization by his parents, Mark and Miranda, both former FFA members and leaders at the state level.
“I went to my first couple meetings, and I had a ton of fun. And I just kind of stayed with it,” he adds.
Like Hoover and Bryant, FFA involvement was a natural fit because agriculture is in Daniels’ blood. His dad is in management for
Bonnie Plants, and his mom owns
“Flowers on 46,” where Daniels can often be found helping out with various chores.
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Photo courtesy Kenny Daniels.Kenny Daniels at his mom’s Flowers on 46 business located at 11700 Gratiot Road in Saginaw.
Daniels says, in the future, he’s not sure if he’ll take the small business route like his mom or look into getting involved with a bigger company like his dad. But he
is certain that it’s a lifestyle he wants to pursue.
“It benefits a lot of people by giving them good plants that they can grow at home by themselves, especially like the vegetables and stuff,” Daniels notes. “It's definitely a lot of long hours and hard work. But in the end, it definitely pays off.”
Regardless of what path he chooses, Daniels’ parents are supportive.
“I'm very proud of him. I like to tell everybody about him and what he's up to,” Miranda Daniels says. “It's wonderful that he's taken this on, and he's shown interest. And I like that he actually likes it. I like when he asks me questions about plants and things like that.”
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Photo courtesy Tyrel Hoover.Tyrel Hoover at LRW Farms with his daughter.
Meanwhile, Tyrel Hoover is helping his dad run LRW Farms. To him, working the land reminds him of his family’s legacy.
“There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of my grandpa,” he says. “He was someone that I always looked up to growing up. Everybody respected him. And everyone knew him: he was the one with the big farm on Baseline.”
Hoover also says he hopes he’s building something to leave behind to his three-year-old daughter, just like his grandfather did for him and for his dad.
“I don't think I'd ever trade it for anything in the world. I get to do what I love and work with my dad every day,” he says.
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Photo courtesy of Ashleigh Bryant.Ashleigh Bryant connects with farmers daily at BRB Seed Services in Shepherd, continuing a lifelong passion for agriculture.
Ashleigh Bryant is also staying busy in the industry these days, working as a sales representative for her family’s company,
BRB Seed Services, in Shepherd.
“Our business is built on: ‘Where customers become friends, and friends become family,’” she explains. “We really do care for every single one of our customers.”
“I knew where I wanted to be,” she says, reflecting on her journey to get to this point in her career in agriculture. “There's just a part of the seed industry that holds my heart. And I think it's just growing up around it, and it's the aspect of being able to interact with farmers every day. Really, it's something special.”
Bryant is also building a legacy through her involvement in the
Michigan Farm Bureau.
“Farm Bureau is like the next step after FFA,” she says. “It opens the door for so many other things.”
In fact, the Bureau’s Young Farmer Program (Bryant is the local chair)
“identifies and serves the needs of young farmers, ages 18-35, to assist them in their personal and professional lives.”
“We are to the point where we're getting ready to take over for the next generation,” she says of the membership. “And so, it’s kind of helping set us up—as well as our kids—for the opportunity to be able to farm, if that's what they want to do. And I think that that's pretty huge.”
Aside from getting involved in the FFA like she did, Bryant has advice for young people looking to get involved in agriculture: Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box.
“There's so many different pieces of agriculture that people don't really connect to agriculture,” she explains. “You’re going to have a lender, because someone's going to probably have to have lent that farmer money in order for that farmer to produce this crop. And you're going to have a seed salesperson. You're going to have the person that works at the elevator and all the things that it takes to grow a crop on the field. You're going to have the person that is taking care of that farmer, like having our local doctors knowing what we're going through on a daily basis. There's too many working pieces to just kind of put it in one box as Old McDonald.”
Kenny Daniels also has some good advice.
“If there's anyone that doesn't really know if they want to get into agriculture, one of the best ways is to actually go out there and try it and see if you actually like the industry,” he says. “Because some people may not think it's very fun, and then get into it and have really a lot of fun with it. So everyone should try it out at least.”
Tyrel Hoover’s advice is also heartfelt.
“If you love what you do, I guess you'll never work another day in your life.”
To learn more about the FFA in Michigan, visit their website. For more information on getting involved in the Michigan Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer Program, visit michfb.com.