REDMOND, Ore. — Farming and ranching are tough, with long hours and hard work, high input and labor costs, new pest and disease threats and other problems.

Many teens plan to enter agriculture and related fields anyway, according to a completely unscientific survey conducted at the 2025 Oregon FFA State Convention.

“Someday, if I can, I’ll take the chance and own my own farm,” said Tucker Price, a sophomore from the Crater FFA chapter.

Price, inspired by a hydroponic operation inside a freight container at his high school, is thinking about growing crops.

About 15 students were interviewed during the event as part of the informal survey. More than half said they would pursue ag or connected careers.

Complex answers

Sometimes answers weren’t neat and tidy as teens were still figuring out career pathways.

Sophomore Isabella Herrington of Crater wants to be an ag adviser or raise livestock. “Maybe I can do both,” she said.

Herrington gave a speech at the convention about how U.S. farms were disappearing, with older farmers not being replaced by younger generations, leading to increased urbanization.

Jacob Journigan, an Enterprise sophomore, said he would work in ag real estate, which combined his interests.

“I come from a family of farmers and they could have used help buying and selling properties related to their business. I would like to help people like that,” he said.

Choosing other careers

Students choosing other careers said they would operate hobby farms and advocate for industry and rural concerns.

Their passions lay elsewhere, such as education or nursing.

They said FFA was worthwhile because it taught them leadership, work ethic and other skills, and they made plenty of friends.

“Everyone should do it regardless of their future intentions,” said Delaney Wieseler, a junior from Hermiston, who plans to become a physical therapist.

Grant Union perspectives

Monel Anderson, a senior and president of the Grant Union FFA chapter, said she grew up on a ranch and hopes to continue ranching, but agriculture won’t be her career.

“I’m going into elementary education, so I want to incorporate it into my teaching,” Anderson added.

Her classmate Eliza Ashley, treasurer of the Grant Union FFA, plans to become a math teacher and have a homestead with pigs and chickens.

Zoey Beam, also a Grant Union senior and chapter secretary, said she wants to go into animal science, perhaps to work as a veterinary technician.

Prepared for success

When Ashley learned about initial results of the informal survey, she wasn’t surprised teens would pursue such a difficult career.

“I think it’s FFA that makes us so optimistic a lot of the time,” the high school senior said.

Kjer Kizer, Oregon FFA CEO, said the organization teaches students to look forward and gives them opportunities to learn and practice marketable skills.

Employers want to hire FFA members because they have what it takes to succeed.

Those ideas were reinforced regularly during the convention.

“Every message that comes across the stage, the future is bright for these people,” Kizer said.