Growing Good with the Next Generation of Farmers: FFA SAE Grant Project Updates

Earlier this year, we announced the 2022 recipients of the Bob Evans FFA SAE Grants. This is an ongoing commitment to and investment with the National FFA Organization to support FFA students across the country. Each year, our focus is on empowering and supporting the next generation of America’s farmers. This not only pays homage to our founder and former farmer, Bob Evans, but it allows us to give back to the community that we rely on as the home of America’s Farm Fresh.

This year Bob Evans Restaurants awarded grants to 12 students that were hand selected from over 1,085 applications nationwide. These individuals possess a dedicated passion for agriculture and growing the world around us, a commitment we share as evidenced through our Where Good Grows platform. Each recipient received a $1,000 grant to help them achieve the goals they outlined for their supervised agricultural experiences (SAE), ranging from creating new greenhouses to expanding existing gardens and helping provide fresh produce to local communities and businesses.

As we’re now more than halfway through the year, we wanted to take this time to shine a light on a few of these FFA students’ SAEs and how they’re leading the charge for the next generation of farmers.

Alex Kellersmith, Ohio

Alex started the year with the goal of purchasing a hydroponic growing system with the funds from the Bob Evans SAE grant to grow salad greens, microgreens, vegetables, flowers, and root lavender cuttings to be sold to local customers and restaurant partners in his area.

We’re thrilled to share that Alex has successfully built his hydroponic system, allowing him to grow crops without soil in half the time. This has resulted in three different types of lettuce being grown, which can be sold for $3 a head – while this is slightly more expensive than regular lettuce, hydroponically grown lettuce tends to last longer. His new system has allowed him to grow and sell more produce – up to 24 heads of lettuce each week – with not a single plant dying after germination.

Emma Brown, Missouri

Emma’s goal was to obtain the necessary seeds and materials to start growing onions, radishes, beets, zucchini, and cucumbers in her 40x40 feet plot of land, with the plan to can and freeze the items to use in future baked goods.

So far this year, Emma has planted everything from peas, bush beans, and zucchini squash to watermelon, blueberries, strawberries, and even herbs like basil and chives. She has also taken steps to make her project more sustainable by recycling cardboard and non-treated grass clippings for weed prevention and utilizing food waste such as eggshells and coffee grounds, along with other recycled materials, to make compost bins for her garden.

Ella Crim, Ohio

At the beginning of the year, Ella's goal was to expand her garden to grow more pumpkins and zucchini while also investing in food processing equipment to increase her efficiency. She developed this plan to help with her overall production and sales of baked goods.

To date, Ella has planted several ingredients for baked goods and salsa. She has expanded on her initial plan, utilizing the food processing equipment she purchased with the grant money from Bob Evans, such as a watering system, to help her plants grow and keep them healthy. These improvements led her to creating an Instagram account dedicated to promoting her goods and partnering with local boutiques to sell baked goods, salsa, and fruits.

Rylee Brown, Missouri

Rylee had big plans to expand her growing and selling operation by adding a natural gas heating and rainwater collection system, extending her growing season while prioritizing sustainability.

With the funds from the Bob Evans SAE grant, Rylee was able to purchase an electric greenhouse heater which she found to be a cheaper and more sustainable option, as well as a second greenhouse to extend her garden’s overall size. The electric heater allowed Rylee to plant her seeds earlier in the year, while the second greenhouse gave her the temperatures and space to keep every seedling happy and healthy. To date, Rylee has taken steps toward practicing sustainability with her 5-gallon rainwater collection system. She has also grown and sold over 3,000 plants, a 150% increase from the prior year.

To learn more about the National FFA Organization, you can find more information here.

Show us how you’re growing good this summer by tagging @bobevans on Facebook or @bobevansfarms on Instagram or Twitter.