Brennan Evans
Where Are They Now? | January 2023 | By Ashley Butler
Meet Brennan Evans, former Skyview FFA member who grew up in a small farming community, surrounded by agriculture - Lewiston, Utah.
Being from a family who was always involved in FFA, Brennan saw the benefits of participating in the organization. He served as the chapter Sentinel and was an active member of his chapter, participating in contests and leadership conferences whenever possible.
However, it wasn’t until a local farmer hired Brennan to work on his farm and he had the opportunity to learn more about commodity and specialty crops, that he really focused his FFA participation in one area that would later become his job.
“ [From my experience working on my neighbor's farm], I started learning about several commodity and specialty crops along with their proper management. This led to me really developing an interest in crop production and how to improve it, which tied in perfectly with my ag classes [at the time]. From there on I grew that love for crop production and participated in anything agronomy related with FFA.”
Brennan now works as an agronomist for Equity Exchange in Perryton Texas. He provides crop consulting services to aid in practices that will increase production and improve pest management. A lot of times, this looks like scouting fields to identify weeds and insects, and identifying the overall health of the crop. He then provides a recommendation based on the observations made while scouting that will help the producer improve their yields.
“I love my job because I have a mixture of indoor and outdoor work that gives me a wide variety of tasks to complete. Each day is also very different based on the time of year and what crops are in the ground which I really enjoy. Most of all I get to help producers improve their yields and bring home more money for their families which is extremely rewarding.”
He credits his decision of working in this area of the agriculture industry to the combination of experiences he gained and the deep interest he developed by taking high school ag. classes, working on his neighbors farm, and participating in the agronomy related FFA CDE (Career Development Events).
“It’s funny how often I think back to something I learned in one of my ag. classes in high school while I am out in a field or talking with a grower. Not only do you learn in the classroom, but you then get to apply that knowledge in a hands-on type situation which then teaches you even more. I will always be grateful for that style of learning that FFA has become well known for,” Brennan says.
Public speaking is a skill Brennan says he’s also grateful to the FFA for.
“Through participation in contests and events at both the chapter and state level, as well as meeting various businesses through FFA activities, I gained an opportunity to learn to speak in public. This terrified me at first, but through FFA I was able to overcome that fear and even gain some proficiency at it. It has helped me a great deal in my job because I speak in some larger gatherings and meet with many different growers throughout the year.”
When asked what advice he would give a high school student that is thinking about joining FFA, he said,
“Any interest you have can be tied into something that your local FFA Chapter is involved in. No matter your background or where you are from I have met kids from all over the country that have found fulfillment in being part of FFA because it helps us learn what we care about and then teaches us how to become a part of it. Don’t second guess your decision to become a member of the FFA because it will be one of the best things you ever do.”