USU Utah Woman Leads Nation of Blue and Gold

The Student Life section of Utah State Today highlights work written by the talented student journalists at Utah State University. Each week, the editor selects a story that has been published in The Utah Statesman or the Hard News Café or both for inclusion in Utah State Today.

USU Utah Woman Leads Nation of Blue and Gold

By Ellie Dalton, USU Statesman, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015

Sarah Draper is the first woman from Utah to be elected as a national Future Farmers of America, or FFA, officer.

This is a big deal for Draper. This is a big deal for Utah FFA. This is a big deal for Utah women. This really is a big deal.

In the National FFA Organization, over 50 percent of leadership positions are held by women. That trend starts at the local chapter level and continues through the district, state and national levels. All across the board, there are more women in leadership positions in the FFA.

That’s saying something for an organization that didn’t even allow women to join until 1969, 41 years after its organization began in 1928. FFA didn’t even have a female president until Jan Eberly was elected in 1982.

Granted, most of the presidents have been men. But this year’s officer team boasts five women and one man with a woman in the president’s office.

So why hasn’t Utah ever had a woman elected as a national FFA officer before?

Two reasons. Utah women get married too fast and Utah isn’t a national figure in agriculture.

Utah has the youngest population in the nation, 31 percent under age 18. Utah has the youngest average age for marriage with most women saying “I do” at 24. Utah also has more women than men by ten thousand.

Every good little Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Utah missionary has at least two good little Utah girlfriends waiting for him when he gets off the plane. He picks one and they get married after six months and have children within a year. A perfectly happy scenario, but it’s no surprise why Utah women aren’t at the forefront of leadership positions. They simply don’t have the time. It’s not even a bad thing. It is just one of the reasons why Utah FFA hasn’t seen a woman serve as a national FFA officer.

Another key reason is Utah’s national agriculture presence. They don’t seem to have one that can compete with surrounding Western states.

In order for an FFA member from Utah to get elected as a National FFA Officer, they have to be elected by a body of delegates to serve in one of two positions, President or Western Region Vice President. The delegates can select a president from any state. WRVP can only be selected from one of the following states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah or Washington.

Utah agriculture doesn’t hold a candle to Texas or California when it comes to agriculture. In 2012, the market value of agricultural products sold in Utah totaled 1.81 billion. Texas brought in 25.37 billion and California generated a whopping 42.62 billion dollars.

Utah does rank in the top 20 nationally for their production in cherries, apricots, peaches, mink, sheep and trout. Utah does have an agricultural presence; it’s just small compared to other Western states.

In terms of FFA membership, Utah is small as well. Texas has over 112,000 FFA members. California has over 79,500 FFA members, and Utah has just 6,200 FFA members, and only 38 percent are female.

The odds have been stacked against Utah FFA ever getting a national officer, let alone a female one. Yet, even against the formidable odds of early marriage and a small agriculture state, Sarah Draper has been elected as the first female national FFA officer in Utah.

She is a great representation of urban agriculture and women leadership.

She grew up in an urban environment but fell in love with agriculture as a freshman. She worked on an onion farm and a dairy in high school. Draper served as the vice president for the Utah FFA Association in 2014-15.

She has the ability to reach many of the nontraditional agriculturists in Utah. Not all Utah FFA members come from a strong agriculture background. Draper is a prime example of not letting that stand as a barrier to success.

The agriculture industry could use more people like Draper. She serves as a stellar ambassador for a worthy industry and student organization. Utah should be proud. Well done Sarah Draper.

— Ellie Dalton is studying agricultural communications and journalism and has an opinion about everything. She is a former Idaho FFA State Officer and still loses her breath when she sees an FFA jacket. Contact her at elizabeth.dalton@aggimail.usu.edu or on twitter at @eddthegirl.