FFA Member Profile: Macie Abraham, President

Tell us about your farm and family. My older brother, Jared, and I are the fifth generation on our family’s dairy farm, AB-LANE Farm, located just on the edge of Plymouth. We currently milk 65 registered Holsteins and one Guernsey in a tiestall barn. Additionally, we raise all our youngstock and Holstein dairy steers for a total of 166 head. My family operates around 400 acres of cropland for our herd. The relationships and opportunities I have been given throughout my life would not have been possible if it weren’t for growing up on a farm. I am forever grateful for the place I call home.

Why did you join FFA? I joined FFA because of my passion for agriculture that stemmed from my farm. I wanted to be involved in an organization that teaches the community the importance of agriculture. My favorite part about advocating is that I not only get to teach kids new things but adults, too. Finally, I wanted to grow as a person in my leadership skills and encourage others to try new things they never thought they would be interested in.

What is your role in the chapter? As president, I’m responsible for leading our chapter to grow and make a positive impact. The officer team and I plan events for the year and try to encourage members to get more involved. I am the chairperson for our annual Holiday Food Drive in December and for Ag in the Classroom. I also really enjoy coordinating community service projects to show appreciation for all the community does for us and to promote FFA and agriculture for those who don’t know much about it.

What FFA contests do you compete in? I competed on the agronomy Career Development Event team during my freshman and sophomore years. Last year, I decided to try the discussion meet leadership CDE and advanced to sectionals. I plan on doing these events again this year as well as the prepared speaking contest.

What do you look forward to most in the upcoming FFA year? Personally, I look forward to participating in the discussion meet and the prepared speaking contest. I’m excited to see my progress from the discussion meet, since last year was my first year doing it. I gained a lot of knowledge and ideas about agricultural topics with members from our section. 

How has FFA shaped you as a person? FFA has definitely opened my eyes to the world around me. Coming from a farm, I’ve always been around agriculture. What I realized, though, is that so many people think FFA is only for farm kids. However, the truth is that it’s not. It’s a door that opens so many opportunities to kids, such as careers, hands-on learning and personal skills. I’ve learned to become more inclusive to everyone and am willing to answer any questions they may have. I’ve also gained more confidence in many of my personal skills, including public speaking, leadership and problem solving. I’m so glad I chose to be in FFA.

What are your duties on the farm? I have many duties on the farm, but I’m mostly responsible for helping manage the calves. I believe calves are the foundation of every herd, so being able to be a part of raising them is very special to me. Also, I love to feed and milk the cows, clean the barn and drive the skid loader.

What are your future plans? I hope to pursue a career in agriculture to help give back to something that gave me so much.