FFA Lessons Carry Small-Town Student From County Fair to Global Ag Research

Isabell Olsasky grew up on her family’s farm in south-central Iowa, showing pigs and chickens at the county fair. Joining FFA at Southeast Warren Junior-Senior High cemented her love for agriculture. After graduating last spring, she spent the summer in Mexico as a Borlaug-Ruan International Intern with the World Food Prize. Now, Olsasky is studying agronomy at Iowa State University.

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Meet Isabell Olsasky

Olsasky said she always wanted ag to be part of her future but wasn’t sure what that would look like. An FFA visit to Iowa State’s McNay Research and Demonstration Farm was a lightbulb moment. “It was really cool to get to see these people working in agriculture but not necessarily working on a farm,” she said. 

As a high school junior, Olsasky said her FFA adviser, Alex Rogers, encouraged her to apply for an Iowa State scholarship. One of the requirements was to write a paper about ag in a country the student wasn’t familiar with. She wrote about sustainable agriculture in Vietnam.

She was selected to present her paper at the Global Youth Institute, where she was named a Global Challenge Award recipient. At the institute, she said she learned about the Borlaug Ruan International Internship with the World Food Prize. She applied and was one of 20 students selected for the summer 2025 program.

The internship took Olsasky to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in El Batán, Mexico, where she spent two months researching transdisciplinarity and agricultural research for development, conducting a case study of a hub model that provides support for local farmers by helping address local issues.

Now, Olsasky is studying agronomy at Iowa State. She said she’s planning to run for a state FFA officer position.

Episode Highlights

• Olsasky was raised on a farm in south-central Iowa, where her family runs Buck Creek Show Pigs and raises cattle, sheep, and poultry, and grows corn, soybeans, small grains, and hay.
• She joined FFA in seventh grade, quickly took on committee and leadership roles, and discovered her passion for agronomy through soil judging and plant science.
• Olsasky earned a spot as a Borlaug-Ruan International Intern with the World Food Prize, spending last summer in Mexico researching transdisciplinary approaches to agricultural development and food security.
• Fieldwork, postharvest research, and cultural exchange gave her a global view of farming challenges.
• Olsasky is studying agronomy at Iowa State University, with plans for graduate studies.
  She said she encourages other students to see agriculture as a place for everyone.

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