Andi Belt, President

President 2024-2025

My SAE consists of Entrepreneurship Sheep Production where I own a flock of around 25 purebred Southdown sheep. I raise my flock on my family farm with my four little brothers in Leonard, Missouri. I breed my ewes both naturally and using artificial insemination and show my lambs at the local, state and national level. Getting to compete with my own lambs is something I take great pride in, and I love getting to have a blast meeting showmen from across the state. Not only that, but I sell my lambs to other local breeders, out-of-state productions and to many other showmen. I also work on my family farm and have a direct-to-consumer sales agribusiness. I started this expansion my sophomore year and began offering a variety of retail cuts of lamb grown on my farm. I raise these lambs on my farm, take them to a local USDA-certified processor, and market my lamb through my social media account. This side portion of my SAE has grown to be very successful, and I’ve been able to sell to local consumers, out-of-state buyers and restaurant owners.

Getting the chance to serve as a Missouri FFA State Officer has genuinely been a dream of mine since freshman year. I remember very vividly writing this goal down on a workshop handout at Greenland Motivational Conference, and it’s been inside my jacket for the past four years. The motivation I had for running for state office came from the passion I had not only for this organization, but for the members in it. I truly hope to help members across our state fall in love with agriculture and find their place in FFA, just like I have. One of the things that has helped make my FFA experience so positive and successful has been the enthusiastic role models I’ve had along the way, and I truly hope to be that role model for the next generation. Without Missouri FFA and all the incredible people in it, I would not be who I am today. I’m determined to give back to these two groups that have poured so much into me.

The legacy I hope to leave with Missouri FFA members is one that is genuine and impactful. The biggest thing I want members to remember when looking back on my year of service is the genuine, positive and enthusiastic attitude I strive to have. The best way I know how to lead and get members involved is by making it a fun and memorable experience. I hope that after my year of service, Missouri FFA members have not only found their place in FFA, but have made connections, found their passion and made memories they can look back on and smile.

This fall, I will be attending the University of Missouri majoring in agricultural education with the teaching certification option. I hope to earn my bachelor’s degree after four years at Mizzou and get started with student teaching. I’m excited to get in the classroom and hope to student teach and observe somewhere away from home to get new experiences and exposure to a different atmosphere. After that, I plan on moving back to rural Northeast Missouri to hopefully find a teaching position in the ag classroom.

Something fun a lot of people don’t know about me is that I can actually make a balloon animal, specifically a very adorable dog. While this may seem silly to some, it actually is a talent that a lot of people don’t have. This was a skill I recently learned when helping put on a dance in the elementary school during March of my senior year. I really hope I get to put this talent to use during my year of service!

The biggest piece of advice I can offer to FFA members across the state is simply this – get involved. Being involved in FFA and getting the chance to wear the blue jacket for four years is such a blessing and an opportunity that no member should waste. Your journey in FFA can be so much more than just competing in a contest and attending workshops, but one of personal growth, meeting new people, finding your passion and making fun memories along the way. What you make out of your time in the blue jacket is completely up to you. The first step in writing your own positive story in FFA is getting involved. So take a chance, introduce yourself to new people, apply for the office, work hard on your contest team and take every opportunity offered to you – you never know where your FFA journey will take you.