2011 Proceedings - National FFA Organization

Agri-EntrEprEnEurs HonorEd continuEd
Brent’s Farm Fresh Produce
name: brent sexton
Age: 19
chapter: rockwell City lytton ffa
Parents: Keith and barb sexton
Advisor: brian lantz
When Brent Sexton of Rockwell City,
Iowa, joined FFA as a freshman, he
decided to undertake a vegetable
production supervised agricultural experience.
The project soon flourished and he
discovered that in the aging rural community,
there was a definite longing and
need for fresh vegetables. Sexton created
Brent’s Farm Fresh Produce.
He first began selling produce at the
local farmers market but he also contacted
a local grocery story to see if they
would be interested in his products. They
agreed to sell his sweet corn, pumpkins
and gourds.
“The ‘buy local’ campaign is
becoming very popular,” Sexton said.
“Consumers like to purchase not just
locally grown produced but produce
that is clean and high in quality. I have a
Brannon Agri-energy
name: Caleb Jay brannon
Age: 15
chapter: Calloway County ffa
Parents: Dr. Tony l. brannon and Ms.
lisa brannon
Advisors: Jacob falwell and bill
sampson
Caleb Jay Brannon of Puryear, Tenn.,
has a family history steeped in farming
and the entrepreneurial spirit. So it’s no
surprise that the Calloway County FFA
freshman created a business that is on
the cutting-edge of technology utilizing
agriculture.
With gas and electricity prices continuing
to rise and society continually
talking about green initiatives, Brannon
thought it was an ideal time for him
to export agricultural-related energy
reputation for clean, fresh,
high-quality produce.”
Brent’s Farm Fresh Produce
offers a wide variety
of produce, depending on
the growing conditions,
including asparagus, beets,
broccoli, cabbage, carrots,
cucumbers, eggplant,
garlic, green beans, kohlrabi,
leek, lettuce, melons,
okra, onions, parsnips,
peas, peppers, pumpkins,
radishes, rhubarb, spinach, sweet corn,
tomatoes, turnips and summer and winter
squash. The major crops associated
with his business are asparagus, sweet
corn, pumpkins and squash.
Sexton also worked with the Rockwell
City Lytton school district and Stewart
Memorial Hospital food service departments
to sell some seasonal produce,
such as tomatoes, cucumbers and
peppers.
His consumer base also consists of
an older, agricultural-based population
enterprises. He formed Brannon
Agri-Energy, an emerging technology,
farm-related business
that grows and markets switchgrass
for bio mass and future
cellulosic ethanol production.
“I have always been interested
in the green agri-energy
movement,” Brannon said. “I
would eventually like to use my
switchgrass to develop and
attract a cellulosic ethanol or
other large bio-based industry in
our area.”
Brannon established 15 acres of
Alamo switchgrass in a grant opportunity
through Genera-Agri-Energy and
for four years, the company bought
switchgrass at the end of the production
year. He cooperated with Memphis
4 Believe Proceedings 2011
that enjoys fresh vegetables but doesn’t
have the time, energy and finances to
produce their own. With this in mind,
Sexton attended a three-hour training
session at the Iowa Department of Agriculture
and Land Stewardship that would
allow him to accept WIC and Senior
Nutrition Farmer Market coupons.
Sexton is currently a freshman at Iowa
State University, studying animal science
with a pre-veterinarian option, and continues
as owner and operator of Brent’s
Farm Fresh Produce.
BioWorks to grow three acres of energy
beets and small plots of sweet sorghum
and energy sorghum. The beets can be
used for cattle feed and production of
sugar-based ethanol and the sweet sorghum
and energy sorghum crops have