Christian Peterson
Reporter@riverbendnews.org
Brent Long was born on May 30, 2002, in Gainesville, Fla.,and grew up on a small farm in Live Oak, cultivating a love for agriculture. He graduated from Suwannee High School with honors in 2020. Currently, Long is attending the University of Florida (UF), where he is studying Food and Resource Economics. However, this is not the end of Long’s achievements as he was recently presented the American FFA Degree, a national award. The American FFA degree is the highest degree achievable in the National FFA Organization, as it shows outstanding dedication to the local chapter and state FFA association. To actually attain the degree, one must put in many hours of work in their specific supervised agricultural experience; one must put in many community service hours; one must show outstanding leadership in and around the FFA and one most obtain all previous FFA degrees. Long accomplished all of this before he was even halfway through his time at UF.
“FFA has helped me grow as a person, develop leadership skills and get better at speaking publicly. It has also provided me with many memories and friendships made along the way,” Long said. “I would say my biggest inspiration in my life has been my dad. I have always admired his work ethic and the way he handled certain situations and manages stress. Every day, when he gets off work, he would still have the determination to get something done on the farm. Whether that was fixing equipment or servicing tractors, he would most likely be out in the barn until dark.” Long, however, doesn’t plan to stop simply at his FFA degree. “Currently, my goals are to finish my degree in Food and Resource Economics and find a job in the sales role of either an agricultural or outdoor company,” Long said. “I have always loved talking to people and not being stuck behind a desk all day. So, I figured this job would be the best for me.”