The future of agriculture

February 3, 2026 | Mickayla Jordan

In 1928, the Future Farmers of America was established in Kansas City, Mo., by a group of young farmers to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding the growing population.

Nearly 100 years later, the National FFA Organization has more than 1 million members nationwide and is developing the next generation of agricultural leaders.

One of those is Lily Moeller, the 2026 Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) Rising Star Award winner. The Orange City native is already making her mark by advocating for agriculture one speech at a time.

A voice for agriculture

A member of the Holland FFA Chapter, Moeller has been actively involved in FFA for the past four years. She currently serves as the chapter’s president and is in her second term as the Iowa FFA Northwest District secretary. She’s also claimed two state titles in FFA speaking contests.

As a sophomore, Moeller won the Iowa FFA Extemporaneous Speaking contest. In this event, participants are assigned an ag-related topic and given a limited amount of time to draft remarks, showcasing their spontaneous speaking skills. Judges evaluate speaking, presentation, content and ability to answer questions about the speech’s topic.

After winning the state competition, she placed fourth nationally.

“I put a lot of time into researching,” says Moeller about her preparation for the contest. “It gave me insights into everything from international trade to specific policy issues.”

The 100-page binder of agricultural facts she compiled ahead of the contest sparked her interest in advocating for ag-centric policy, specifically how farmers could shape policy.

A year later, Moeller finished third at the National FFA Convention in the prepared public speaking event. Her speech, “Shaping Agriculture’s Future with Lawyers, Lobbyists and Legislators,” focused on the importance of advocacy in the industry.

“When I was writing this speech, I knew I wanted to talk about advocacy, but I wanted to focus on a more practical approach, what farmers could actually do,” says Moeller, “I especially emphasized how important it is for farmers to join commodity associations, such as the Iowa Soybean Association.”

By utilizing the existing advocacy systems, farmers can amplify their impact, Moeller notes. Farmer-led advocacy efforts organized through commodity organizations create a unified voice across the industry and help farmers better reach the lawyers, lobbyists and legislators who directly influence policy.

Bridging the gap

Moeller sees a connection between policy issues impacting agriculture and the generational distance from the farm.

“The underlying issue is the general disconnect between agriculture and our consumers,” says Moeller, “And this disconnect leads to policy issues.”

She gives the example of Proposition 12, a ballot initiative adopted in California prohibiting the sale of pork, veal and eggs from livestock raised in confinements that did not meet specific minimum space requirements.

“It was a ballot initiative brought forward by consumers who didn't understand the true story of what was happening in agriculture, what producers are doing and what we care about,” says Moeller, who grew up raising livestock, “We care about our land, we care about our animals and we care about our consumers.”

The next generation

So, how can youth help overcome the disconnect? Joining FFA is one step, she says. Another is engaging in existing advocacy systems.

“Before we can really educate consumers and those outside of agriculture, we have to first understand the issues ourselves,” says Moeller.

FFA offers high school students the opportunity to develop employment skills and expand their industry knowledge through a variety of individual and team contests.

“Being an FFA member, I've already seen youth impacting this challenge just by participating in the career development and leadership development events,” she says, “It allows the youth to gain background on these issues.”

Looking to the future

The ISA Rising Star Award includes a $2,000 educational stipend, courtesy of Farm Credit Services of America. Moeller will put her stipend to use at South Dakota State University this fall, where she’ll focus her studies on agricultural business and pre-law.

With a passion for advocacy and a heart for serving others, Moeller will continue to utilize the skills she’s gained through FFA as she shapes the future of agriculture as a lawyer.

“I hope to become an agricultural lawyer, come back to my small community and help farmers,” she says.

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