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Sign Up To Receive Our FFA Stories Newsletter! Email address: SHOW NOTES INTRODUCING LUKE BERGSCHNEIDER!  Today's episode is a fascinating look into the future of a farmer.  Luke Bergschneider is going to join us and talk all about what he started in high school and what he is carrying forward on his families farm to give him an edge in the future. Luke is raising broiler chickens and turkeys in addition to the traditional corn and soybean farming that his family does in their part of Illinois.  He went out and found how other people do farming differently and then used their methods to give himself another farm revenue source that would not be impacted by low commodity or high input prices. Luke cites authors like Joel Salatin for giving him the business ideas with poultry.  Luke now raises broilers with Salatin's chicken tractor method, and he has a mobile coop for his laying flock.  He has also created his own, modified version of a chicken tractor to raise his turkeys. All of these efforts led Luke to become a state proficiency winner in poultry production.  He is now at Western Illinois University studying Agricultural Science to give him even more information that will help him to succeed farming in the future. SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Poultry Production HIGH SCHOOL: Franklin High School; Franklin, Illinois MASCOT: Vipers FFA ADVISOR: Brent Nelson CONTACT INFORMATION FOR LUKE BERGSCHNEIDER: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Franklin High School Website: Luke's FFA Advisor's Email Address: bnelson@franklinhigh.com  Franklin High School Telephone Number: 217-675-2395 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA  Donate to FFA - One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000.  In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants.  With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world.  FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation.  The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store: “The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America’s youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America’s youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.”. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:   Member Of The National Association Of Farm Broadcasters