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The Russell FFA Chapter has experienced remarkable growth and success since welcoming advisor Beth Pfeifer in fall 2025. With her leadership and a dedicated officer team, membership has more than tripled—growing from just 16 members in 2024-25 to an impressive 50 members this year.
Leading the chapter are President Stephanie King, Vice President Payton Maske, Secretary Ian Strobel, Treasurer Xzephren Donner, Reporter Aiden Yarmer, Sentinel Xzander Donner, and Student Council Representative Madison Rupp. This team has guided members through numerous district competitions throughout the year.
Recent highlights include the Northwest District Speech Contest in Phillipsburg, where Madison Rupp qualified for state competition with her Senior speech on Regenerative Ranching and Payton Maske’s speech on the growing popularity of meat goats earned her third place in the Freshman Division.
The chapter will celebrate FFA Week with a variety of exciting activities to encourage student body engagement. An alumni and faculty breakfast will thank local supporters, while themed dress-up will give students the chance to win FFA bucks to use towards drinks and snacks. The week's highlight will be the highly anticipated faculty "Kiss the Pig" contest.
Looking ahead, the chapter has an exciting spring planned. Members will travel to Topeka for Farm Bureau Advocacy Day, with a stop at Hildebrand Farms Dairy on the return trip. The chapter will host a Farm Safety Day on Monday, March 30th at the Russell FFA farm. Additionally, they're partnering with a local business to establish a pollinator habitat, with plans to eventually add beehives, demonstrating their commitment to agricultural sustainability and environmental stewardship.
The Russell FFA Chapter's momentum continues to build, proving that dedicated leadership and engaged members can transform a program and inspire the next generation of agricultural leaders.