Each year at the National FFA Convention & Expo, four FFA members are honored with American Star Awards for outstanding accomplishments in FFA and agricultural education.
The American Star Awards, including American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement and American Star in Agriscience, are presented to FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through completion of a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). A required activity in FFA, an SAE allows students to learn by doing, by owning or operating an agricultural business, working or serving an internship at an agriculture-based business, or conducting an agriculture-based scientific experiment and reporting results.
Other requirements to achieve the award include demonstrating top management skills; completing key agricultural education, scholastic and leadership requirements; and earning an American FFA Degree, the organization’s highest level of student accomplishment.
The American Star in Agricultural Placement is awarded to the FFA member with the top agricultural placement SAE in the nation. Here are the 2025 finalists for American Star in Agricultural Placement:
FINALIST: Braden Compton, Kentucky
Braden Compton grew up working alongside his grandfather, Poppy Joe, on Barger Farms, a 3,000-acre hay, grain, and cattle operation. What began as an SAE in high school has grown into a full-time role where Compton is involved in nearly every aspect of production agriculture, from operating equipment and planting crops to vaccinating calves and managing forage. Learning from one of the most experienced farmers he knows, he has gained invaluable knowledge about both grain and livestock production. Now working full-time, he hopes to carry on the three-generation family tradition of successful farming.
“The lessons, skills, and firsthand experience that I have gained as a result of my SAE are those that I never could have received anywhere other than Barger Farms,” said Compton.
FINALIST: Nevin Erbsen, Illinois
Nevin Erbsen’s SAE includes working for four agricultural businesses, including his family’s 100-cow dairy, where he milks cows, cares for heifers and IVF-born calves and prepares show cattle for competition. He also works at Gunderson Dairy Farms, a 500-cow operation, where he does equipment maintenance, KPI monitoring for robotic milking, and ration adjustments to improve herd performance. At C&A Acres, Erbsen operates tillage equipment, helps with harvest, and performs machinery maintenance, while at Kimberley Ag he cleans and assembles planter parts and works with equipment from multiple major brands. Over time, his roles have grown to include management responsibilities, problem-solving, and decision-making across all parts of the business.
“Through my coursework, FFA and other activities, involvement on my family’s farm, and employment off the farm, the value of always putting my best foot forward and showing my best effort has paid off in many ways so far in my life,” said Erbsen.
FINALIST: Caldyn David Huper, Minnesota
Caldyn David Huper has spent many years working at Huper Ag Enterprises and alongside his grandpa and dad on their fourth-generation family farm. They produce 1,750 acres of corn and 1,500 acres of soybeans annually, while also providing custom planting, harvesting, spraying, manure hauling, baling, and trucking services for thousands of additional acres. His duties now also include managing Precision AG Data, maintaining equipment, scouting crops and helping to market corn and soybeans.
“My main focus for the future is to help expand the family farm, to ensure that it is sustainable for me, and maybe someday my children,” said Huper. “This includes not only expanding the number of acres, but continuing to diversify it by growing the custom farming side, and adopting sustainable farming practices such as cover crops, reduced tillage and limiting chemicals.”
FINALIST: Amanda Osmundson, California
Amanda Osmundson’s SAE is in beef production, where she has been working at her family’s beef operation, Valley Home Beefmasters, and also includes her time working at Lander Veterinary Clinic in their Embryo Transfer/In Vitro Fertilization department. Her greatest challenge was proving to her family that she had the knowledge and experience to contribute ideas to their beef operation, overcoming the perception that she was still “one of the kids.” Through hard work, taking on extra responsibilities, and demonstrating her understanding of breeding programs through her time at Lander ET/IVF, budgeting, and management practices, she earned their trust and is now involved in sire selection and managing the entire operation.
“I know that someday, when the opportunity comes to be a partner in my family’s cattle business, my dedication to experiences, education and hard work will allow me to continue the traditions and innovations of my family’s operation for many years to come,” said Osmundson.
The American Star Awards are sponsored by Bayer, Cargill, Cash IH, John Deere, Rabobank and Syngenta. For more information on the awards, visit FFA.org.
