Seventeen high school FFA members volunteered to participate in this year’s event, which was held on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025.
Every October, as combines roll through golden fields and trucks haul freshly harvested corn, the St. James FFA Chapter takes part in a harvest of its own — one rooted not in grain, but in gratitude. For years, the chapter has made it a tradition to dedicate a day during harvest season to its annual Corn Drive, a community-wide effort that embodies the final line of the FFA motto of “Living to Serve.”
On Corn Drive day, groups of high school FFA members climb into trucks and head out across Watonwan County, Minn.. Their goal isn’t to collect crops for themselves, but to connect with the farmers who make their community thrive. With each stop, students visit with local producers, explain the purpose of the drive and ask for a donation — whether it’s a few bushels of corn or a monetary contribution. Each donation, no matter the size, adds up to something much greater: a tangible difference in the lives of others.
The donations are brought back to the school and emptied into a grain trailer generously provided by a local farmer. From there, the corn is taken to the elevator, where it’s sold and converted into funds that go directly back into the community. Every dollar raised is given to six local fire departments throughout Watonwan County, the area’s emergency medical services (EMS) and Camp True Friends, a camp dedicated to providing life-changing experiences for individuals with disabilities.
Members work together to load donated corn into an auger, which deposits it into a grain trailer that will bring it to the local elevator at the end of the day.
Over the past three years alone, the St. James FFA Chapter has raised more than $15,000 — every penny of which has been donated to these local causes. The Minnesota chapter’s commitment to service doesn’t end when the last truckload is delivered. In March, during the annual chapter banquet, representatives from each of the donation recipients are invited to join members for a free meal, where they’re recognized and formally presented with their donations. The evening serves as both a celebration of the chapter’s hard work and a reminder of the deep connections between agriculture and community.
This year’s St. James FFA Vice President, Katelyn Runge, and St. James FFA President, Kaid Sandbo, summed up the spirit of the event perfectly:
“In St. James, we believe in giving back. During our corn drive, multiple groups of high school students visit farmers and ask them to donate any amount of corn they can spare. All money raised is given to our local fire departments, EMS and Camp True Friends. We then give a goody bag and water to our farmers and thank them for everything they do. Our chapter would be nothing without the support our community gives us, and we hope our members will always live to serve.”
Members visit every member of each farming operation they visit to hand out goody bags, bottles of water and extend a huge “thank you” from the chapter for everything they do.
Through its annual Corn Drive, the St. James FFA Chapter shows that service isn’t just an act — it’s a mindset. It’s early mornings spent in dusty trucks, heartfelt “thank yous” shared across gravel roads and the realization that giving back to those who give so much is what makes a community strong. In living out the FFA motto, these students are showing that “Living to Serve” means using your hands, heart and hard work to lift others, one bushel at a time.
