(raw rock music) ♪ Hey ♪ Hey ♪ Hey - Welcome to "A Shot of Ag".

My name is Rob Sharkey.

I'm your host.

I am a farmer, and I grew up learning about farming, agriculture, but not everybody has that option.

People that don't live on farms often have to rely on FFA or their ag teachers to do so.

Well, luckily, they have people like Rhett Ellis from Sesser, Illinois.

How are you doing, Rhett?

- Pretty good.

How are you?

- Yeah, pretty good.

Where is Sesser?

- So we are just 10 minutes west of Rend Lake in Ina, Illinois, in specifically Southern Illinois.

- How long of a drive to good old Peoria, Illinois?

- It was three-and-a-half hours this morning.

- Three and a half?

- Yeah.

- Of course, when you live in Southern Illinois, you kind of are used to that, right?

Everything's in Bloomington or Springfield and all that?

- Yes.

If we want to do any major city shopping, we'll either go to St. Louis or Marion, or maybe if we're really feeling motivated, may go down to Kentucky or something.

- Okay, let me understand.

When you're feeling motivated, which means you're really wanting to do something, you go to Kentucky.

That doesn't make sense to me.

- Well, I mean, because there's just some more options that's closer than what it is coming further up north in the state.

And also it's cheaper too.

- That's the Mason-Dixon Line.

We are not supposed to go down there.

- Well, sometimes it's just the forbidden fruit you got to taste, I guess.

(Rob laughing) - Well, it's going to be a fun interview.

(Rob laughing) You are a, what do you say, FFA advisor or an ag teacher?

- I'm both.

- You're both?

- Yes.

So during the actual school day, I have a caseload of classes that I have, such as Ag Science, Intro to Ag.

I am also our shop teacher in that whole load.

And then I teach Ag Business as well on top of it.

And then outside of school, if it gets to that point, which 90% of the time it does, and I'm the FFA advisor.

And so I'm the one that's responsible in our district for taking our students on those trips and getting them exposed to those opportunities.

- Okay.

Are you a farm kid?

- I live on my family's farm that is in Southern Illinois, specifically Jefferson County.

And I had been working for the family farm operation, Panzier Farms, in Waltonville.

And so I had been working for them for the past eight years, and I still help them on the side whenever I'm not doing ag teacher or FFA advisor things.

- I was going to say, you don't have time to do that.

- Well, I make time for it.

Farming is something that I love and I keep close to my heart, for sure.

And it's just really great that I still get to have that opportunity of doing all my great ag teacher things that I love, and then also farming on the side when I can.

- Where'd you go to school?

- I went to Woodlawn Grade School and graduated from Woodlawn High School.

And then I was at Rend Lake for my first two years of college.

And then I transferred to SIU in Carbondale and majored in agricultural systems and education.

- You had that look, too, that majestic look, that look of importance, leadership.

- Yeah.

I've been around the block with some leadership opportunities a time or two.

- Really?

- Yeah.

(both laughing) - You were in FFA then?

- Yes, I was in FFA all four years of high school.

And then my freshman year of college, I was a Section President for Section 21 for the Illinois FFA Association.

So I got to go around the state with the FFA State Officers, but specifically do a lot more local duties that took care of our 16 high schools in a five county area.

- All right, let me hold you up for a second, because a lot of people don't know how this works, right?

- For sure.

- Four years of high school, FFA.

But you said your freshman year of college, that's when you were the president.

- Yes.

- The president of it.

- So basically how it works specifically with a section officer position, that they give your older FFA members and students the opportunity to run for those offices since they are higher-up positions.

And just the way how it fell within my FFA career, I ran at the end of my senior year of high school, which was right at the beginning of COVID.

And then I served as the Section President for- - Oh, did you get dinged by COVID?

- I kind of did just a little bit.

- That's so unfair.

- Yeah, it kind of was.

90% of our FFA year of service when I was a Section President was all online.

And our state convention actually made history too, because we had it in multiple locations across the state.

So we had one at SIU, then we had one in Bloomington at the CornBelters' field.

And then we had a two-day convention in Springfield at the fairgrounds, and it was all outdoors.

And it's never been outdoors before until that year happened.

- That was a weird time, wasn't it?

- Just a little bit, yeah.

- So what do you do as a president?

- So when you're a Section President, you are over the high schools within your section, specifically our section, which was Section 21 in District 5 for FFA.

We have 16 high schools in that section, and it is a five county area.

So we are more or less...

I would like to say, more of a liaison group between the AG teachers within the section and our students.

And so we help with all of our contests that are put on at the local level.

- Oh, so you're working?

- Oh, yeah.

- Now, that you are graduated, are you an alumni?

- Yes, and I was actually an alumni starting my sophomore year of college, and I was one of the younger members.

- Can you do FFA all the way through college?

- It depends on how far you want to take it.

You can either run as a state officer, if you have that opportunity, or a national officer.

- But you have to be an officer to keep in?

- Mm-hmm.

Yes.

But if you wanted to stay involved with it to a smaller degree, you can jump into the alumni, which is what I did, because I didn't want to walk away completely.

So I wanted to stay within the FFA world, and I jumped into the alumni, and away I went.

- You just never have enough of that blue jacket?

- No, never did.

- I can still fit into mine.

- Really?

- No.

Not even close.

(Rhett laughing) (both laughing) And then the decision, did you know when you were in school that you wanted to teach?

- I think I kind of had that calling whenever I was halfway through my freshman year of college.

And then because I was originally going to go into precision ag or some sort of ag technology related career.

- I don't think that'll ever catch on, precision ag, now.

- Well, I don't know.

I mean, I think it's a growing field.

- No, it's not going anywhere.

(Rhett laughing) They used to think tractors would drive themselves.

It's just crazy talk.

You picked a good field in teaching.

- Yeah, for sure.

(both laughing) - So was it hard to find a job?

- For locally, yes, it was, because I was trying to stay within Southern Illinois as much as I could, closer to home.

And I started out working for John Deere immediately after I graduated from college.

- [Rob] It's a great company.

- Yeah, it really wasn't bad to work for.

But I had that job opportunity come up, because I worked on the University Farm at Carbondale, and so I had the connections from our local John Deere dealership to get a job.

And because at the time, there were not any local teaching openings.

So that's why I started at John Deere.

And then this position opened up at Sesser, and that's how I got on.

And I've been there ever since.

- So you've been teaching for one year?

- Yes, I have.

I just completed my first year.

- How'd it go?

- I thought it went really well.

- [Rob] How'd it go?

- Really well.

- What?

Your students, do you think they liked it?

- Oh, yeah.

And I felt like the teacher previously before me had set enough of a foundation, that it gave the students some motivation for what was going to be coming ahead.

And I'm quite impressed with the motivation I had from those students, and trying to help navigate through the first year.

- [Rob] Really?

- Yes.

- They're little punks?

- No, they were actually really great, believe it or not.

- Huh?

Not all of them.

There had to be one.

Right?

- Well, there are a couple, yes, of course.

- What's his name?

- I'm not going to name-drop anyone.

I prefer I don't.

(Rhett laughing) - Somebody came to mind though, right?

- Yeah.

- You can whisper it.

The mics won't pick it up.

- It's okay.

I'll say that afterwards.

- Okay, fine.

I always thought it'd be hard to do what you did.

So you go right to college, and now you're teaching high school, because you're not much older than...

I mean, is that a problem?

Is it harder for a younger teacher to get respect from the kids?

- I feel like it can be.

I feel like you get more kickback from it from your juniors and seniors.

But really, I felt like that I didn't, and which was surprising 'cause I was really expecting that, like you were saying.

But I think just the community in Sesser, and I haven't seen anything like it compared to just most high schools that you would think of.

But really the behavior overall is just a great community and school.

- How'd you start though?

Did you just kick the door open, take your briefcase and slam it on the desk, and say, "Listen, you little..."?

- I mean, metaphorically, that's probably how one probably would've looked at it.

But I came in and dropped the hammer pretty hard.

- Did you make an example?

Like the first kid that dropped his pencil, did you just get up in his grill and just start screaming at him?

- I didn't do anything quite like that.

But someone had their phone out, because our school has a very strict policy on that, which is whatever, you know?

And that's just how our school is.

And so, of course, like first day, I'm like, "Well, I have to enforce that, and so..." - Screaming, I could just picture you.

"Get to principal, OSHA candidates."

- Right?

Yeah.

No, they were pretty intimidated, I'll say that.

- If you get it, you get it.

- But it was fun.

- There's always a reference that nobody gets.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

- Thanks camera people for not laughing at that one, again.

Yeah.

That's the way it's been.

So you have these kids, how many people are in the ag program at that school?

- So for my first year, I had 60 kids in my entire Ag department, and 40 of them were in FFA.

- How many people in the school?

- There's 180 kids in the whole high school.

- Wow, that's a really good percentage.

- Yeah.

- So they must have had a pretty strong program that you walked into.

- Yes.

And we come from a very strong ag community, which helps greatly.

And having that ag backing in a small town community really helps too, because not only were the kids wanting to get involved, but the parents in the community were as well.

Because I had started an alumni chapter for the Sesser-Valier FFA, and that's how the parents were wanting to get involved.

And so they were very happy that that got started.

- How much does that help to have an alumni set up for an ag teacher?

- It really helps a lot, more than what one would think.

And with being in it, especially through college, I was exposed to a lot of opportunities and different scenarios as well, and especially with my state connections, because that kind of helped me see that it's not just about me or you, but it's about the blue and gold jacket.

And if you can find those people in your community that are willing to have that thinking, then you're set up for success.

Because at the end of the day, your alumni is supposed to be there to not add to the teacher's plate, but to take away from it, and to kind of help the load and to support in any way that they can.

- Yeah, I would do it.

I'd be part of the... You know why?

Because I would love to go to the events and walk in on every conversation, and say, "Hey, hi, my name is Rob.

Did you know that I was runner-up in the District 9 parliamentary procedure contest in 1992?"

I would do that all night.

I could bring my plaque, too.

I still have it.

- Now that'd be pretty cool.

- Yeah, it is pretty cool.

It's a hell of an achievement, really.

- Yeah.

- Okay.

Where are we at?

(both laughing) Tell me about what a mentor told you about following your dreams.

- So, one of my mentors that I look up to the most is Mr. John Kabat from Scheller, Illinois.

But he was a longtime ag teacher at Mount Vernon.

And it was at his first retirement party that we had... - Okay, we'll let that go.

- That's a whole story in itself, but he came up to me.

I was there visiting with everyone as well, and he was doing the same thing.

And he said, "Rhett, you just need to know one thing when you're being an ag teacher, that you have to make sure that you follow your dreams, do what you're told, follow God's plan, and make sure you check your students' record books, and you'll be the most respected person ever.

And that is something that I still live by to this day.

And I have that mentality within the classroom, my own, and try to pass that on.

- Check the record books?

- Yes.

- Is that something that people don't like to do?

- No, it's not a very fun activity for most ag teachers, but it creates great opportunities for our students to get accomplishments such as the State and American FFA Degree, which that is a very low percentage of our FFA members that are able to get those awards and recognition for that as well.

- All right, let's break this down.

Follow your dreams.

Do you think you're doing that?

- I feel like I am so far.

- Okay.

Do what you're told.

So you struggle with that one, don't you?

- Sometimes, but it depends on the situation.

- Are we talking about FFA or your girlfriend?

(Rhett laughing) - Well, I'd say I do a lot of what I'm told, for sure, from both sides of it, but you know.

- We'll see.

Follow God's plan.

Do you feel like that's fallen into place?

- I feel like I follow His plan every day.

And that was a lot of where I am today, because I had the opportunity to run for a major state office for Illinois FFA.

But during my process of trying to get going for that, I had just kind of like a feeling inside, that I felt like I needed to stop pursuing that and go on to be an ag teacher to help give back to the organization that did so much for me.

- That could be a challenge, because you get caught up, and no matter what it is, politics or whatever, where you get offices and that.

You can get caught up in it, and you kind of lose track of your farm.

You kind of lose track of the family life, and that it becomes like a monster.

And that looks like you were able to say, "Hey, this is the route that I feel like I should be going instead."

- Right.

I mean, I definitely have regrets, for sure, about not running for state office, but at the same time I'm glad I took the path that I have, and I wouldn't be where I am today if I wouldn't have.

- And then the last one, check your students' records.

(Rhett chuckling) - Yes, so record books is a very hard and complex part of the ag teacher profession.

And I feel like I do my best to check my students' record books, and try to follow up with them on that as well.

But trying to get the kids' motivation going for starting a record book project, and which is known as an SAE or a Supervised Agricultural Experience.

And trying to get them to channel their talents and skills, and keep the records on it can be a challenge, for sure, and stay up with them.

- Well, we all have to do things we don't want to.

- Oh, for sure.

- Sometimes, as a host of the show, you have to sit here at a desk with an abomination sitting next to you.

- All right.

(laughing) - Like a red tractor.

Why would you do this to me?

- I don't know.

I mean, this is just a part of me that I felt like that would be a good conversation piece, because I'm an avid toy tractor collector.

- [Rob] Yeah?

- I probably have close to a thousand in my collection.

- [Rob] Do you really?

- Oh, yeah.

Yes.

But specifically this one in particular though, I grew up on red tractors, and not only that, but this is a special FFA edition, particular model.

And I try to collect all the case FFA tractors, so that way I can just have something to look forward to and just kind of reflect back on my roots of farming and as well as what I do in the FFA.

- Yeah.

Don said he had some... You got the scissors?

We're going to open this up.

- I don't know about that, but- - No?

- No.

I'd prefer if it stays in the box.

- Oh, I guess we'll leave it.

Forget it, Don.

We're fine.

(both laughing) Loses value, right?

If it's out of the box?

- Yeah.

Yes.

For a lot of them, it will lose the value.

- But are you ever going to sell it?

- Probably not, no.

- So then you should just- - It has sentimental value.

- You should just play with it.

- I don't know.

It's a good decoration piece in my classroom with the rest of them.

- Over a thousand, huh?

- Yeah.

- And this is your favorite?

- This is one of my favorites, yes.

- [Rob] Which one is your favorite?

- I have one.

It's a special anniversary edition, 1066 International.

- That was their big tractor.

- Oh, it was.

- That was a good tractor, I'll give it to them.

- Yeah.

And it's a very highly detailed collectible edition, and that one stays at home.

- Okay.

We'll keep this one in its box.

You say you feel like you have been called to plant seeds of knowledge.

Tell me about that.

- Well, just kind of going back to what I was saying, like whenever I made the decision to not run for a state office and become an ag teacher, that I have very much, sort of a servant's heart, if you will.

And that's what a lot of people in my circle will say or tell me.

Being an ag teacher was the way that I felt like that I could give back to the organization and the industry that did so much.

And by doing that, I can help plant those seeds of knowledge for the next generation of future agriculturalists for the State of Illinois, and maybe even the country too, depending on where my students end up at.

And I just think that there's much of an importance to advocate for agriculture and its future.

- Yeah.

That's becoming more important.

I mean, I don't know what percentage of the population are farmers.

I mean, you say it's under 1%.

There's people that say, a farmer like myself, it was 150,000 in the whole country.

There's just not many.

And the problem with that is that people don't know where their food is coming from.

They don't know how food is grown.

If they're making decisions, we just want to make sure they're making decisions based in fact and not fear and stuff like that.

Does that flow over to your kids that you're teaching?

I mean, is it all about just the strict facts of ag?

Are you teaching them to become more involved in agriculture's journey?

- I definitely see a lot of it from my students more than what I would want to, that they really don't know where their food comes from.

They get the general concept, but as far as the specifics, it's kind of surprising.

And so I'm trying to get that balance of, okay, so here's the facts, this is what we're doing right.

Yes, we've made our mistakes.

This is what we've done wrong, but now we are doing better.

And so if I can find the balance between those facts as well as what we're doing within the industry itself, that way they have a grasp of just basic knowledge.

That way they can at least understand those concepts.

- With these kids that you're teaching, it seems like FFA kids...

I say they're the type of kids that, at the end of a meeting, they're going to grab the folding chairs.

There is a mindset between that and people that just get up and leave.

It teaches more than just agriculture.

You're teaching kind of like a sense of volunteerism and a sense of community.

What are you doing to help perpetuate that?

- Well, at the end of the day, I tell my students that they have to realize that they're not just learning about the agriculture industry, like you had mentioned, but they're going to be the next form of leaders, next generation of leaders.

And they have to realize, too, that being a leader isn't just being in the spotlight all the time.

And you have to know what it takes going on behind the scenes, and making those connections and networking with those around you, because that goes such a long way.

And showing that PR and just going the extra mile.

- You just got back from the State FFA Convention?

- Yes.

- Did you take a bunch of those hoodlums there?

- Yes, I took seven of them with me to convention this week.

- How do you pick, who are the seven?

- I actually have a voluntary list of whoever wants to go.

- Oh, anybody could have gone?

- Mm-hmm.

- Really?

And only seven went, huh?

- Also, it's a summer event too, so sometimes- - Oh, they aren't getting out of school.

It probably would've been everybody.

- Yeah.

I would've had to have a selective list, for sure, but usually we try to offer it to our older members.

But yes, no, our state convention was just in Springfield this past week.

And we got to meet around recognizing the accomplishments of members across the whole state, as well as just getting to see the next round of state officers elected.

And so it was a very good trip, for sure.

- And the seven that you took, what would you hope they got out of it?

- I have noticed it even on the way home sooner than what I was expecting, but just the motivation to do more and set higher goals and to better our school, our FFA chapter, and our ag department.

And to me, that just blows me away, and I'm glad that they are wanting to take it to the next step and accomplish more than what we have just this year.

- Well, if people want to find more about your FFA or you, is there a place they can go, social media, websites?

- Yes, we have a Sesser-Valier FFA Facebook page as well as an Instagram page.

And then our alumni and supporters group, they have a page called the Friends and Family of Sesser-Valier FFA.

And so we are staying up to date on all the things that we are doing as much as possible.

We try to get very good publicity for what we are doing, because we don't do it as a selfish act, but just to say, look, this is what we're doing and this is how we are trying to help our community and better our kids, better our community, and give personally our kids the recognition that they do deserve for putting in the work and the hours that others may not see.

- I don't think there's anything wrong with giving that recognition.

I mean, these kids are doing things that a lot of kids aren't, so, yeah, might as well give them a little pat on the back.

- Absolutely.

- The virtual pat on the back.

You sure you don't want to open this?

- I really would like to not do that.

- And really it wouldn't even take Don's knife.

We could just... - No, it's okay.

- You could open that thing and put it back and nobody would ever know.

- Well, no, it looks just fine like that.

- Is there a way, like if we opened it, that you could do it without ever knowing?

- Probably, but I don't really want to find out.

You're really adamant on getting that out of there, aren't you?

- I am just trying to open your mind.

(Rhett laughing) I would hate for you to be an old man looking at this going, "Man, I never did play with that.

Never did, never did get it out of the box."

- Now trust me, I do have my tractors that are out of the box that I do get to enjoy, but then I do have some pieces of my collection that those are going to stay in the box.

- We'll see how this goes.

Rhett Ellis, thank you for all that you do for farming and agriculture.

Really, really appreciate it.

Everybody else, we'll catch you next time.

(raw rock music) (raw rock music continues) (raw rock music continues) If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to explore more of our local content.

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We can't wait to see you next time on "A Shot of Ag".