Some daughters inherit their father’s eyes, others get his chin.  
Kylie Schakel will tell you without hesitation that she inherited her father’s relentless competitive spirit. Her drive to do better, challenge herself, - and win – comes from hours of work in the barn with her dad. The Schakel family of six has a rich FFA and livestock history, one that crosses generations and many county and state lines.   
It’s the week of the Indiana State FFA Convention and on the podcast we are excited to have Miss Kylie Schakel, former Indiana FFA State Secretary with us, as well as one of our own Co-Alliance team members, Mr. Chris Schakel, more importantly known as Kylie’s dad. Chris, too, was an active FFA member, livestock enthusiast, and Indiana farm kid. 
   
Chris is an applicator at our Indian Trails Ag Center outside Lebanon, Indiana. Chris has been with our cooperative for eight years and was named Applicator of the Year in 2020. In this conversation he touches on work/life balance and raising a family fully surrounded by agriculture. We wanted to bring Kylie & Chris together for this conversation for two reasons: to celebrate the power of FFA, and to also commemorate Father’s Day and the valued bond between fathers and daughters.  
   
Kylie and Chris dive into the experience of raising a State FFA Officer, and letting her go for a year, and how that experience changes the family dynamic. Kylie truly took the bull, er ram, by the horns for her State FFA officer year and made it a learning experience of a lifetime.
 
We say confidently say Kylie is wise beyond her years. Her experience of making connections across the country and aspiring to influence and encourage young people will leave you feeling encouraged and inspired.  
We invite you to listen to this father/daughter banter to learn more about their special bond, the power of agriculture education and how some of life’s most valuable lessons are learned in a barn. 
 
Also, this is a great listen for the young people in your life. Kylie gives sound advice for youth as they navigate life’s changes.  
Listen here: