Twenty Nebraska FFA members were selected to receive funds through the Nebraska FFA Foundation SAE Grant Program, with just over $33,000 awarded in total grant funding.

The grant program, in its ninth year, supports individual student entrepreneurship SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience) projects for Nebraska FFA members grades 7-11 who have a clearly defined and described financial need. Grant requests may be any amount up to $2,000 and can be for a new SAE project or to expand an existing SAE project. This marks the first year that applications were processed through the AET (Agriculture Experience Tracking) system, which is the online record-keeping system used by FFA members to track their ag education, leadership activities, and SAE projects.

Each year, funds are provided by the Nebraska FFA Foundation and its general fund donors, along with many other generous corporate partner funding. This year, the Foundation received a total of 49 SAE grant applications. 

"We are committed to growing support of FFA members’ innovative Supervised Agricultural Experiences. Funding these needs are critical to building students' success toward career-ready skills and our future workforce," said Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director. 

SAE grant recipients and their projects are listed below. Many of the recipients will be showcased on the Nebraska FFA Foundation website and social media throughout the next program year.

2026 Nebraska FFA Foundation SAE Grant Recipients:

• Reese Badertscher, Johnson County Central FFA – Plant Systems – RMB Pumpkins
• Peyton Blauhorn, Palmer FFA – Animal Systems – Blauhorn Eggs
• Wyatt Blickenstaff, Arapahoe FFA – Agribusiness Systems – Blicks Belts
• Justin Bonifas, Blue Hill FFA – Animal Systems – Corgi Puppy Breeding & Sales
• Nathan Brhel, Nebraska Ag Academy FFA – Exploratory SAE – Poultry Production
• Owen Davis, Meridian FFA – Natural Resource Systems – OD's Bees
• Kaden Earl, Fullerton FFA – Food Products & Processing Systems – Earls Jerky 
• Tyson Earl, Fullerton FFA – Plant Systems – Tyson's Mowing
• Kolt Francis, Fullerton FFA – Natural Resource Systems – Kolts Tanning (Trapping Business)
• Tilden Hird, Norris FFA – Natural Resource Systems – Wildflowers
• Breyton Jarecki, Lakeview FFA – Plant Systems – Tiger's Outdoors Solution
• Keisyn Kirchhoff, EMF FFA – Animal Systems – Keisyn's Sheep Pens
• Lawton Kubik, Norris FFA – Animals Systems – Kubik Cattle Company
• Titus Petersen, EMF FFA – Plant Systems – Drone Spraying
• Brooklyn Reiman, Gothenburg FFA – Plant Systems – Reiman Garden
• Sydney Rempel, Heartland FFA – Agribusiness Systems – Lynked By Syd (Laser Engraving)
• Vivienne Runge, Lakeview FFA – Animal Systems – Runge Laying Hens
• Ty Svehla, EMF FFA – Plant Systems – Ty's Mowing
• Carter Voss, Bruning-Davenport FFA – Animal Systems - Xpro Cattle Ear Tags
• Bryson Woods, Crete FFA – Animal Systems - B-dubs Quail Eggs & More