Wall High School senior named San Antonio Market's Ag Student of the Week

Modern-day advancements have allowed the size and production capacity of agricultural operations to grow exponentially in recent years. Yet, the number of Americans employed in agriculture has decreased, and that number continues to drop.

Wall High School senior Ethan Stewart hopes to combat this decline through educating others on the importance of agricultural careers.

“Agriculture is moving away from small farms owned by families to large operations that contribute to most of what is on the market, mostly because people are not interested in agriculture,” said Stewart.

Stewart has been involved in agriculture since 2017, and takes pride in his pig breeding operation. He first began showing pigs when his older sister joined FFA, and has since bred and raised his own stock for livestock shows across Texas, earning several breed champion titles along the way.

“It’s taught me discipline,” said Stewart. “Stock shows are a lot of work.”

He is also an active member of Wall FFA, where he competes in LDEs and CDEs including quiz, chapter conducting, and land judging at the area and state level.

Despite his busy schedule, Stewart is active in his high school marching band, where he currently serves as an assistant drum major. He is also on the robotics team, and is a member of the National Honor Society.

After graduation, Stewart plans to attend Angelo State University to pursue a degree in agricultural engineering. He hopes to someday run his own cattle operation, in addition to continuing his pig breeding business.

“I believe that being able to be self-sustaining is one of the most important things one can do,” said Stewart. “The future of agriculture is always just one generation away from dying, and it is our responsibility to make sure that it does not when we are gone.”

Congratulations on your outstanding achievements Ethan, the Capital Farm Credit team looks forward to seeing what your future holds.