During the month of April, the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and Oklahoma Farm Report are spotlighting the 17 Area Stars of Oklahoma FFA, who are among the highest achievers in the organization.
The stars come from the four areas in four categories – Star in Ag Placement, Star in Agriscience, Star in Agribusiness, and Star in Agricultural Production.
This week, we spotlight the three area stars in Agricultural Placement in 2026.
One Star Finalist featured in the coming days from each of the categories will be named the State Star Award Winner during the 100th Oklahoma State FFA Convention, which will take place on May 5th and 6th in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
We continue our coverage of the 2026 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists today with Carli Thomas of the Purcell FFA representing the central area.
FFA students across Oklahoma are building real-world skills through hands-on projects, and for some, those experiences are rooted right at home on the family farm.
FFA members across Oklahoma continue to turn their passions into real-world businesses, and for Carli Thomas of the Purcell FFA, that passion is using photography to tell agriculture’s story the right way. Through her agribusiness project, Thomas has built a photography business focused on producers, farmers, and FFA exhibitors while creating branding content for farms and ranches.
A Business Built Around Agriculture’s Image
Thomas said her business started with a goal of producing high-quality photos, but it quickly grew into something bigger. She realized agriculture is often misunderstood or poorly represented online, and she wanted to help change that.
“I run a photography business where I work with producers, farmers, and FFA kids, just capturing their project,” Thomas said. “I do a lot of branding for farms, and just representing agriculture the right way is really the heart behind what I do.”
She hopes to expand that mission even further after college by eventually launching a marketing agency that serves producers across Oklahoma.
Capturing the Bond Behind the Banner
One of Thomas’s favorite parts of the business has been photographing livestock exhibitors and their animals. She said while many people only see banners and championships, the real story happens in the barn long before show day.
“My favorite thing that I’ve done is capturing the bond between a livestock showman and their animal,” Thomas said. “When you see the personality and the smiles, that truly is special.”
She added that working with livestock can sometimes be more challenging than people because, as she joked, “there’s no direct communication.”
FFA Shaping the Future
Thomas said her path into agriculture was unique. After being adopted into a family deeply rooted in agriculture, she became involved in FFA in middle school and discovered opportunities through showing cattle, livestock judging, and public speaking. Today, she serves as chapter president and plans to attend Oklahoma State University, where she will double major in agricultural business and agricultural communications.
“I want to make sure every time I’m putting something out on the internet, I’m doing my best to share agriculture’s story to the world,” Thomas said.
This year’s 17 Area Stars will each be recognized on stage in the fifth general session of the 100th Oklahoma FFA Convention May 6th in Tulsa and each will receive a plaque and $500 cash award co-sponsored by the Blue and Gold Sausage Co., Sirloin Club of Oklahoma, Masonic Charity Foundation, McDonald’s of Oklahoma, Davis Farms, The Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the Noble Research Institute.
The Star in each category will each receive $29,484 in scholarships or capital grant funds through a $3.2 million gift from the Carl C. Anderson Trust. The late Carl C. Anderson, after whom the State Star awards are now named, was born in Naples, Oklahoma, in 1911. One of 10 children, he dropped out of high school to earn money and support his family. From those modest beginnings, the Anderson Corp. grew across the country as well as in Canada and South America.
Our coverage of the 2026 Oklahoma FFA Association State Convention is sponsored by Oklahoma Farm Bureau, proud to support the young men and ladies of the Oklahoma FFA as they strive for excellence in all they do. Oklahoma Farm Bureau- We Are Rural Oklahoma.
Learn more about the 100th Annual Convention of the Oklahoma FFA by clicking here for the convention highlights.
