At the AFR Convention, Coy Davidson, a rising star in Oklahoma’s agricultural scene, shared his FFA journey with Farm Director KC Sheperd. A senior at Elgin High School and a member of the AFR Youth Council, Davidson’s story is one of dedication, passion, and a commitment to serving the agricultural community.
“I hold this really near to my heart,” Davidson explained, reflecting on his involvement with the American Farmers and Ranchers (AFR) organization. “Ever since I think it was sixth grade, I’ve been at the AFR youth summit every single year, speaking at AFR speech competitions and just about everything I can do through AFR.”
Davidson’s connection to public speaking began in fifth grade after moving to Elgin. “I was approached by the ag teacher there at the time to give an AFR speech, and I never thought I’d be where I am today,” he said. This initial spark ignited a passion that led him to excel in FFA speech competitions. “I found my passion through the AFR, and then as soon as I joined my first ag class, I knew that’s what I wanted to do through the FFA,” he recounted.
His dedication culminated in remarkable achievements. “Over the past couple of years, my goal was to win the state speech competition. I finally accomplished that my junior year last year, and then this past October, I was able to represent Oklahoma at the national FFA speech competition and actually won the national championship for prepared public speaking,” Davidson proudly stated. That is something that I’ll always hold close to my heart.”
Davidson emphasized the invaluable experiences gained along the way. “The people that I met, and the people I was able to give my speech to, and the places I got to go to meet with people was just incredible,” he said.
At the convention, Davidson was set to deliver a speech on a timely and critical topic: cybersecurity in agriculture. “This speech is about cybersecurity and espionage in agriculture,” he explained. I always try to find something unique, you know, something that not everyone talks about.”
His inspiration stemmed from personal experience. “My bank account got hacked, and I lost some money there. Never would I have thought that my little business could’ve been hacked,” he revealed. This incident spurred him to delve into the issue. “When I dove into cyber security and espionage in agriculture, I realized the impact that it had on the US agriculture, Oklahoma agriculture, and so I realized it’s something that needed to be brought to awareness.”
Davidson highlighted the lack of awareness among farmers and ranchers. “I remember one statistic, for sure, and it was that 52% of farmers and ranchers don’t understand the risk that they are at,” he noted. “We’re in the day and age of technology and everything nowadays is connected to the Internet. We’re tied back to technology and so it’s something that everyone’s at risk of. Everyone has a cell phone, so everyone’s at risk of cyber security so this is something that needed to be brought to people’s attention.”
Beyond his speaking engagements, Davidson plays an active role in the AFR Youth Council. “I serve as one of five members on the youth council and the big event we do each year is obviously the Youth Summit,” he explained. He also enjoys participating in the AFR speech competitions and the poster contests. “We go to all five areas in Oklahoma and then we have the state contest there in Stillwater and so I get to represent the council and go to each of those speech competitions and mingle with the kids and talk to them about their speeches that’s really cool.”
Looking ahead, Davidson has ambitious plans. “One of my big goals right now is to run for state office,” he shared. “I was selected as one of the three candidates for the office of State Secretary and so the next couple months will be campaigning for that office.”
Regardless of the outcome, Davidson’s future is firmly rooted in agriculture. “My ultimate goal is to attend Oklahoma State University next fall and major in Ag Economics with a minor in Political Science,” he said. “My goal is to be able to come back to Oklahoma and represent a big ag company here in the state and advocate for them. I love ag policy. I love everything to do with agriculture and I want to be able to advocate for them.”
Coy Davidson’s journey is a testament to the power of passion and dedication, and his commitment to serving the agricultural community is sure to make a lasting impact.
Our own Ron Hays also visited with Davidson at this year’s National Convention, when he was crowned the champion in Prepared Public Speaking. To hear that conversation, click here.
