During the month of April, the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and Oklahoma Farm Report are spotlighting the 19 Area Stars of Oklahoma FFA, who are among the highest achievers in the organization.
The stars come from the five areas in four categories – Star in Ag Placement, Star in Agriscience, Star in Agribusiness, and Star in Agricultural Production.
This week, we spotlight the five area stars in Agribusiness in 2025.
One Star Finalist featured in the coming days from each of the categories will be named the State Star Award Winner during the 99th Oklahoma State FFA Convention, which will take place on May 6th and 7th in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This week, our coverage of the 2025 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists continues with Agribusiness competitor Cayden Russell of the Coalgate FFA chapter representing the Southeast Area.
Russell didn’t join FFA until his Freshman year because he was focused on Football and band during his middle school years. “I had that 4-H background, but all of my buddies were in FFA, so I joined.”
He and his parents were longtime friends of the ag teacher when he joined, so he found himself being “voluntold” to participate in various activities, including speech contests, electrical engineering competitions, and more.
Russell shared his Star SAE project. “I own and operate a trucking business out of southeast Oklahoma,” Russell said. “We are mostly just hauling hay right now.”
For as long as he can remember, Russell has loved watching and hearing the big rigs moving down the highways and his trucking company has been a lifelong dream. He markets his business on Facebook and depends on word of mouth.
Although he only owns one rig now, he hopes that the business he operates with his father will one day include a fleet of ten or fifteen trucks and expand from hauling hay to equipment and other things.
“What I want personally is to have our own establishment with shops and parking lots and stuff like that so we can have, like, ten or fifteen trucks in the future,” Russell shared.
In the meantime, he plans to attend Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton, OK, and join the Meat Judging Team while working toward an Associates Degree in Meat Processing and Food Safety. After that, he wants to transfer to Oklahoma State University to study Agricultural Engineering and learn about land surveying.
Hear KC’s full conversation with Caden Russell by clicking on the Listen Bar above.
Your coverage of the 2025 Oklahoma FFA Convention is sponsored by Hilliary Communications, who deliver the latest cutting-edge communications services supporting tens of thousands of customers across 22 counties throughout Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa. The company offers internet, voice, and HilliaryTV. Hilliary Communications continuously researches the marketplace for innovations and strives to improve underserved areas, offering services that exceed customer expectations. Click here to learn more about Hilliary Communications.
For more information about the 99th Oklahoma State FFA Convention, click here.
