By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) Collegiate Farm Bureau President Emma Clifton didn’t grow up on a farm or ranch, but her involvement in 4-H and FFA sparked her interest in agriculture and leadership.

Clifton is a junior majoring in agricultural communications. She hopes to use her degree to support rural communities through outreach, advocacy and agricultural communications.

“I became interested in following the agricultural route because of my father,” Clifton said.

Her father works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development, and hearing about his work introduced Clifton to rural development and agriculture. She also has family ties to farming. Her great-grandparents were dairy farmers in South Texas, and her grandfather was a cotton farmer near College Station.

Clifton began carving out her own place in agriculture through Bell County 4-H in third grade.

She served as a county and district officer, became a Texas 4-H Water Ambassador and participated in contests ranging from livestock judging to food challenge. In sixth grade, she began participating in junior FFA and showing market barrows.

Her FFA involvement continued through high school, where she served as a chapter, district and area officer. Those experiences helped her develop a particular interest in agricultural legislation and policy.

That interest continued into college and eventually led Clifton to SFA Collegiate Farm Bureau.

The chapter is relatively new and completed its first full year during the 2025-26 school year. Clifton first served as an officer before becoming treasurer and now president.

“Our main goal and our passion for Collegiate Farm Bureau is to really spread what Texas Farm Bureau has to offer to kids across campus more so rather than just the ag department,” Clifton said. “We really want to get everybody engaged because agriculture is for everybody.”

The chapter has worked to reach beyond agriculture students. One of their largest outreach efforts was a cornhole tournament and fundraiser open to students and the community.

Clifton and other members promoted the event throughout the community and on campus, reaching out to fire departments, police stations, car dealerships, fraternities and sororities.

The chapter plans to expand its outreach this year by holding meetings in common areas on campus, such as the student center and library, rather than in the agriculture building.

Clifton’s involvement with Farm Bureau extends beyond the SFA chapter. She has participated in Texas Farm Bureau’s Student Success Series and Collegiate Discussion Meet, which gave her opportunities to learn more about agriculture and connect with other students.

“Being able to have discussions without it being so intense, without it being so strict, just being able to talk about these important topics facing the ag industry was an incredible experience,” Clifton said about the Collegiate Discussion Meet.

Clifton hopes to show students that agriculture offers opportunities regardless of their major or background.

“Just because you don’t have an ag major, you can still participate in agriculture,” she said. “We all need to eat. We all need to wear clothes. And understanding the importance of agriculture and the importance of how we can protect it for future generations applies to all of us—even if you’re not directly involved in agriculture.”

As SFA Collegiate Farm Bureau continues to grow, Clifton hopes the chapter can connect more students with agriculture, Farm Bureau and opportunities that can help prepare them for their careers.

“I encourage everybody to get involved,” she said. “It’s better to be well-rounded and learn as much as you can rather than only focusing on one area. Those experiences and that knowledge can help prepare you for your future career.”

To learn more and get involved with Texas Collegiate Farm Bureau, visit texasfarmbureau.org/collegiate.