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Growing together

City roots don’t hold back Iowa FFA Alumni Association’s new president

By KRISTIN DANLEY-GREINER - | Feb 10, 2023

-Submitted photo
Mark Van Der Kamp is pictured with his son Blake's cut-out at the state FFA convention.

Growing up in Prairie City, Mark Van Der Kamp experienced agriculture by spending a few weeks each summer on his grandparents’ farm. But he’ll admit, he didn’t develop an affinity for agriculture until his own son Blake fully immersed himself in FFA as a high schooler.

“My mother and father both grew up and helped on the family farm. My father became a truck driver after high school and my mother went in the direction of office work,” Van Der Kamp said. “But I honestly had no real desire or interest in agriculture at all at the time. My son called me during school one day when they needed another chaperone to go to national convention. Since I had a flexible schedule, I was able to go. After that week in Indiana, I was hooked.”

Van Der Kamp has dedicated his career to working construction and handcrafting gorgeous furniture and other wood pieces on the side.

Even though he wasn’t a fan of school as a youth, he loves to learn about agriculture and his leadership position supports that thirst for knowledge.

“I have enjoyed helping students learn about FFA and was excited to learn alongside them,” Van Der Kamp said. “A side effect of him being so involved with FFA has led me to find a new and interesting passion for myself. I have also grown in knowledge and learned so many new things about agriculture and myself. Because of that, I put myself out there and was elected to the Iowa FFA Alumni board and have been blessed with helping with many trainings and state conventions the past few years.”

-Submitted photo
Mark Van Der Kamp; Amber Samson, a past Diamond Trail FFA advisor; and Blake Van Der Kamp pose for a photo. Mark Van Der Kamp said Samson was a positive influence for Blake throughout his high school years in FFA.

Van Der Kamp was recently elected as the FFA Alumni Association’s president.

By immersing himself in agriculture with his son, Van Der Kamp has enjoyed watching his son achieve numerous accolades, embark upon exciting mission trips and make a difference.

“I have had the honor of watching Blake hit many milestones and accomplishments through FFA; he has gotten his American degree, he has now signed on for his second year in WLC, which is the Washington leadership conference through FFA. My proudest moment of his that I was able to witness was when he did not get district officer the year before but helped two others from the chapter achieve district officer positions. The excitement he showed from helping others was overwhelming. He’s also become a very passionate public speaker.”

Spending time volunteering with the FFA has given Van Der Kamp opportunities he wouldn’t have experienced either.

“It has put me in situations where I am completely out of my element and it forces me to step out of my comfort zone. It has also taught me so much about farming and ag and the other industries that are related but completely different from the traditional ideas and topics of farming. I enjoy meeting new people and learning something new with each person and each new experience,” Van Der Kamp said.

As a volunteer, Van Der Kamp helps his local Diamond Trail FFA with pairing youth and scholarships, participating in the Jasper County Fair parade and in other fun ways.

“But most of all I try to be there to support the students and not let them forget that the alumni are here to support and help but also to cheer them on,” Van Der Kamp said.

“My favorite part of being a volunteer in the FFA extends beyond just helping the chapter. I have gotten to know many students from other districts and states and have been there to see their accomplishments and their contests and competitions. It has been fun watching them grow and mature throughout the years.”

Van Der Kamp encourages all youth to get involved with FFA whether or not they have an agriculture background.

“There are so many other things you can learn from the experiences like public speaking, working with others. It’s an amazing program that I feel gets overlooked at times because it’s thought of just as farming and raising animals,” he said.