Dreams Become Reality with Dedication

Photos and story by Andrea Haines

The ability to teach is a gift not all of us possess, but for some people it’s a dream. That dream became reality when Tyler Butts of Hedgesville, West Virginia began his teaching career nine years ago at Spring Mills High School in Martinsburg, West Virginia, highlighting agricultural education.

While in high school, Tyler noticed there was going to be a future teaching position opening. “I actually knew that Spring Mills High School would be opening the same year I would be graduating from college and that it was a dream position to come back home and have a positive impact on the agricultural youth in my hometown,” he shares. “Spring Mills was the only job I had applied for, and I was blessed enough to earn the position. Sometimes it’s crazy how things work out.”

Tyler graduated from West Virginia University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture and Extension Education. “While teaching, I also continued my own education at Frostburg State University and graduated with my Masters of Education in 2019, which the scholarship from the Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement certainly helped with,” he says. Tyler was the recipient of the Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement’s Ag Educator Scholarship in 2018.

Ethics and forming strong people skills stands at the front of Tyler’s teaching method. “A paramount aspect that I try to instill in my students is being good people,” he explains. “I understand that I may not be the best educator in the classroom, but I stress that you don’t have to be the most gifted of students to be successful in life.” Tyler notes that, “Finding your passion, a strong work ethic, helping others, and being a good person will take you further in life than a book ever will.”

His connections to the agricultural industry have proven his theory. “Those relationships have served me far better than any education an institution has provided me,” he adds. “That’s the beauty of agriculture and FFA - there is so much that can be learned outside of a book.” Since chartering the Spring Mills FFA Chapter in 2013, Tyler has helped 33 members earn their West Virginia State FFA Degree, nine earn American FFA Degrees, has had numerous regional and state winners in a variety of contests, many of those representing their chapter and West Virginia at the national level. Tyler states, “While all of that is important and it makes me proud seeing them accomplish these feats, it is more important to me that they become/remain good people; that’s what I hope they take from the program.”

This mindset was instilled into Tyler from a young age. “I got involved in 4-H and my brothers later followed suit,” he explains. “I quickly learned that my passion was agriculture – any facet of it. I later became involved in FFA and that’s when it all really started.” Tyler didn’t have a place to house livestock early on, so he says, “If it weren’t for some people within the community and good friends providing resources to raise livestock, I’m not sure if my passion would have continued to grow. Toward the end of my high school years, our family had finally purchased some land in which we could farm.” Currently, they live on a 100 acre farm and rent a few others for cattle raising and hay production.

Since the purchase of the farm, they have made many improvements. “We erected two new buildings, the old barn was completely overhauled inside and out, all old fencing was removed, and high-tensile fencing installed, accompanied with divisional fence for pasture rotation and exclusion for areas such as ponds and waterways,” he explains.

A nutrient management plan (NMP) is utilized, their soil pH was below five and is now above seven in all fields, all new water lines were installed to four new geothermal waterers, and they are now surrounded with heavy-use area specs to help control runoff and erosion. “Our best management practices (BMPs) allow for prescribed grazing on the entire farm,” shares Tyler. “Additionally, all buildings are newly equipped with proper runoff management systems.” For these efforts, Tyler’s family was recently recognized as runner-up for the West Virginia Conservation Agency State Farm of the Year.

"I understand that I may not be the best educator in the classroom, but I stress that you don’t have to be the most gifted of students to be successful in life."

Tyler holds a special place in his heart for old homes and antiques, especially those related to agriculture. “I remodeled the original farmhouse on the property that dates back to the mid-1800s,” he shares. “It is refreshing to look at old records or tools and appreciate their importance in the advancement that remains crucial in our industry.”

These types of advancements take time and funding, so Tyler’s relationship with Farm Credit has been a learning curve. “Working with Farm Credit has been great! I took out my first loan on a piece of property when I was in my early 20s,” shares Tyler. “For being so young and unfamiliar with the process, I couldn’t have asked for a better group or loan officer to work with. Everything was explained thoroughly and no question was left unanswered.”

Farm Credit loan officer Jeanie Hamilton notes, “Tyler’s passion for agriculture radiates through his career by teaching today’s students how to be future leaders in agriculture. He can be found at numerous ag events helping youth.”

Tyler explains, “Jeanie has handled more of my own loans and will most certainly handle my loans in the future. Working with Farm Credit gives the sense of a family atmosphere that makes the whole process friendly and comfortable. People I look up to and trust have always dealt with Farm Credit, so it just makes sense – they were my first call.”

Tyler and his family continue to expand their beef genetics program. “We recently bought some donor cows to begin flushing on our premises rather than others,” explains Tyler. “A new and updated handling facility is the next major item on the improvements list. However, working with Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) and Eastern Panhandle Conservation District, a large portion of planned improvements have been able to be already completed, and we are very grateful.”

As a farmer and agriculture educator, Tyler is surely making a positive impact on the future of agriculture. “I think if the agricultural community can stay true to things similar to what I mentioned above, the future of agriculture is as bright as it is has been for generations,” he explains. “The core values of the agricultural community is what makes it so special to everyone involved.”

Follow the Spring Mills FFA Chapter on Facebook: @SpringMillsFFA