Get to Know Jacob Edens: An ISU Student Determined to Be a First-Generation Farmer

Jacob Edens grew up in McNabb, Illinois without a single farmer in his family. Yet today, he's one of the most driven young agriculture students at Illinois State University (ISU), and his journey to get there is anything but ordinary.

It started young. At four or five years old, Jacob climbed into a combine for the first time, right outside his back door. Family friends who farmed took him along for rides in the spring and fall, and his parents bought a tractor of their own to help fan the flame. By high school, Jacob was fully invested, participating in FFA and building the foundation for what would become a serious career pursuit.

One of his most memorable early projects? Restoring a Ford 8N tractor that had belonged to his great-grandfather. When Jacob picked it up from a great aunt one summer it was not running, leaking, and in need of bodywork. By the following March, he had it not only running but painted to show quality. He took it to several shows, earning first place, and the project also served as his FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). "I moved along quite quick with it," Jacob says with the kind of understated confidence that defines his approach to challenges.

Now at ISU, Jacob is channeling that same energy into rebuilding Alpha Gamma Rho, an agricultural fraternity that was rechartered on campus in fall 2024. As a founding contributor to the chapter's rebuilding effort, he launched a mentorship program connecting brothers with alumni to create internship and job pipelines — a resource he wishes had existed when he started. "I've been doing things I never thought I would be doing at the college level," he says.

Jacob's advice for anyone else finding their way into ag without a farming background? Keep an open mind, and always be willing to learn.