The Kentucky Farm Bureau named the Kentucky Department of Education’s Kristan Wright as its 2025 Farm Woman of the Year. Wright will be recognized during the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s Gold Star Luncheon held in conjunction with its annual meeting in December. Provided photo
Kristan Wright, agriculture education consultant and Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), has been named the 2025 Farm Woman of the Year by the Kentucky Farm Bureau.
“I was very honored because there could have been lots of other women who were just as deserving to receive this award as me,” Wright said.
Wright’s lifelong background in agriculture inspired her to apply for the award, which requires an application covering both farm operations and community involvement.
“I can’t think of the time when I haven’t been around agriculture,” she said. “My dad farmed full-time when I was born, so I was exposed to it from an early age.”
Wright said her childhood was filled with experiences like interacting with farm animals and walking barefoot through freshly plowed fields. Today, Wright owns and operates her own farm, which she and her husband built together.
“(Agriculture) has been a current staple in my life and through my career also,” she said.
Her passion for animals, growth and education, along with inspiration from her high school agriculture teacher, David Stahl from Henry County High School, led her to pursue a career in agricultural education.
“It worked out perfectly. I was able to teach mainly animal science all day long and be a teacher. Getting to interact with students, help them become involved in FFA, while developing leadership skills was so rewarding,” Wright said.
Wright taught at Seneca High School (Jefferson County) for 13 years before transitioning to KDE in July 2024, where she plans professional development and hands-on learning opportunities for agriculture teachers throughout the year. She also supports the FFA state officer team, providing behind-the-scenes assistance at conferences and ensuring officers have the resources they need.
Wright emphasized that her mission is to provide support with tools that enhance agricultural education statewide. She attributes her success to having a strong work ethic.
“One of the things that I always try to live by is you don’t necessarily have to be the smartest person in the room, but if you’re willing to work the hardest, that really shines through,” Wright said.
She believes in staying open to learning new things and is committed to serving her community through service events like petting zoos, donation drives and other outreach efforts.
“I also think that it’s very important that any way you can give back to the community that you live in or work in is extremely important,” she said.
Wright advocates for agricultural education in all settings, urban and rural.
“Whether it’s in Louisville or a rural area, we have to be willing to go educate students on (agriculture). I saw that teaching in an urban area, that was extremely important,” she said.
Wright said the recognition as Farm Woman of the Year reflects not only her lifelong dedication to agriculture, but also her commitment to empowering others through education and community service.
“It just validates the work that I’m doing in this role,” she said. “Hopefully it inspires other female teachers like me that if they want to start their own operation, they can be successful in doing that.”
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