When the National FFA Organization announced its 2025 American Star finalists this past August, Star in Ag Placement finalist Amanda Osmundson was in disbelief.
“To be named a finalist is just incredible. Four or five years ago, I never thought I’d be here, and I never thought that I would’ve accomplished what I have so far in my life,” Osmundson said.
A third-generation cattle rancher from Oakdale, California, Osmundson’s project centered on beef production, where she helps manage more than 400 head of cattle on her family’s Beef Master operation. Raised on the ranch, she has always had a passion for cattle, but it wasn’t until she joined FFA as a freshman in high school that her advisors recognized both her love for agriculture and her potential for leadership…