Buddy Deimler on Agricultural Education, FFA, and a Lifetime of Mentorship in Lehi, Utah | Roots & Branches of Lehi

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Buddy Deimler on Agricultural Education, FFA, and a Lifetime of Mentorship in Lehi, Utah | Roots & Branches of Lehi

Buddy Deimler on Agricultural Education, FFA, and a Lifetime of Mentorship in Lehi, Utah

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Who Is Buddy Deimler, and Why Does His Story Matter to Lehi?

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Key Stories from the Interview

Moving to Lehi for the Ag Program

The Church Meeting That Revealed a Legacy

Drip Irrigation from Israeli Engineers

The Student Who Bought a Few Cows

"I Think You'd Make a Great Ag Teacher"

A Daughter's Agriscience Project

Cows That Milk Themselves

Historical Insights About Lehi

Community and Legacy Themes

Memorable Quotes

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Buddy Deimler Lehi Utah Agricultural Education FFA Interview - Roots & Branches of Lehi Podcast

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A sweeping journey from New Mexico pecan orchards to the classrooms and farms of Lehi. How one educator spent 43 years helping young people find purpose through agriculture, hands-on learning, and the quiet power of a teacher who believes in you.

Work Hard Mortgage helps families achieve the dream of homeownership in Lehi and across Utah.

In this episode of Roots & Branches of Lehi , host Ryan Harding sits down with Buddy Deimler , one of Utah's longest-serving leaders in agricultural education and the FFA. Buddy's story is a sweeping journey from the pecan orchards and alfalfa fields of New Mexico to the classrooms, farms, and community life of Lehi, Utah . Raised in a military family and shaped by hands-on agricultural work, Buddy eventually became a cornerstone of agricultural education in the state—touching the lives of thousands of students over a 43-year career.

Buddy moved to Lehi in 1994, when the town had only about "eight or nine thousand people" and still retained a distinctly rural, agricultural identity. His arrival placed him in a community whose entrepreneurial spirit, strong farming roots, and deep respect for hands-on learning aligned perfectly with his mission: to help young people learn, work, and thrive. In this conversation, he reflects on Lehi's transformation from a small agricultural town to a booming economic center, and how FFA programs, local teachers, and experiential education shaped generations of students. From tales of early drip-irrigation experiments to the emotional impact of legendary Lehi ag teachers like Byron Metcalf and Klay Christensen , Buddy shows how agricultural education has been woven into the very fabric of Lehi's identity.

This interview matters because it captures the heart of Lehi's community values— hard work, resourcefulness, mentorship, and the belief that every young person deserves a place to belong . His decades of experience reveal how education, agriculture, and community leadership intersect to shape the Lehi we know today. For anyone interested in Lehi, Utah history , agricultural education , FFA programs , family farms , local mentorship , or the growth of Utah County , Buddy's perspective provides essential context for understanding where Lehi has been—and what it risks losing as it grows.

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Buddy Deimler

State FFA Adviser; Education Specialist for Agricultural Education (Utah State Board of Education); longtime advocate for agricultural programs in Lehi

1950s–2020s (childhood in New Mexico, teaching career beginning in 1980, move to Lehi in 1994, 43-year career)

Ryan Harding

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Buddy describes moving to Utah after his Arizona employer refused a raise. With five children to educate, he settled on Lehi because it had "a good agricultural education program." That single decision—driven by a father's desire to give his children hands-on learning opportunities—would place the Deimler family at the center of one of Lehi's most enduring community traditions.

Shortly after moving to Lehi, Buddy attended church and heard grown men tearfully praise their former ag teachers. It was a powerful introduction to the deep local legacy of FFA in Lehi—a community where agricultural education wasn't just a school program, but a formative force that men remembered with gratitude decades later. This moment helped Buddy understand that he had landed in a place where his life's work would be valued.

Buddy shares how drip irrigation technology, brought by Israeli engineers, transformed his school farm in Arizona. Students saw cutting-edge agriculture firsthand—learning that farming wasn't just tradition, but innovation. This story illustrates Buddy's lifelong commitment to showing students that agriculture evolves, and that they could be part of that evolution.

Buddy tells the story of a struggling student who discovered agriculture at Granite Technical Institute, bought a few cows, and eventually moved to Idaho to build a herd and a career. It's a testament to the power of practical education: when a young person finds something they can touch, build, and grow, their whole trajectory can change. This is the kind of story Buddy collected over four decades.

Buddy recounts how his own ag teacher changed his life by telling him, "I think you'd make a great ag teacher." It was the first positive comment he'd ever received from a teacher, and it gave him a confidence he'd never felt in school. That single sentence set the course for a 43-year career that would impact thousands of students. Buddy became the kind of teacher who saw what others missed.

Buddy describes his daughter's award-winning agriscience project—fertilizer trials on pasture grass—supported by Lehi's Bruce Webb . The project was so impressive it earned her a BYU scholarship . It's a window into how Lehi's agricultural community supported not just school programs, but the individual curiosity of young people willing to experiment, measure, and learn.

Buddy shares how autonomous dairy technology at Coler Dairy in Heber Valley allows cows to "milk on demand" with no human involvement. It's a striking illustration of modern agriculture's evolution—from the alfalfa fields Buddy knew as a boy to robotic systems that would have seemed like science fiction a generation ago. For Buddy, it's proof that agriculture never stops changing, and neither should agricultural education.

Buddy's interview offers a rare firsthand perspective on how Lehi changed across several pivotal decades. Here are the key historical insights his story reveals:

Throughout the interview, several broader themes emerge that reflect the values and challenges facing Lehi as it evolves from farming community to modern city:

This episode connects to the broader Roots & Branches of Lehi archive. Explore these related topics to deepen your understanding of Lehi's history and community:

To enhance this community profile and preserve Buddy Deimler's story visually, consider adding these images to the historical record:

Ryan Harding: Welcome to Roots and Branches of Lehi, the podcast where we get to know the faces, stories, and lives that make up our community. I'm Ryan Harding, and I started this podcast as a way for us all to connect with the people we live alongside. Growing up in a small town, I learned that connections go beyond blood. They're built through shared experiences, friendships, and the moments we celebrate together.

Today I'm honored to be joined by Buddy Deimler, one of the most influential voices in Utah agricultural education and a man whose 43-year career has touched thousands of young lives. Buddy, thank you for being here.

Buddy Deimler: Thank you for having me, Ryan. I appreciate the opportunity to share some of these stories.

Ryan Harding: Let's start at the beginning. You didn't grow up in Utah, did you?

Buddy Deimler: No, I grew up in New Mexico. My dad was military, so we moved around some, but I spent a lot of my formative years in the pecan orchards and alfalfa fields of southern New Mexico. That's where I fell in love with agriculture—not from textbooks, but from doing the work. I learned early that there's something deeply satisfying about working with your hands and watching things grow.

Ryan Harding: How did you end up in Lehi?

Buddy Deimler: That's an interesting story. I was teaching in Arizona, and when my employer refused a raise I felt I had earned, I started looking elsewhere. I had five children, and one of my priorities was finding a place with a strong agricultural education program. Lehi had exactly that. When I moved here in 1994, there were probably eight or nine thousand people in this town. It still had that rural feel, that agricultural character. It felt like home immediately.

Ryan Harding: What was your first impression of Lehi's agricultural community?

Buddy Deimler: I remember attending church shortly after moving here, and I heard grown men—tough men, farmers and tradesmen—tearfully praising their former ag teachers. Men in their forties and fifties, emotional talking about a high school teacher. I'd never seen anything like it. That's when I knew I had landed in a special place. The legacy of agricultural education here runs deep.

Ryan Harding: You've said that you've never met anyone who didn't remember the name of their ag teacher. Why do you think that bond is so strong?

Buddy Deimler: Because ag teachers do more than teach curriculum. They show up at your livestock show at 5 in the morning. They help you fix your truck so you can get to a competition. They see you when you're struggling and give you something meaningful to work on. I've never ever met anyone who did not remember the name of their ag teacher. It's because that teacher was often the first adult who really believed in them.

Ryan Harding: Was that true for you? Did you have a teacher like that?

Buddy Deimler: Absolutely. My ag teacher in New Mexico was the first real teacher who had a positive comment for me. I wasn't a great student in traditional classes. I struggled with sitting still and memorizing facts. But my ag teacher pulled me aside one day and said, "I think you'd make a great ag teacher—what do you think?" That was the first time an adult had looked at me and seen potential instead of problems. It changed everything. It gave me confidence I'd never felt in school.

Ryan Harding: And you spent 43 years paying that forward.

Buddy Deimler: I did. And I always tried to remember what my teacher did for me. I was not teaching agriculture. I was teaching kids. The animals and the crops and the welding projects were just the tools I used to reach them. Some kids need to touch something to learn. Some need to build something. Some need to care for a living creature. When you give them that opportunity, you see them come alive.

Ryan Harding: Can you share a story of a student whose life changed through your program?

Buddy Deimler: There are so many. One that stands out was a student at Granite Technical Institute. He was struggling in traditional school—academically behind, disconnected, no real direction. He discovered agriculture in our program, bought a few cows, and started learning about animal science and business management. Eventually he moved to Idaho and built a herd and a career. Last I heard, he was running his own operation. That's the power of giving a kid something real to work toward.

Ryan Harding: There's a tension in education between helping kids and letting them struggle. Where do you fall on that?

Buddy Deimler: Kids don't need helpful adults—sometimes the struggle is where they learn. That doesn't mean we abandon them. But if we step in every time something gets hard, they never develop resilience. Agriculture teaches that naturally. The animal still needs to be fed even when it's cold and you don't feel like going out. The irrigation line breaks and you have to figure out how to fix it. That's real problem-solving, and it's where character is built.

Ryan Harding: You mentioned technology in agriculture earlier. Can you give us an example?

Buddy Deimler: Sure. When I was in Arizona, Israeli engineers introduced us to drip irrigation technology. It transformed our school farm. Suddenly we could teach students about precision agriculture, water conservation, and engineering all at once. The students saw that farming wasn't just old men with pitchforks—it was cutting-edge science. More recently, I've seen autonomous dairy technology at Coler Dairy in Heber Valley. Cows can milk on demand with no human involvement. The technology tracks their health, their production, everything. It's remarkable.

Ryan Harding: How did your own children benefit from Lehi's ag programs?

Buddy Deimler: Oh, tremendously. FFA gave my kids mentors at the exact moment they stopped listening to me. That's not a joke—teenagers need voices beyond their parents. My daughter did an award-winning agriscience project on fertilizer trials with pasture grass. Bruce Webb, a wonderful community mentor here in Lehi, supported her work. That project earned her a scholarship to BYU. All my kids were shaped by the program, by the teachers, by the community that surrounded them.

Ryan Harding: Lehi has changed dramatically since you arrived in 1994. What have you observed?

Buddy Deimler: When I moved here, agriculture was still a major part of the local economy alongside Geneva Steel. Fields were everywhere. You knew your neighbors because everyone was connected through the land or the schools or the church. Today, Lehi is an economic powerhouse. If you want to be part of a strong economy, you're going to live in a place like Lehi. But we've lost something too. The farmland is mostly gone. The kids who once grew up working alongside their parents in the fields are now in tech jobs. That's not bad, but it's different. We have to work harder now to give kids those hands-on experiences that used to be part of daily life.

Ryan Harding: Who are some of the Lehi ag teachers who made a lasting impact?

Buddy Deimler: Byron Metcalf is legendary. Klay Christensen, who later served on the State Board of Education. Doug Webb, who became a district curriculum director but never stopped being a teacher at heart. Nathan Bushman, Brett Robertson, Lisa Hatfield, Suzanne Spencer—the list goes on. These weren't just instructors. They were community builders. I could break down in any town in the United States, and if I could just find the ag teacher, things would be okay. That's how I feel about this profession.

Ryan Harding: What do you hope people take away from your story?

Buddy Deimler: That every young person deserves a place to belong and an adult who believes in them. That hands-on learning isn't second-rate—it's essential. That agriculture is not our past; it's our future, but it will look different. And that communities like Lehi are special because of the people who quietly show up for kids year after year. The teachers, the mentors, the parents who support FFA programs even when they don't fully understand them. That's what builds a community worth living in.

Ryan Harding: Buddy, thank you for 43 years of service, and thank you for sharing your story with us today.

Buddy Deimler: Thank you, Ryan. It's been a privilege.

Ryan Harding: Thank you for joining us on Roots and Branches of Lehi. I hope today's story helped you feel a little more connected to the people who make up our community. Remember, every person here has a unique story, and together we're what makes Lehi feel like home. Until next time, keep growing those roots and reaching out to your branches. Take care.

Buddy Deimler interview on Lehi Utah agriculture history, FFA programs, Lehi High School ag teachers, agricultural education, and community mentorship in Utah County.

Buddy Deimler Lehi Utah. Lehi FFA program history. Lehi High School agricultural education. Utah agricultural education leaders. Lehi community stories. Family farms Utah County. Lehi growth and development. Hands on learning Utah schools. Heber Valley dairy technology. Byron Metcalf Lehi. Klay Christensen Lehi.

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