Newton Senior High School senior James Leonard is just 18 years old, but he already is an avid farmer and businessman with a passion for all things agriculture.

"[Farming] is important to me because we feed the world," he said. "Without agriculture and without farmers, a lot of people wouldn't get food, and I just feel that it really helps and that I'm doing this for a good cause to help feed the world."

Leonard grew up on a 500-acre farm about 10 miles north of Newton, where his family's main crops are corn and soybeans. Leonard himself even has a small cattle operation consisting of nine head of feeder calves that he plans to sell in July or early August.