During the month of April, the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and Oklahoma Farm Report are spotlighting the 17 Area Stars of Oklahoma FFA, who are among the highest achievers in the organization.
The stars come from the four areas in four categories – Star in Ag Placement, Star in Agriscience, Star in Agribusiness, and Star in Agricultural Production.
This week, we spotlight the three area stars in Agricultural Placement in 2026.
One Star Finalist featured in the coming days from each of the categories will be named the State Star Award Winner during the 100th Oklahoma State FFA Convention, which will take place on May 5th and 6th in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
We continue our coverage of the 2026 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists today with Faith Wright of the Stratford FFA representing the central area.
FFA students across Oklahoma are building real-world skills through hands-on projects, and for some, those experiences are rooted right at home on the family farm.
For many young people in agriculture, success starts with hands-on experience—and for Griffin Payne of the Thomas-Fay-Custer FFA chapter, that experience stretches from pasture to processing, giving him a rare, full-circle view of the beef production chain.
Two Projects, One Broad Skillset
Faith Wright explains that her supervised agricultural experience has centered around both livestock production and direct-to-consumer sales.
“I have had two major ag projects. One was working for a diversified livestock production farm, and then the other is working at a fruit and vegetable roadside stand in the Stratford area.”
Her work on the livestock side exposed her to a wide range of responsibilities and species, giving her a well-rounded foundation in animal agriculture.
“Working at the livestock farm, I learned how to process broiler chickens and care for a variety of animals, from sheep, cattle, chickens, dogs, cats, water buffalo, you name it.”
That kind of diversified operation required adaptability and independence, as she often worked solo. “With the livestock production, I was working by myself a lot of times.”
Finding a Passion at the Peach Stand
While the livestock experience built technical skills, Wright found herself drawn to the customer interaction and fast-paced environment of the roadside stand—especially during peach season.
“Working at the roadside stand, I mainly work in the stand selling directly to the consumer and the customers, selling fruits and vegetables, and just getting to work with customers every day.”
That daily connection made a lasting impression.
“I have kind of stuck to the peaches and the fruit stand more because I get to talk to people every day… the livestock don’t talk back.”
Her work centers heavily around Stratford’s well-known peach production, which comes with its own set of challenges tied to Oklahoma’s unpredictable weather.
“We’ve had lots of years where we have a good crop, but then thanks to the Oklahoma weather, we have lots of late freezes and hail storms and tornadoes that make it really hard for us to get a crop sometimes.”
Still, the reward of a successful season makes the effort worthwhile—especially during the town’s annual celebration.
“It is a joy when we do get a crop, because we have a big festival in July that we sell our peaches at.”
The stand also draws visitors from far beyond the local community.
“I’ve had people from New York come by and talk to us. It’s definitely one of the joys of my job is to get to talk to those people from all across the state and the nation.”
Looking Ahead in Agriculture
Wright credits a strong support system for helping her succeed, including her agricultural education instructor and family.
“My ag teacher, who’s also my dad, I get to work a lot of times with him, and then also my bosses have helped me a lot throughout the past couple years.”
Looking forward, she hopes to continue building both sides of her project.
“Hopefully I will get to do both. Hopefully I’ll be able to grow my own herd of diversified livestock, but also I will continue peach production and continue working at the roadside fruit stand.”
Her involvement in FFA has grown alongside her project, spanning everything from competitions to leadership development.
“I’ve always been involved in FFA and 4-H… starting in eighth grade, I started doing opening ceremonies, giving speeches, meat judging and then also land judging, which I’ve been really fond of lately.”
Next, Wright plans to attend Oklahoma State University to study agricultural business, keeping her future rooted in the industry that has already given her such a diverse and meaningful start.
This year’s 17 Area Stars will each be recognized on stage in the fifth general session of the 100th Oklahoma FFA Convention May 6th in Tulsa and each will receive a plaque and $500 cash award co-sponsored by the Blue and Gold Sausage Co., Sirloin Club of Oklahoma, Masonic Charity Foundation, McDonald’s of Oklahoma, Davis Farms, The Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the Noble Research Institute.
The Star in each category will each receive $29,484 in scholarships or capital grant funds through a $3.2 million gift from the Carl C. Anderson Trust. The late Carl C. Anderson, after whom the State Star awards are now named, was born in Naples, Oklahoma, in 1911. One of 10 children, he dropped out of high school to earn money and support his family. From those modest beginnings, the Anderson Corp. grew across the country as well as in Canada and South America.
Our coverage of the 2026 Oklahoma FFA Association State Convention is sponsored by Oklahoma Farm Bureau, proud to support the young men and ladies of the Oklahoma FFA as they strive for excellence in all they do. Oklahoma Farm Bureau- We Are Rural Oklahoma.
Learn more about the 100th Annual Convention of the Oklahoma FFA by clicking here for the convention highlights.
