Nine winners of the 2022 Agricultural Proficiency Awards were named during the fourth session of the 95th National FFA Convention & Expo on Friday, Oct. 28, which is being held in Indianapolis.


Agricultural Proficiency Awards honor FFA members who, through supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs), have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers. Students compete in areas ranging from agricultural communications to wildlife management. Proficiency awards are also recognized at local and state levels and provide recognition to members exploring and becoming established in agricultural career pathways.


Today, awards were announced for nine of the 45 categories during the fourth general convention session.
These recipients are:


Diversified Crop Production – Entrepreneurship


Ty Steffen

Ty Steffen of the Newark FFA Chapter in Illinois grows onions, potatoes, peppers, broccoli, eggplant, tomatoes, cauliflower, beets, spinach and more as part of his diversified crop production. As the sole operator, he takes charge of fertilizing, weeding, tilling, harvesting and selling crops at several farmers markets. He also sells at craft shows and an honor hay rack in his community. Steffen is supported by his parents, Tracy and Joe.


Diversified Crop Production – Placement

Logan Bennett

Logan Jack Bennett of the Colquitt County FFA Chapter in Georgia works 2,500 acres of farmland, growing cotton, peanuts, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, cabbage, broccoli and more. He also helps manage 10 acres of greenhouses. When he began, his tasks included simple maintenance on machinery, sanitizing the packing shed, and operating tractors. As his experiences grew, so did his responsibilities. Bennett is supported by his parents, Jennifer and Brett.Diversified


Diversified Horticulture – Entrepreneurship/Placement

Trenton Jones

Trenton Jones of the Higginsville FFA Chapter in Missouri works at The Greenhouse at C&M Farms and also owns his own houseplant store, Trent’s Tropicals. He provides high-quality indoor and outdoor plants at affordable prices while helping to raise agriculture awareness. He started his endeavors by selling plants through Facebook. He’s since learned much more about the business, taking charge of all tasks including watering and fertilizing, pest prevention, propagation, creating designs using plants in landscapes and containers, and more. Jones is supported by his father, Chris.


Diversified Livestock Production – Entrepreneurship/Placement

Connor Pence

Connor Pence of the Veribest FFA Chapter in Texas owns and operates a breeding goat herd and commercial cattle herd in addition to raising market goats, market lambs, and market swine. When he was just three years old, his grandparents started him out with five does. His desire to produce higher quality goats led to his acquisition of better genetics in his goat projects. Today, his breeding goat project consists of 40 head of does and their offspring. Pence is supported by his parents, Denise and Cory.


Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management – Entrepreneurship/Placement

Lauren Poole

Lauren Marie Poole of the Winfield FFA Chapter of Louisiana has served as a Youth Conservation Corps member at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in her area. She worked with various employees during her time at the USFS, including wildlife biologists, to help manage red-cockaded woodpecker preservation. She also worked with groundskeepers and landscapers to help maintain portions of Kisatchie National Forests, campgrounds, boat launches and office areas. Poole is supported by her parents, Barbara and Glen.


Equine Science – Entrepreneurship

Wyatt Allen

Wyatt Allen of the Benjamin Russell FFA Chapter in Alabama is part-owner of 5A Ranch. He raises horses to participate in team roping throughout the country, currently managing 14 head of horses. He purchases horses at an early age, ensuring they are from a good bloodline. He spends four to five hours each day riding and training the horses, providing quality healthcare, and providing a specialized diet that allows the horses to compete at high levels. Allen is supported by his father, Ed.


Equine Science – Placement

Ellie Williams

Ellie Jane Williams of the Northwest Whitfield FFA Chapter in Georgia works for a 53-acre, 12 stall operation, providing hunter-jumper boarding, lessons, and sales with more than 40 horses on property. The operation specializes in breeding, training horses and riders to be competitive in jumping, movie industry involvements, and treatments. Williams assists with scheduling lessons, vet appointments, breeding, sales appointments, and help set the farm’s show schedules. Williams is supported by her parents, Tatum and Graham.


Fiber and/or Oil Crop Production – Entrepreneurship/Placement

Thomas Rindfuss

Thomas Rindfuss of the Wynford FFA Chapter in Ohio works for his family’s farm, producing 620 acres of soybeans from early spring tillage through fall harvest. Throughout the year, he performs multiples tasks, from welding to driving tractors to installing waterways. He also helps with marketing the crop, choosing varieties and grain storage. Rindfuss is supported by his parents, Shelley and Mike.


Forage Production – Entrepreneurship/Placement

Jay McClure

Jay McClure of the Hugoton FFA Chapter in Kansas works for the family farm, producing $1.2 million of forage crops in seven irrigated cycles in 2021. He is tasked with maintaining and repairing all haying equipment and supervising two employees who help with harvesting. He’s also charged with irrigation timing and watering amounts, each set with the goal of producing 7 1/2 tons of forage per acre over the five cuttings of the season. McClure is supported by his parents, Karen and Joel.


The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


   

The National FFA Organization has announced the 2022 National FFA Agriscience Fair winners for animal and environmental services and natural resource systems. The winners were recognized today during the third session of the 95th National FFA Convention & Expo.

The National FFA Agriscience Fair recognizes students who gain real-world, hands-on experiences in agricultural enterprises. Students use scientific principles and emerging technologies to solve complex problems related to agriculture, food and natural resources. The agriscience fair is for middle and high school students. Students compete in one of six categories in the agriscience fair and under one of the six divisions-either individually or in a team.

The winners are:

Food Products and Processing Systems: Division 1
Esther VanOverbeke of the Stillwater FFA Chapter in Oklahoma


Food Products and Processing Systems: Division 2
Brody Fisher and Brynlee Cody of the Florence FFA Chapter in Texas

Food Products and Processing Systems: Division 3
William Lima Joy of the St. Helena FFA Chapter in California

Food Products and Processing Systems: Division 4
Trinity Blocsh and Aubrie McEndoo of the Stillwater FFA Chapter in Oklahoma


Food Products and Processing Systems: Division 5
Libby Knipper of the Beckman Catholic FFA Chapter in Iowa


Food Products and Processing Systems: Division 6
Chloe Pulliam and Carah Pulliam of the Franklin County FFA Chapter in Georgia


The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


   

At the 95th National FFA Convention & Expo today, the National FFA Alumni and Supporters recognized several individuals and chapters with top honors for their service.

At the National FFA Foundation’s Celebration Dinner, three individuals were presented with Outstanding FFA Alumni and Supporters Achievement Awards. Each recipient is awarded $500 to donate to the FFA alumni chapter or state FFA alumni association of their choice.

Glenn Howell of the West Carteret FFA Alumni and Supporters in North Carolina received the award for his dedication to the organization. Howell was the 2020-21 president of the North Carolina FFA Alumni Association. During his term, the value of grants awarded to FFA chapters by the alumni association doubled. Howell also served on the North Carolina FFA Board of Directors, helping to further agricultural education in the state. In the past, he was a North Carolina FFA state officer and North Carolina FFA camp director, and he taught agriculture for more than 30 years.

As an alumni member of the Granton FFA Alumni and Supporters in Wisconsin, Charlotte Johnson has been instrumental in the recruitment of new alumni and the continued engagement of existing members. Johnson has been an officer in the alumni chapter for the last six years, including serving as president. As an alumni member, she has participated in numerous community service events such as helping deliver meals to low-income families during the holidays. Johnson continues to be an exceptional mentor, volunteer and advocate for Granton FFA.

Clyde Johnson, a member of the West Bend Hawkeye FFA Alumni and Supporters in Iowa, has made a positive impact serving as chairperson of the Iowa FFA Alumni and Supporters membership committee. As an advocate, he has also served on the Iowa Governor’s Council on Agriculture Education, which provided ideas, suggestions and community feedback from across the state to the governor and legislature.

Winners from three other categories were presented during the third general session of the National FFA Convention & Expo today.

The Outstanding FFA Alumni and Supporters Chapter Award went to Bell FFA Alumni and Supporters in Florida. The chapter was recognized for excellence in business operations, alumni and supporter member development, advocacy, student development, agricultural education and FFA program development. Among their achievements, Bell FFA Alumni and Supporters created a mentorship program to teach and train prospective leaders for the chapter. The scholarship committee raised money to support five scholarships for graduating FFA members and five lifelong learning scholarships. The chapter was also able to help fund the need for a new animal science teaching laboratory, raising a total of $23,300 for the program.

The Outstanding FFA Alumni and Supporters State Association Award recognizes states for their work in growing quality programs. This award is judged on a state’s efforts in local FFA Alumni and Supporters chapter development and retention, FFA Alumni and Supporters member benefits, advocacy, Team Ag Ed and business operations.

Wisconsin FFA Alumni and Supporters received this year’s Outstanding FFA Alumni and Supporters State Association Award for their dedication to FFA and agricultural education. At the 2022 Wisconsin FFA Alumni and Supporters Convention, where more than 250 members attended to help celebrate 50 years of alumni membership, they held nine innovative breakout sessions to assist individual members in personal and professional growth. The association gave a total of 24 grants totaling $14,400 to send FFA student members to the National FFA Organization’s Washington Leadership Conference.

The Outstanding Corporate FFA Alumni and Supporters Chapter Award was presented to BASF FFA Alumni and Supporters. Based in the Southern region, the chapter has created a platform to communicate and share with its more than 60% of membership located remotely. Planning by the leadership team includes establishing dates, identifying members to highlight and key focus for quarterly meetings. BASF helped source $28,000 for chapter grants and supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs in Idaho and California. The chapter has also interacted with 18 states to help support and promote state FFA officer training.

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


   

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED TO WORD PRESS VERSION

More of the same


As the importance of agriculture continues to be a focus throughout the world, students around the country understand the vital role it plays in everyday life. No more is this more evident than in the growth of membership in the National FFA Organization.

Today, the National FFA Organization announced a record-high student membership number of 850,823, an increase of 15% from last year. In addition, chapter numbers increased by 178, resulting in 8,995 chapters in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Interest in FFA and agricultural education continues to grow as membership and the number of chapters increase. The top five student membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. This year, the organization has more than 132,700 Latino members, more than 47,000 Black members and more than 13,000 American Indian and Alaska Native members. Forty-three percent of the membership is female, and 50% is male, with .5% reporting as nonbinary, 4.7% undisclosed, and 1.2% unreported.

“Our FFA members are the future generation of leaders who make a difference in their communities as well as agriculture and other industries,” said National FFA CEO Scott Stump. “As we continue to grow, we see the enthusiasm for agricultural education and FFA reflected in our membership.”

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.