UTICA – The process for State FFA proficiency rewards begins in the fall, with students filling out or editing applications to apply for the next year’s State FFA Convention.
Amanda Annett has completed this process in three separate years, and this year has resulted in her being the state winner in the area of Beef Production for the Ohio FFA Association.
FFA members who maintain quality records and have an interest in applying may fill out the proficiency award applications. Students apply based on the type of supervised agricultural experience (SAE) the student has. There are over 40 award areas for the state of Ohio. Applications are reviewed by committees of ag teachers, and the top four are selected based on the application score. The top four students then complete an interview. Since all Ohio FFA events have been virtual this year, Annett interviewed in March via Zoom.
Annett completed two proficiency applications this year. Her first was in Beef Production Placement. Since 2016, she has completed 3,895 hours of work on her family’s 300-head confinement feedlot operation, advancing from being a farmhand to a barn manager. She has grown a lot in her responsibilities on the farm, going from working under the direct supervision of her parents to being able to complete all farm tasks and chores on her own.
Annett also competed in the area of Diversified Livestock Production. Her application included her work both in the feedlot operation and in the hog finishing barn that her family built in 2019. She worked 265 hours in two years while learning about a new species. In this area, Annett was the state runner-up.
The next step in Annett’s award process is that Mrs. Neff, Utica’s Agricultural Education instructor and FFA advisor, will attend an award application critique at the end of May. From there, student and advisor will make changes to the application before submitting it to the national FFA award competition. After the national summer judging, we will be waiting to find out if Annett is chosen one of the top four in the nation and if she will compete in the national FFA interview process.
Annett has also been selected as Ohio’s American Star in Agricultural Placement. Her application has already been forwarded to National FFA to find out if she will be selected in this award area as well.
Congratulations Amanda! We are very proud to call you an alumna of Utica FFA and cannot wait to find out the results from national FFA summer judging.
Submitted by Brianne Priest, 2021-22 Utica FFA reporter
