Missouri FFA rises to the top at national convention
By TF Staff
Missouri FFA members and chapters brought home a number of championship awards and top honors from the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo, held Oct. 23-26 in Indianapolis. Nearly 72,000 members and guests attended this year’s convention.
Missouri FFA members and chapters brought home a number of championship awards and top honors from the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo, held Oct. 23-26 in Indianapolis. Nearly 72,000 members and guests attended this year’s convention.
Four national winners came from the same chapter—North Shelby FFA—in Career and Leadership Development Events (CDE/LDE), which focus on skills and career preparation. In Ag Mechanics, winning team members were Andi Belt, Aden Johnston, Austin Wilson and Aliza Yoder. In Agronomy, winning team members were T.J. Belt, Weston Christine, Trinity Dreckshage and Lindy Schwanke. And in Farm Business Management, winning team members were Samuel Schwanke, Evie Jones, Jared Johnston and Emme Jones, who also placed as the high individual.
Other CDE/LDE national-winning teams were Fair Play FFA in Milk Quality, members Alexis Bee, Riley Bruce, William Frye and Dallas Hardt, who placed as high individual; and Silex FFA in the Ag Issues Forum, members McKenna Claborn, James Cockrell, Hayley Gruenewald, Braden Havlik and Claire Kinion.
In the Livestock Evaluation CDE, the high individual was Esmeralda Franklin of the Nevada FFA chapter.
Missouri also had two national winners in agricultural proficiency awards, which honor FFA members for outstanding supervised agricultural experiences (SAE). Ava Bullard of the Ashland FFA chapter was top in the nation for Diversified Horticulture. She began her SAE by growing 10 types of flowers in beds around her family’s home and making bouquets. In three years, Bullard’s cut flower operation and sales had grown to cover more than 32,000 square feet and 20 kinds of flowers. To build a greenhouse for her business, Bullard exchanged labor on her family’s livestock farm for lumber.
Trenton FFA member Cade Claycomb was the national proficiency winner in Dairy Production Entrepreneurship. He operates a 42-head dairy on 36 acres, marketing around 9,400 pounds of milk each week.
Milan FFA won the FFA Quiz Bowl Invitational competition for the second year in a row with team members Jara Sanchez, Kendra Sayre, Daniel Cast Aneda and Ethan Pearce.
During the national convention, Missouri members were awarded 663 American FFA Degrees, the most from any state in 2024. Less than one-half of 1% of all FFA members earn this top individual honor given by the organization.
Also honored this year was Missouri Agricultural Education Director and FFA State Advisor Keith Dietzschold, who was named Outstanding State Supervisor.
A full list of this year’s award winners and event results are available at www.ffa.org/97th-convention-event-results.
Photo caption: Members of the Silex FFA Chapter react to being announced as champions in the agricultural issues competition at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. Along with their advisor, Sean O’Brien, left, team members were McKenna Claborn, James Cockrell, Hayley Gruenewald, Braden Havlik and Claire Kinion.