Dawson FFA Member's Family Production Agriculture Operation Provides Career Path and Passion
Thursday, May 18, 2023 | Author: Texas FFA News
The legacy of a successful family production agriculture operation provides a destined career path for Logan Maddox and his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE).
"Maddox Farms consists of 3,000 acres of cropland in which 2,400 acres are planted for row crops, and 600 acres are utilized for hay production," said Maddox. "The row crops produced include cotton, corn, soybeans, wheat, and milo. The hay crops consist of coastal and sudan."
The farm is an operation that has been in his family for multiple generations. He believes that he is blessed to have the opportunity to continue the farming tradition as part of his legacy.
"My employment requires me to plow fields, aid in planting crops, and run
combines and grain carts during harvest season," said Maddox. "I operate hay equipment, including the baler and rake, spray pesticides, apply fertilizers, and perform equipment maintenance and repairs as needed."
As the Dawson FFA member got older, he became more independent and proficient in using the provided farm equipment.
"My position has required me to become proficient in using various technologies," said Maddox. "This includes the GPS in each of the tractors, the use of a phone application that allows me to determine the tractor's location in the fields, and drones used to assess damage to crops caused by extreme weather conditions and feral hogs."
His unpaid employment enables him to exchange labor for facilities for his market animal SAEs. More notably, it provides the needed experience for managing the operation he one day seeks to join as a part-owner.
"By allowing me to gain experience in operation from such a young age, my family is equipping me with the tools to continue this tradition for years to come," said Maddox.
Maddox's successful SAE project was recognized as the Star Greenhand in Placement at the 2022 Texas FFA State Convention.
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