Texans Finish Strong in National Agriscience Fair
Texas members brought four national titles in the National FFA Agriscience Fair back to the Lone Star State, with seven of its 15 entries finishing in the top three and nine rated as gold in the four tier rating system (gold, silver, bronze, participant).
Historically, Texas members have fared well in the national competition and on some years, dominated the competition. It was New Jersey’s turn to record a dominating performance on the strength of the Biotechnology High School Chapter’s strong showing. All of New Jersey’s entries were from a single high school—Biotechnology High School of the Freehold Township in New Jersey.
Texans had the second greatest number of top three finishes and winners and the second highest percent of its entries rated as gold medal recipients.
National Winners
• Tommy Fletcher, Judson: Biochemistry/Food Science/Microbiology-Division 1
• Bailey Brashears/Blake Conners, Frenship: Biochemistry/Food Science/Microbiology-Division 4
• Junelyn Gamao, James Madison: Botany-Division 1
• Kenna Faulkenberry/Scotta Faulkenberry, Stephenville: Botany-Division 4
•
National Runner-up
• Lindsay Hamer, East Central: Engineering-Division 1
• Kasey Kram, Weimar: Engineering-Division 2
• Whitney Green/Holton Westbrook, Stephenville: Environmental Science-Division 4
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National Agriscience State Comparison—States with Ten or More Entries
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|
State
|
Entries
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Gold
Medals
|
Top Three
|
Winners
|
|
1.
New Jersey
|
16
|
11 (69%)
|
8
|
6
|
|
2.
Texas
|
15
|
9 (60%)
|
7
|
4
|
|
3.
California
|
18
|
10 (56%)
|
2
|
1
|
|
4.
Florida
|
18
|
7 (39%)
|
5
|
1
|
|
5.
Wisconsin
|
16
|
8 (50%)
|
2
|
1
|
|
6.
Utah
|
20
|
7 (35%)
|
3
|
1
|
|
7.
Arkansas
|
13
|
7(54%)
|
3
|
1
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Texans Claim Three Proficiency Awards
Texans won three national proficiency awards in the midst of one of the state’s strongest proficiency award showings in its history. 15 Texans were on the convention stage as national finalists.
Morgan Ann Stover of Ponder was the national winner in Diversified Livestock Production-Placement, Ryan Carl Smith of Era captured top honors in Equine Science-Entrepreneurship, and Nicole Ashley Price of the Plano-East Chapter was the National Veterinary Medicine Champion.
Texans Sweeps Top Two Spots in Tractor Restoration
Texas entries swept two of the top three spots in the Chevron Tractor Restoration Competition. Ryan Haass of the Devine Chapter captured grand champion honors, with a 1969 Case 530. The Gonzales FFA was finished third with a 1948 Farmall M.
A Texas entry has won the national competition four of the past five years.
The Devine and Gonzales entries were two of twelve national finalists selected earlier this year. Five of the twelve finalists were Texas entries. No other state had multiple entries amongst the twelve finalists.
Individuals or chapter teams document the restoration of old tractors in the competition and submit a detailed application which can be hundreds of pages long. Finalists make a 20-minute presentation to a panel of experts and field questions during a 15-minute question-answer round. Tractor restoration is used to teach the fundamentals of agricultural power in the agriculture, food and natural resources instructional program.
Texas CDE Entries Remain Strong in National Competition
Texas FFA’s career development event entries turned in solid performances in national competition, winning four national titles. 12 of the state’s 23 entries finished in the top ten (52%). Only Missouri had more top ten teams (14), but Texas had one more national champion than the Show-Me State. All but one of the Texas entries was rated as Gold or Silver. The one bronze-rated entry can be explained by the tragic loss of one of that school’s agricultural science teachers earlier this year.
National CDE’s—Texas Top 10 Summary
• National Champion: Agricultural Issues Forum, Stamford
• National Champion: Dairy Foods, Cross Plains
• National Champion: Meats Evaluation, Florence
• National Champion: Poultry, Sandra Day O’Conner
• National Runner-up: Ag Sales, Smithson Valley
• National Runner-up: Marketing Plan, Madisonville
• Other top 10 finishes by Texas entries:
3rd Forestry, Central Heights
5th Nursery/Landscape, Bellville
6th Agricultural Communications, New Braunfels
6th Farm Business Management, Stephenville
8th Food Science and Technology, Florence
9th Job Interview, East Chambers (Kelli Neuman)
9th Livestock, Wall
State Career Development Event Comparison
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National CDE Titles
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National FFA CDE Top Five
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|
1.
Texas - 4 (Ag Issues, Dairy Foods, Meats, Poultry)
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1.
California - 10
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|
1.
California - 4 (Ag Mech, Job Interview, Mkt Plan, Par Pro)
|
1.
Missouri - 10
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|
3.
Missouri - 3 (Agronomy, Creed, Forestry)
|
3.
Texas - 8
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|
4.
Idaho, Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma all with 2
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3.
Washington - 8
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5.
CT, IN, KY, MN, NE and OR all with 1
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5.
Oklahoma, Kansas - 6
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Texas National Career
Development Event Results and History Since 2006
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Event
|
2011 TX Entry
|
|
2010 Result
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2009
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2008
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2007
|
2006
|
|
Agricultural
Communications
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New
Braunfels
|
Gold-6th
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Gold-3rd
|
Gold-4th
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-5th
|
Silver-16th
|
|
Agricultural
Issues Forum
|
Stamford
|
Gold-1st
|
Silver
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-2nd
|
Silver
|
|
Agricultural
Mechanics
|
A&M
Consol.
|
Gold-13th
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Gold-4th
|
Silver-20th
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Gold-10th
|
Gold-11th
|
Silver-22nd
|
|
Agricultural
Sales
|
Smithson Vly
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-11th
|
Gold-6th
|
Gold-3rd
|
Silver-19th
|
|
Agronomy
|
New
Braunfels
|
Silver-14th
|
Silver-19th
|
Silver-19th
|
Silver-12th
|
Silver-22nd
|
Bronze-30th
|
|
Creed
|
Bellville
|
Silver
|
Silver
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-3rd
|
Bronze
|
Gold-3rd
|
|
Dairy
Cattle
|
Windthorst
|
Silver-22nd
|
Silver-20th
|
Silver-27th
|
Bronze-36th
|
Silver-28th
|
Silver-29th
|
|
Dairy
Foods
|
Cross Plains
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-10th
|
Silver-13th
|
Silver-12th
|
Gold-3rd
|
Gold-1st
|
|
Environmental/Natural
Res.
|
Ingram
|
Bronze-37th
|
Gold-3rd
|
Silver-13th
|
Gold-9th
|
Silver-14th
|
Silver-24th
|
|
Extemporaneous
Speaking
|
Whitehouse
|
Silver
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Bronze
|
Bronze
|
Silver
|
|
Farm
Business Mgmt
|
Stephenville
|
Gold-6th
|
Gold-11th
|
Gold-9th
|
Gold-6th
|
Bronze-34th
|
Gold-10th
|
|
Floriculture
|
East Central
|
Gold-12th
|
Silver-21st
|
Silver-15th
|
Gold-7th
|
Silver-17th
|
Gold-12th
|
|
Food
Technology
|
Florence
|
Gold-8th
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-3rd
|
Gold-4th
|
Gold-4th
|
|
Forestry
|
Central
Heights
|
Gold-3rd
|
Gold-8th
|
Silver-13th
|
Gold-5th
|
Bronze-35th
|
Gold-4th
|
|
Horse
Evaluation
|
Bandera
|
Gold-11th
|
Gold-3rd
|
Silver-16th
|
Gold-8th
|
Bronze-43rd
|
Silver-18th
|
|
Job
Interview
|
East Chambers
|
Silver-9th
|
Silver-16th
|
Silver
|
Gold-4th
|
Silver
|
Silver
|
|
Livestock
Evaluation
|
Wall
|
Gold-9th
|
Gold-8th
|
Gold-7th
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-6th
|
Gold-10th
|
|
Marketing
Plan
|
Madisonville
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-2nd
|
Silver
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-3rd
|
Bronze
|
|
Meats
Evaluation
|
Florence
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-1st
|
|
Nursery/Landscape
|
Bellville
|
Gold-5th
|
Silver-20th
|
Silver-21st
|
Silver-19th
|
Gold-10th
|
Silver-19th
|
|
Parliamentary
Procedure
|
S.D.
O’Conner
|
Gold
|
Gold-3rd
|
Silver
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Gold-2nd
|
|
Poultry
Evaluation
|
S.D.
O’Conner
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-2nd
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-1st
|
Gold-1st
|
|
Prepared
Public Speaking
|
Mineola
|
Silver
|
Silver
|
Silver
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Bronze
|
Centennial Wins Hall of States Competition
For the second consecutive year, Texas has won the Hall of States. The Frisco-Centennial Chapter, north of Dallas, fielded the winning entry. The Hall of States features displays promoting agriculture and agricultural education in participating states.
Since 2006, Texas FFA has solicited chapter proposals from across the state and supported a display created by a local chapter. Hall of States team members attend the display throughout the convention, field questions from the public and from a panel of judges who evaluate the displays and select a winner.
Texas Recognized for Top Membership Growth
Texas FFA was recognized for top membership growth in an award ceremony that was part of the national delegate process. Texas FFA grew by 7,258 between membership year 2009-10 and 2010-11. The Texas membership surge accounted for nearly half of the National FFA Organization’s 15,280-student membership growth. Texas FFA has grown by more than 18,000 members over the past two membership years and was the first state association in FFA history to reach the 80,000 member mark.
Texans Receive Honorary American FFA Degrees
Four Texas agricultural science teachers received the Honorary American FFA Degree at the 84th National FFA Convention. Gary Adams of Canton Lake, R. H. Rodriguez of Dilley, Brent Wicker of Peaster and Johnny Willeford of New Diana, received the highest honorary degree bestowed by the National FFA Organization. Each year, a state may submit nominations not to exceed ten percent of the total number of teachers in the state.
Other Texans receiving the Honorary American Degree were Jim Looney of Alvord, Parent, Alvord I.S.D. Trustee and President of the Friends of Alvord FFA; Gary Clayton of Decatur, retired Agrilife Extension Agent and Decatur I.S.D. Trustee; and Doug Ullrich, teacher educator at Sam Houston State University and co-chair and superintendent of the Texas FFA Leadership Development Events.