Missouri FFA News Releases

Sandidge Receives Second Place 2009 Missouri FFA Swine Production Entrepreneurship Award

COLUMBIA , Mo., April 17, 2009 – Hannah Sandidge, of the Marshall FFA Chapter, Marshall, Mo., received the second place FFA Swine Production Entrepreneurship Award at the 81^st Missouri FFA Convention.

Sandidge, a senior at Saline County Career Center, is the daughter of Brent and Connie Sandidge. Her FFA advisors are Callie Dobbins, Randy Plattner and Jason Price.

As an FFA member, Sandidge attends the Missouri State FFA Convention, National FFA Convention, and Washington Leadership Conference.

Outside FFA, Sandidge is in DECA, is a YMCA member, national honor society, and MHS color guard member.

Sandidge’s Supervised Agricultural Experience Program (SAE) began when she started helping her father run their family hog farm. Her father gave her most of the responsibilities to run the farm. She originally started out with 1,024 head of swine; she has increased it to 4,751. Some of her responsibilities consisted of herd health, soil and water management, animal nutrition, and genetic selection. She also participates in the youth speaking contest, annual conferences and meetings, and will represent the state as the 2009 MO Pork Ambassador.

After graduating high school, Sandidge plans to attend University of Missouri and pursue a degree in Agriculture Business.

Proficiency awards recognize FFA members who excel as agricultural entrepreneurs, employees or volunteers while gaining hands-on career experience. Swine Production is one of 47 proficiency awards presented at state level. The Missouri Pork Producers Association sponsored this award.

The Missouri FFA has 24,410 members representing 317 chapters. The national organization has more than 507,000 members representing 7,439 local chapters in 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands .

The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

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