Missouri FFA News Releases

MARTIN RECEIVES FIRST PLACE MISSOURI FFA SPECIALTY CROP PRODUCTION PROFICIENCY AWARD

COLUMBIA , Mo., April 16, 2009 – Alicia Martin, a member of the Norwood FFA Chapter, Norwood, Mo., was named the first place winner of the Specialty Crop Production Entrepreneurship and Placement Proficiency Award at the 81^st Missouri FFA Convention.

Martin, a senior at Norwood High School, is the daughter of Ricky and Patty Martin. Her FFA advisor is Chris Sinning.

As a member of the FFA, Martin has attended the National and State FFA conventions. She is currently a member of the Tobacco Growers Association, and she is active in the National Quarter Horse Association. Martin is on her high school honor roll and had perfect attendance in 2008.

Martin’s Supervised Agriculture Experience Program (SAE) was motivated due to her family’s background in tobacco production with goals someday to run her family’s operation. Martin began her SAE with a plot of 6.5 acres where she planted tobacco. She has learned the joys and difficulties of growing crops, learning how to prevent problems with pest and diseases The experience has taught her time management and organizational skills, and she also learned proper herbicidal procedures.

Proficiency awards recognize FFA members who excel as agricultural entrepreneurs, employees or volunteers while gaining hands-on career experience. Specialty Crop Production Entrepreneurship and Placement is one of 47 proficiency awards presented at the state level. The Missouri FFA Association sponsors 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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