Missouri FFA News Releases

Dustin Stanton Receives First Place 2009 Missouri FFA Agricultural Services Proficiency Award

COLUMBIA , Mo., April 18, 2009 – Dustin Stanton, of the Centralia FFA Chapter, Centralia, Mo., received first place Agricultural Services Proficiency Award at the 81^st Missouri State FFA Convention.

Stanton, a sophomore, is the son of Andrew and Judy Stanton. Ag advisors are Scott Stone and Lorri Lewis.

As a FFA member, Dustin has attended all national, state and local activities. He also serves as the Chapter Reporter for 2008 – 2009. Stanton placed in Poultry CDE in 2008.

Stanton ’s Supervised Agricultural Experience began in first grade when his parents encouraged him to sell his fresh farm eggs to earn an allowance. He provided the service to neighbors and friends. After being encouraged to sell at the Columbia Farmers’ Market, he expanded his service. Today Stanton owns 2,000 chickens.

Stanton plans to graduate from college with a degree in agriculture and expand his services to Jefferson City, Mo.

Proficiency awards recognize FFA members who excel as agricultural entrepreneurs, employees or volunteers while gaining hands-on career experience. Agricultural Services 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.