National FFA finalist honored

• Tanner Smith

Tanner Smith (right) is congratulated by National FFA Alumnus David Miller on his achievements as a national finalist in forage production proficiency.
• Pipestone Members

Submitted Photo Members of the Pipestone Area High School FFA meats CDE team include Kayla Quincey (from left), Samantha Berg, Heather Evans, Bailey Wolters and coach Philip Berg.

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WINDOM — A 2009 Windom High School graduate returned home from the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., last weekend with a plaque and a $500 scholarship after being named a national FFA proficiency finalist.

Tanner Smith was one of four finalists in the forage production entrepreneurship and placement proficiency. Andy Fuecht of Mayville, Wis., ultimately earned top honors in the competition. Other finalists in the contest were Cody Glazier of Lomega, Okla., and Brandon Porter of Franklin County, Ga.

Smith, who is now a student in the powerline technology program at Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Jackson campus, has worked in forage production with his uncle on their rural Delft farm for several years.

“I started out working for my uncle at age 7,” said Smith, adding that the family operates a 600-acre organic alfalfa operation, in addition to doing commercial hay baling in the area. The family sells much of its hay crop to dairy farmers in the Rochester area.

As a freshman in the Windom Area FFA Chapter, Smith began keeping records on his forage proficiency project. The records detail the work he did in forage production on the farm, what he learned, how many hours he put into the project and how much he earned.

“I swath the hay, rake it in the mornings and then help bale or pick up the hay out of the fields,” Smith said of his full-time job during the summer months.

His records garnered first place in forage production proficiency during the Minnesota FFA Convention last spring, allowing him to advance to the national competition.

“(Judges) went through all of the applications and picked the top four out of the 50 states,” Smith said.

He received special recognition as a national finalist while in Indianapolis.

The trip to the National FFA Convention was Smith’s first, and he said the experience was “amazing.”

“I was surprised to go that far (with my records),” he said. “I was actually surprised to even win state.”

Smith is the son of Larry and Deb Smith, and his FFA adviser at Windom High School is Darcy Dahna.

Smith wasn’t the only one in the region to bring home hardware from the National FFA Convention, which was Oct. 21-24. The Pipestone Area High School FFA meats evaluation and technology team garnered second place of 39 teams.

Members of the Career Development Event (CDE) team included Bailey Wolters, Kayla Quincey, Samantha Berg and Heather Evans. Quincey earned fourth place individually and a $500 scholarship, while Berg placed ninth overall, Wolters was 11th and Evans was 24th. All four earned gold placings in the contest, which involves evaluating and identifying meat carcasses and products.

Other results from the area include:

- The Southwest Star Concept FFA Floriculture CDE team placed 7th of 46 teams. Team members included Kortney Baumann, Alyssa Olson, Megan Thurk and Lindsey Thurk. Olson and Lindsey Thurk earned gold rankings individually, while Baumann and Megan Thurk earned silver rankings.

- The Jackson County Central FFA Farm Business Management CDE team of Greg Tusa, Ike Pohlman and Tyler Zebedee earned 10th place of 42 teams. Tusa and Pohlman earned gold rankings individually, while Zebedee earned a silver ranking. The Farm Business Management contest has participants applying economic principles and analyzing farm and ranch business management decisions.

- The Worthington FFA Marketing Plan CDE team of Allison Jaycox, Maggie Fornoff and Amy Schutte earned a bronze ranking.

l American FFA Degree recipients included Jared Arens and Emily Heintz of Fulda FFA; Sydney Place of Southwest Star Concept FFA; and Cortney Schmidt of Sibley-Ocheyedan (Iowa) FFA.

- The Sibley-Ocheyedan (S-O) FFA Chapter was named a National Star Chapter.

- Additional National Proficiency honorees included Greg Tusa, Jackson County Central FFA, silver ranking in agricultural sales-entrepreneurship; Zach Otto, Westbrook-Walnut Grove FFA, bronze ranking in grain production-placement; and Derek Eichner, Westbrook-Walnut Grove FFA, bronze ranking in turf grass management: entrepreneurship/placement.

- FFA members earning scholarships included Hilary Geesman, Jackson FFA, $1,000 from American Family Insurance; Kale Leuthold, Hills-Beaver Creek FFA, $1,000 from Ford Trucks/Built Ford Tough; Ashley Boom, West Lyon (Iowa) FFA, $1,000 from Cargill Community Scholarship Program; Melissa Gradert, S-O FFA, $2,250 from CNH Capital; Tyler Moser, West Lyon (Iowa) FFA, $1,000 from Archer Daniels Midland Co.; and Justin Wagenaar, S-O FFA, $1,000 from Archer Daniels Midland Co.

(Submitted photos)

Tags: news, windom, ffa, convention, proficiency, finalist