FFA Proceedings 2002 - National FFA Organization

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Stars Over America
of expertise, only one
in each of four areas
emerges from the
interviews as a Star:
Star Farmer, Star in
Agribusiness, Star in
Agricultural
Placement and Star
in Agriscience.
Star Farmer
6
They are considered the best of the best. On Friday evening, 16
members were recognized as finalists for the Stars Over America
awards for outstanding achievements in their respective supervised
agricultural experience programs (SAEs). The Star awards recognize
students who have developed outstanding agricultural skills and
competencies through their career development programs, demonstrated
outstanding management skills, earned the American FFA
Degree and met other agricultural education, scholarship and leadership
requirements.
Each finalist receives $1,000 from the National FFA Foundation
and has the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica as part of an international
experience tour. While all of the finalists excel in their area
Chad V. Ledbetter
Morris FFA
Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Instead of the traditional birthday
presents, Ledbetter’s grandfather
gave him cows and cow-calf pairs. By
the time Ledbetter entered high
school, his herd numbered more
than 60 head. Today, he operates a
diversified farm with more than
1,000 cattle and thousands of acres
of cropland.
In a farming partnership with his
father, he retains his own trucks,
trailers, combine, tractor and grain
equipment. The farm yields 105,000
bushels of corn, 35,000 bushels of
soybeans and 42,000 bushels of
wheat yearly.
PHOTOS BY ED ZURGA
PHOTO BY ED ZURGA
Orrin Holle
Atwood FFA
Oberlin, Kansas
It may sound strange, but the winner of the 2003 American Star Farmer
award has never purchased a cow. Rather, Holle has found it cheaper to purchase
and breed yearling heifers, watching a cow’s value increase to $1,100,
with the cost of raising the cow totaling only $650. Holle’s operation now consists
of more than 100 feeder calves and 900 acres of farm ground, an outstanding
growth from only two calves he purchased when he was 12.
Michael N. Brooks
Woodstown FFA
Elmer, New Jersey
As an eighth-generation farmer,
Brooks is able to draw experience
from his family farming operation
and membership in FFA to turn an
ordinary job into an entrepreneurial
project.
Brooks’ skills and knowledge have
given him the ability to raise vegetable
crops for a profit while
expanding his acreage in an area of
the country known for urban
encroachment and high land values.
He used the proceeds from his vegetable
operation to establish an agricultural
trucking company to transport
farm products.
★
Michael Wellens
Chaska FFA
Carver, Minnesota
★
Wellens quickly learned that
education plays a large role in the
success of a farming operation after
he watched his own enterprise grow
from seven soybean acres at the time
he entered high school to more than
600 acres last year. Not only did his
acreage increase, but Wellens’
agricultural efficiencies grew as well.
He has learned to market
commodities and recognize the
importance of analyzing records to
make future decisions.