Congratulations to the following Olympia FFA members who competed in the Section 9Proficiencies on Wednesday, February 16, 2022: Section winners included Isabelle Forrest (Ag Processing), Blake Buatte (Small Animal Care & Production), and Reid Glaser (Landscape Management). Isabelle (3rd), Blake (4th), and Reid (2nd) also competed at District 2 Proficiencies at Joliet Junior College on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. Other competitors included: Kailey Little (Food Service), Adam Swartzendruber (Ag Mech Design & Fabrication), Tarah Hilt (Equine), Brooke Rogers (Goat production), Reid Glaser (also in Ag Mech Repair & Maintenance), and Reed Naughton (Ag Services and Beef Production). Each student kept detailed records through their individual experiences and had an interview with 2-3 judges to determine the accuracy and individuality of their books.
The National FFA Organization describes the Proficiency Career Development Event as an
“Agricultural Proficiency Award that honors FFA members who, through their supervised
agricultural experiences (SAE’s), have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward
their future careers. Students can compete for awards in almost 50 areas covering everything
from agricultural communications to wildlife management. There are three main types of
proficiency awards, those include Placement (employment, apprenticeships, or internships at an agriculture-related organization), Entrepreneurship (ownership of an agriculture-related
enterprise), and Research (planning and conducting an agriculturally based scientific
experiment).