Youth News
Meet Your 2015 National Proficiency Award Winner in Turf Grass Management- Blake Goss of Leedey FFA
Sat, 31 Oct 2015 21:55:29 CDT
The Agricultural Proficiency Awards honor FFA members who, through their Supervised Agricultural Experiences have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers. Students can compete for awards in 49 areas covering everything from Agricultural Communications to Wildlife Management. Each award area has two categories, placement and entrepreneurship- although in some award area- those two categories are combined.
Placement proficiency awards are given to those whose SAEs are related to employment, apprenticeships, or internships at an agribusiness or agriculture-related organization. Entrepreneurship proficiency awards are given to those whose SAEs are related to ownership of an agribusiness or agriculture-related organization. Proficiency awards are given out at the local, state and national levels.
Here in 2015, Oklahoma had 16 finalists vying for national honors in the Proficiency categories- and five of them were named national champions on Friday afternoon in Freedom Hall at the 88th National Convention of the FFA organization. Oklahoma was tied for the third most National winners this year, with only Ohio (9) and Georgia (6) claiming more.
One of the five award winners from Oklahoma was Blake Goss- taking the national title in Turf Grass Management- Entrepreneurship.
Blake Goss of the Leedey FFA Chapter in Oklahoma has his own lawn care business mowing several residential and commercial properties. He's learned how to care for turf and how to maneuver proper mowing techniques throughout the various seasons. He's also developed the ability to research and purchase the proper equipment needed for maintaining specific client's yards. Goss employs certain plant species that are drought resistant. He is supported by his parents, Danna and Kent, and FFA advisor Jay Muret. This award is sponsored by John Deere.
After the announcement on the stage of the National Convention in Louisville, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays talked with Blake about his lawn mowing operation that has become a great cash generator for this Leedey FFA member. You can listen to their conversation from Louisville by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below.
2015 has been a great year for the Leedey FFA member, who was named the Oklahoma Star Farmer at the 2015 Oklahoma State FFA Convention this past May. Click here to read our story from May- our report includes both a video played at the State Convention as well as our off camera audio conversation with the State Star about his four pronged enterprise- a swine operation, miniature Hereford operation, a lawn care service and a livestock tracker app.
Our exclusive coverage of the 2015 National FFA Convention in Louisville is a service of ITC, Your Energy Superhighway. Learn more about ITC Great Plains, LLC by clicking here. We also appreciate the support of the Oklahoma FFA Association and the Oklahoma FFA Alumni Association. Click here for more information about one of the top states in the US in the FFA- the Oklahoma FFA Association. Oklahoma FFA impacts the lives of 27,154 members in 359 chapters across the state.
We are also posting pictures from the 2015 National FFA Convention- you can see all of those as we add them by going to our Flickr Album- it is available by tapping or clicking here.
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