Youth News
Meet Your 2016 National Proficiency Award Winner in Goat Production- McKenzie Torrance of Cheyenne FFA
Mon, 24 Oct 2016 05:39:23 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 47 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 2016, Oklahoma had 17 finalists vying for national honors in the Proficiency categories- and three of them were named national champions on Friday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at the 89th National Convention of the FFA.
Winning the 2016 National Proficiency Award in Goat production was McKenzie Torrance of the Cheyenne FFA Chapter. Torrance started her goat production operation when she was 9 years old. That year, she purchased, exhibited and bred her first show doe. Her goal is to produce high-quality wethers and does capable of competing at county, district, state, and national shows.
Torrance has grown her herd mostly from show does she has retained toexhibit herself. Currently, her herd consists of 14 mature does and three raised show does.
Torrance described her business and involvement in the goat showring to Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays just moments after she heard her name called on stage on Friday afternoon- and you can hear their conversation by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below.
She is supported by her parents, Jamie and Nathan, and her FFA advisor, Tanner Thompson. This award is sponsored by Tractor Supply Company.
We are taking pictures throughout the 2016 Convention in Indianapolis- and you can go and see them all in our Flickr Album by clicking here.
Our exclusive coverage of the 89th annual National FFA Convention in Indianapolis 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.
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