Youth News
Introducing Rio Bonham of the Madill FFA Chapter, Your 2019 Southeast Area Star in Ag Production
Fri, 26 Apr 2019 10:21:22 CDT
During the month of April, the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and Oklahoma Farm Report is spotlighting the twenty Area Stars of Oklahoma FFA that are among the highest achievers in the organization. The stars come from the five areas in four categories- Star in Ag Placement, Star in Agriscience, Star in Agribusiness and Star in Production Agriculture. This week, we spotlight the five area stars in Ag Production for 2019. One Star Finalist featured in the coming days from each of the categories, will be named the State Star Award Winner next week during the Oklahoma State FFA Convention coming up April 30 - May 1, 2019 in Oklahoma City.
We wrap up our coverage today of the 2019 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists with Rio Bonham of the Madill FFA Chapter, your Southeast Area Star in Ag Production. Rio runs a small cow/calf operation with red angus cattle from his family's ranch in Wyoming and integrated a black angus bull to increase marketability in this area. He says he prides himself on quality genetics over quantity.
Bonham's ranching operation has taught him many valuable management strategies.
"I've learned that preventative management is a lot more successful than reactionary," Rio said. "Making sure you have that vaccination program in place, parasite program in place, so that you're not having to deal with the negative consequences later on."
Rio's herd is up to nine head these days, having started originally with just three.
He also loves participating in public speaking contests, FFA's environmental science career development events and tries to take as many other opportunities to get involved as he can. Serving as Madill FFA Chapter president, he says he like to encourage younger members.
"I like to not only talk to them and show them all the different opportunities that I found through FFA, but also lead by example," he said. "I make sure that I'm at all the activities that we do and try to be as involved as I can be to get what I need to get out of FFA but also show the younger members that there are all these wonderful opportunities out there."
This fall Rio will go to OSU and major in Agricultural Engineering with the Environmental Life Science focus. He's got a special goal in mind.
"I want to really focus on how we can improve our water shed and figure out better agricultural practices that not only give the producer that increased yield they need, but help the environment as well," Rio concluded.
You can hear his entire conversation with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, by clicking or tapping on the LISTEN BAR below.
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