Youth News
Oklahoma FFA Honors Pawnee's Hayden Skidgel as Star in Agricultural Placement Winner
Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:16:11 CDT
Pawnee FFA member Hayden Skidgel pursues his passion for agricultural sales by continuing the family tradition of working at his grandparent's feed mill.
Because of his hard work and dedication to his family's feed mill, Skidgel has secured one of Oklahoma FFA's highest honors: the 2014 State Star in Agricultural Placement. Skidgel's supervised agricultural experience project was rated the best in agricultural placement among the 726 FFA members who received the State FFA Degree during the 88th annual State FFA Convention on April 30. (Skidgel spoke with Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays. You can hear their conversation by clicking on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story.)
Skidgel's interest in agricultural sales began at an early age when he would feed cattle with his father. Feeding cattle not only piqued his interest in the agriculture industry but also taught him how feed was made from start to finish, he said.
His main duties at Stockman's Mill and Grain Inc. in Pawnee encompass everything from cleaning and maintaining equipment to grinding and bagging feed, Skidgel said.
"Over 50 percent of my time at work is spent bagging feed," Skidgel said. "It is not an automated process, and it is very labor intensive. The feed is weighed into 50-pound bags, sewn shut, and stacked in stacks of 10 before it is wheeled to its proper storage location."
Skidgel credited his success to his grandfather's knowledge and experience in the animal nutrition industry.
"It is an assurance that my involvement in agriculture will not stop when I take my FFA jacket off for the last time," Skidgel said. "I'm going to keep going and moving forward to provide for my children the same opportunity that FFA has given to me."
In addition to his award, Skidgel received the Governor's Trophy and a $1,500 cash award sponsored by the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives.
The 18-year-old Pawnee FFA member is the son of Dwayne and Lori Skidgel. His agricultural education instructor and FFA adviser is Brian Skidgel. After graduation, Hayden Skidgel plans to attend the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology and pursue a pipeline integrity degree. Upon graduating with an associate's degree, Skidgell intends to transfer to Oklahoma State University and earn a degree in agribusiness.
Complete coverage of the 2014 Oklahoma State Convention can be followed on the Blue Green Gazette- Click here to jump to the Blue Green Gazette.
Our coverage of the 2014 Oklahoma FFA state contests and the 88th Annual Convention is brought to you in part by your Oklahoma Ford Dealers, a Platinum Level Title Sponsor of the 2014 Convention! Click here to learn more about why Ford is Best in Oklahoma!
By Hope Hancock
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