Garber FFA Member Earns Grain Production Entrepreneurship State Proficiency Award

RELEASE DATECONTACT: Kent Boggs

May 2, 2018405-743-5498

Garber FFA Member Earns Grain Production Entrepreneurship State Proficiency Award

By Haley Ashwood, Media Intern

OKLAHOMA CITY –Caleb Hatch of the GarberFFA Chapter earned first-place honors in the 2018Oklahoma FFA Grain Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award area during the 92ndOklahoma FFA ConventionMay 2.

Trenton Minson of the Vinita FFA Chapter earned second-place honors in the contest.

For his supervised agricultural experience, Hatch rents 55 acres of wheat ground. This land allows Garber FFA members to plantand harvest Ruby Lee wheat.

“Caleb is a hard-working young man who is knowledgeable about the wheat process,” said Cassie Graham, Garber FFA adviser. “He is very independent when it comes to managing his operations.”

Hatch works for his uncle at Sneary Farms to pay for the rent and expenses of his wheat land, hesaid.

The grain production proficiency entrepreneurship award is designed to recognize students who are involved in a supervised agricultural experience related using the best management practices to produce and market crops efficiently for grain production.The crops can include corn, barley, millet, buckwheat, oats, grain sorghum, milo, wheat, rice or rye.

After graduation, Hatch plans to continue farming and ranching to pursue his dream of being a successful grain producer.

The 16-year-oldGarber FFA member is the son of Brian Hatch and Amanda Jones. His agricultural education instructor and FFA adviseris Cassie Graham.

This award is sponsored on the state level by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, CHS, Tom Glazier of Loyal, Oklahoma, and P&K Equipment. This event is sponsored on the national level by Valent USA Corporation. In addition, the state winner receives a $1,000 scholarship sponsored by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission.

FFA is an integral part of the Agricultural Education division in the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education system. With nearly 27,000 members and 360 chapters, the Oklahoma FFA Association is the fourth-largest state FFA association. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. To learn more about the Oklahoma FFA, visit okffa.org.

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Caleb Hatch(left) of the Garber FFA Chapter receivedfirst-place honors in the 2018 Oklahoma FFA Grain Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award area. Mike Peters (right) of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission and CHS as well as Mike Schulte (second from right) of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission and Tom Glazier(center) congratulateHatch and Trenton Minson of the Vinita FFA Chapter, who received second place.