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The Alabama FFA focuses on the development of Alabama’s future, the young people in our state. This is accomplished by utilizing several programs. Through career development events, proficiency awards, state and district officer positions, motivational speakers, recognition for star farmers, degrees, scholarships, crime prevention awards, the
M.K. Heath Animal Health Award, patriotism, ethics, etc. the Alabama FFA provides opportunities for Alabama’s young people to develop their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success.
Last month, the FFA career develop-ment events were discussed. This month, I would like to explain another of the larger areas mentioned above: profi-ciency awards. The purpose of these awards is to stimulate interest in the instructional program, stimulate interest in agricultural occupations, and reward FFA members for exceptional accom-plishments in progressing toward specific occupational objectives in agriculture.
ELIGIBILITY AND REGULATIONS:
Agricultural proficiency awards are available to all FFA members enrolled in high school Agriscience Education; members who have been out of high school not more than one year, and who have completed at least three full years of Agriscience Education, or all the Agriscience Education offered in the school are also eligible. Applications for these awards may include reports of activities and records completed up to January l of the year the application is submitted.
Consideration will be given to the applicant’s cumulative record in Agriscience Education and FFA and his/her supervised agricultural experience
(SAE) program. Also, applications should include achievement records that prove the applicant has developed abilities in the respective area for which the application is submitted. The first place winner in each of the agricultural proficiency awards will be eligible to compete for national awards.
You can select from two proficiency award categories. One is called “place-ment,” for work experience only SAE programs, such as working at a nursery or as an employee on a farm. The other, called “entrepreneurship,” is for pro-grams that typically involve ownership of an agricultural production or agribusiness enterprise. Such SAE programs could, for example, include crop or livestock production.
An FFA member is eligible for a placement proficiency award if the student’s work experience is on the family farm, family corporation, or family and/or other partnership. In no case shall a member be eligible for recognition in both entrepreneurship and placement categories in any proficiency award area for the same supervised agricultural experience program and site.
A member may be granted only one first place agricultural proficiency award on the state level per year and may receive the same kind of state award only once. All of the agricultural proficiency awards are individual awards. Chartered chapters are eligible to submit only one application in each of the proficiency award areas.
The following is a list of the profi-ciency areas that are recognized by the Alabama FFA Association along with a description of the eligible programs.
AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS
Programs that involve the design, construction, repair and maintenance of electrical motors, agricultural equipment and structures. Programs may include the use of electricity and energy management systems and the wiring of agricultural structures. Students doing similar work on their homes must seek recognition for their efforts through the Home and/or Community Development award category.
AGRICULTURAL SALES OR SERVICE
Programs that involve selling feed, seed, fertilizer or agricultural chemicals. Students can also own businesses that sell ag equipment, machinery or structures. Activities can include merchandising of crops, livestock, processed commodities, horticulture, or forestry items.
Service involves students who work in services offered though agricultural enterprises that deal with custom equipment operation and maintenance, agricultural management and finance services, animal breeding services, custom baling, crop scouting, horse shoeing, taxidermy, animal hospitals, custom or contract feeding.
BEEF PRODUCTION
Programs where FFA members employ the best management practices available for the efficient production and marketing of beef.
DAIRY PRODUCTION
Programs that use the best management practices available for the efficient production and marketing of quality dairy cattle and dairy products.
DIVERSIFIED CROP
PRODUCTION
Programs that will stimulate FFA members to employ the best management practices available for the efficient production and marketing of a combination of two or more crop related proficiency areas such as grain, fiber/oil, forage, specialty crop, non-horticultural vegetable or fruit production.
EQUINE SCIENCE
Programs which provide insight into horse production, breeding, marketing, showing and other aspects of the equine industry. Programs may also include calf roping, barrel racing, rodeo, racing, riding lessons and therapeutic horseback riding if horses are owned and/or managed by a member if horses are involved.
FLORICULTURE
Programs that result in FFA members using the best management practices available to efficiently produce and market field or greenhouse production of flowers, foliage, and related plant materials for ornamental purposes including the arranging, packaging, and marketing of these materials.
FOREST MANAGEMENT
AND PRODUCTS
Programs that result in FFA members adopting and using forestry practices that conserve and increase the productivity and economic value of a forest and/or forest products through such practices as thinning, pruning, weeding, stand improvement, insect and disease control, planting, harvesting. It can involve experiences with the Forest Service, Christmas tree farming as well as making and selling cedar shakes, firewood and wood chips/mulch.
FRUIT OR VEGETABLE
PRODUCTION
Programs that will give FFA members practical experience using the best management practices available to efficiently produce and market crops such as edible beans; pumpkins; sweet corn; berries; tomatoes; onions; watermelons; zucchini; hot peppers; all canning vegetables; potatoes (including yams); stone, pone and citrus fruits; pineapples; coconuts; nuts; berries and all common garden vegetables.
HOME AND/OR COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
Programs that typically involve improving and protecting the beauty of an area by using natural vegetation or commercial ornamental plants as well as modernizing the home for better health and comfort through installation or improvement of water and sanitary facilities, heating and air conditioning or labor saving devices.
LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT
Programs that involve experiences of planting and maintaining turf, plants and shrubs; landscaping and outdoor beautification; installing sprinklers and improvement of recreational areas.
NURSERY OPERATIONS
Programs which provide members with job entry experiences in such areas shrubs, trees or other plant production for the purpose of transplanting or propagation. It can include water garden plants produced for sale.
POULTRY PRODUCTION
Programs that stimulate FFA members to employ the latest management practices available for the efficient production and marketing of domestic fowl such as ducks, geese, and guinea; chickens as well as turkeys, and their products.
SHEEP PRODUCTION
Programs that will stimulate FFA members to employ the latest management practices available for the efficient production and marketing of sheep and wool.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
AND NATURAL RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
Programs which involve practical experiences in the principles and practices of managing and/or improving the environment and natural resources. Activities can involve managing agriculture waste, recycling agriculture products, cleaning the environment or serving in the conservation corps. This area can involve wildlife surveys, erosion prevention practices, public relations, and pollution education, land use regulations, water and air quality measures.
SPECIALTY ANIMAL
PRODUCTION
Programs that employ the best management practices available for the efficient production and marketing of animals covered by none of the existing award categories such as bees, goats, mules, donkeys, miniature horses, meat rabbits, mink, fish, worms, ostriches, emus or alpacas or llamas. Placement experiences can involve working at a zoo or at a specialty animal facility.
SWINE PRODUCTION
Programs that will stimulate FFA members to employ the best management practices available for the efficient production and marketing of swine.
TURF GRASS MANAGEMENT
Programs that provide FFA members with job entry experiences concerned with the principles and practices involved in planting and maintaining turf, for outdoor beautification, owning a lawn-mowing service, improving recreational areas, sod produced for sale and managing golf courses.
WILDLIFE PRODUCTION AND
MANAGEMENT
Programs that improve the availability of fish and wildlife through practices such as stocking of fish or wild game or those that develop new or improve of existing land and water habitat for wildlife. This proficiency can include experiences with Fish and Wildlife Departments and the Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife, wild species of ducks, geese, quail, and pheasants are eligible in this area if used in an income enterprise.
SPECIAL AGRICULTURAL PROFICIENCY AWARD AREAS
Applications will be accepted in the following 13 Agricultural Proficiency areas for the purpose of selecting a first place winner only.
Agricultural Communications – Entrepreneurship/Placement
Agricultural Education – Entrepreneurship/Placement
Agricultural Processing – Entrepreneurship/Placement
Aquaculture – Entrepreneurship/ Placement
Diversified Agricultural Production – Entrepreneurship/Placement
Diversified Horticulture – Entrepreneurship/Placement
Diversified Livestock Production – Entrepreneurship/Placement
Emerging Agricultural Technology – Entrepreneurship/Placement
Fiber and/or Oil Crop Production – Entrepreneurship/Placement
Food Science and Technology – Entrepreneurship/Placement
Forage Production – Entrepreneurship/ Placement
Grain Production – Entrepreneurship/ Placement
Outdoor Recreation – Entrepreneurship/ Placement
Small Animal Production and Care – Entrepreneurship/Placement
Specialty Crop Production – Entrepreneurship/Placement
I hope that this information has helped explain another opportunity that is available to FFA members in our state. Thanks for visiting this article again. I hope you look forward to the next edition. Don’t forget to check out the events to remember list and plan to attend one of them to show your support for Alabama’s young
people.
Jacob Davis is the Executive Secretary of the Alabama FFA Association. |
