Three NCHS FFA Members Win State Proficiency Awards

By Alex Johannes, Chapter Reporter

The Nashville Community High School FFA Chapter recently returned from their state proficiency contest, held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on March 24.

Nine members of the chapter competed at the state level competition (Look HERE For More), and three members, Austin Schorfheide, Zach Williamson and Cole Herrmann, were recognized as State Proficiency Winners.

Schorfheide

Austin Schorfheide of the Nashville FFA Chapter was named the Illinois FFA State Proficiency winner in Diversified Crop Production Entrepreneurship, from his project on the 300 acres of corn and soybeans he raises and the wheat and double crop soybeans he has also raised.
Austin got started in this SAE by renting about 200 acres from his family farm.
In his project, Austin is responsible for producing a successful crop, from planning inputs to tillage and planting in the spring to harvesting in the fall, to the winter when he markets and sells his crops to his local FS elevator.
Austin is a member of the Nashville FFA Chapter of the Illinois Association FFA.
Austin is the son of Brent and Jenee Schorfheide, and was selected as the State Winner by a committee of agriculture industry representatives and teachers knowledgeable in this work-based area.
Receiving this honor now makes him eligible to compete in the National FFA Awards Selection process in July of 2018. Austin was previously chosen as the Chapter, Section and District awardee is this area.

Williamson

Zach Williamson of the Nashville FFA Chapter was named the Illinois FFA State Proficiency winner in Grain Production Placement, from his project where he worked for Schnitker Farms a 22,000 acre farm based out of Hoyleton, and currently works for Habbe Farms, a 5,000 acre grain farm based out of Nashville.
Zach performs various tasks that range from working in the shop, preparing equipment for planting and harvest, to operating equipment like tillage tools, planters, and combines.
Zach has worked his way up from basic tasks, such as servicing equipment, and running small equipment to more complex tasks like planting and combining.
Zach is a member of the Nashville FFA Chapter of the Illinois Association FFA.
Zach is the son of Haeli and Jeff Williamson and was selected as the State Winner by a committee of agriculture industry representatives and teachers knowledgeable in this work-based area.
Receiving this honor now makes him eligible to compete in the National FFA Awards Selection process in July of 2018. Zach was previously chosen as the Chapter, Section and District awardee is this area.

Herrmann

Cole Herrmann of the Nashville FFA Chapter was named the Illinois FFA State Proficiency Award in Diversified Horticulture from his project on the 9,000 mums he and his family grow at Country Kids Pumpkin Patch.
Cole is a member of the Nashville FFA Chapter of the Illinois Association FFA.
Cole is the son of Charlene and Carl Herrmann, was selected as the State Winner by a committee of agriculture industry representatives and teachers knowledgeable in this work-based area.
Receiving this honor now makes him eligible to compete in the National FFA Awards Selection process in July of 2018. Cole was previously chosen as the Chapter, Section and District awardee is this area.
Schorfheide, Williamson and Herrmann’s Agricultural Education teacher and FFA Advisor is Mrs. Julie Bond-Ledford of Nashville Community High School.
The Illinois FFA recognizes students in fifty different areas based on their work-based learning, also known as Supervised Agricultural Experience Program or SAEP.
FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies thorough record keeping, leadership, and scholastic achievement may be considered for this award.
SAEs allow students to learn by doing by either owning and operating an agricultural business, working or serving an internship at an agriculture-based business or conducting an agriculture-based scientific experiment and reporting results.
These three state proficiency winners will receive plaques for their accomplishments at the Illinois FFA Convention on June 13, 2018 in Springfield.
These plaques are made possible through gifts by individuals, businesses, corporations and organizations through the Illinois Foundation FFA.