Gridley Future Farmers of America members Gracie Yost and Joe Schohr were in the Top Three in the state for Swine Production Entrepreneurship and Sheep Production Entrepreneurship, respectively. Photo courtesy of Gridley Future Farmers of America

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – Gridley students Joe Schohr, Gracie Yost and Gaby Roque claimed honors in their respective categories during the Future Farmers of America’s (FFA) California State Leadership Conference in Sacramento on April 3 through April 6.

About 7,000 students, advisors and guests from 368 Future Farmers of America chapters around the state attended the conference. Students showcased their Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE) and competed in a wide variety of divisions.

Schohr was the state winner in Diversified Livestock Production Proficiency and was in the top three for Sheep Production Entrepreneurship. There was an extensive application required, outlining Schohr’s skills and future plans. In addition, Schohr kept detailed records of his sheep and cattle projects for the last three years that were judged for the competition.

Finally, he had an interview in Sacramento. Schohr will be one of the four finalists at the national competition in Indianapolis, Indiana this October.

Gaby Roque is shown with her fifth-place ribbon for the El Credo (Spanish Future Farmers of America Creed) competition.  Photo courtesy of Gridley Future Farmers of America

The Schohr family has been farming for five generations.

“I’ve been involved in the farming industry ever since I can remember,” said Schohr. “I brought sheep into the family operation through 4-H when I was 9 years old. I started with a market lamb, then two ewes and developed my own herd of 30 sheep.”

Yost won third-place in Swine Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency. Yost has raised swine for four years, with three years in Future Farmers of America. She, too, has maintained exhaustive records on her swine project for judging. When asked how she felt about the competition, Yost responded, “Very exciting and nerve-wracking to be on stage.”

Joe Schohr displays his first-place plaque for Diversified Livestock Production Proficiency at state level. Photo courtesy of Gridley Future Farmers of America

Currently, Yost has one market hog but plans to have a small breeding operation with about 20 sows and two boars.

For the first time, Yost also served as a delegate at the conference, voting on important Future Farmers of America issues and for the state officers.

Roque, who competed in El Credo (Spanish Future Farmers of America Creed), finished fifth. She recited the Future Farmers of America creed in Spanish and answered three questions related to it, also in Spanish.

The event is timed, with four minutes for the presentation and a five-minute time limit for answering questions. This event promotes cultural awareness while furthering the Future Farmers of America values, as well as developing public speaking skills.