Pace Mittlestaedt of the Amber-Pocasset FFA Chapter was named the winner of the 2018 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers High School Discussion Meet held July 17 during the Oklahoma State University Big Three Field Days in Stillwater.
The other top four finalists included Rio Bonham of Madill FFA, Cade Jenlink of Timberlake FFA, and Jaycee Shelburne of Durant FFA.
“From learning more about agricultural issues to developing key discussion skills, the high school students that participate in this contest walk away with critical skills they’ll use well into the future,” said Brent Haken, OKFB YF&R vice chair. “As a committee, we’re proud to invest in these bright young leaders in agriculture.”
The high school discussion meet allows high school students to participate in an event that builds basic discussion skills, develops an understanding of agricultural issues, and explodes how groups can pool knowledge to find solutions. The contest was open to high school junior and senior FFA and 4-H members.
The event participants competed in two rounds of discussion before being narrowed to the final four. As top four finalists, the students earned $1,500, $1,000, $500 and $250 college scholarships.
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers program allows members of Farm Bureau, between the ages of 18 and 35, to develop leadership skills, to be involved in their local communities, to compete in contests to win valuable prizes and to develop long lasting friendships with people from across the state and country. To learn more about OKFB’s YF&R program, visit www.okfarmbureau.org/yfr.
