proficiency

This FFA Member Is Knocking Out Hunger

Meet Mason Finocchio, a 2018 national FFA proficiency finalist, who has taken a stand against hunger in his community. Most kids Mason Finocchio’s age are thinking about college, future careers and their plans for Friday night. Finocchio thinks about those things, too, but his primary concern is helping the less fortunate. “I found out that in my community, the poverty level is 18 percent, which is 4 percent higher than the national average,” says Finocchio. “Because of that, I decided to start a project through FFA dedicated to knocking out hunger in our community.” The recent graduate of Bald Eagle Area High School in Howard, Pa., was a finalist at the 2018 National FFA Convention & Expo for his proficiency in community development. Through this proficiency, which began in 2015, Finocchio raised nearly $10,000 to provide nutritious meals for students when they weren’t in school, as well as $500 for healthy snacks and 938 pounds of canned goods. By applying for the FFA Food for All grant, he has also involved his community with the project [...]

By |2019-12-19T10:05:50-05:00October 29th, 2018|Categories: Living to Serve, Premier Leadership, Proficiency, The Feed|Tags: , , , , |
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A Peculiar Proficiency With Llamas and Peacocks

This 2018 national FFA proficiency finalist shows the exotic side of agriculture. There are many FFA members who can say they grew up with livestock, whether it’s cattle or pigs, sheep or chickens. Not many can say they cared for llamas and peacocks in their childhood, however. One of this year’s Specialty Animal Production Proficiency Award finalists grew up with these exotic animals and incorporated them into her FFA experience. Cassidy Hacker of the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter in Minnesota said her father started the family’s llama operation when he bought a pair for her mother. When Hacker was 3 years old, she started caring for the llamas. A few years later, around kindergarten age, Hacker acquired the peacocks. “I went to an exotic bird sale with my dad,” she says. “They were so beautiful. I fell in love with them and decided I wanted to raise them.” Hacker is known as the Llama Girl in her area because she brings the llamas to community events. “I bring the llamas to county fair,” she says. “I bring [...]

By |2018-11-19T14:24:15-05:00October 29th, 2018|Categories: 91st National FFA Convention & Expo, Proficiency, The Feed|Tags: , , , , , |
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