Perkins-Tryonffa Member Earns Forage Production State Proficiency Award

RELEASE DATE CONTACT: Kent Boggs

May 2, 2018405-743-5498

Perkins-TryonFFA Member Earns Forage Production State Proficiency Award

By Haley Ashwood, Media Intern

OKLAHOMA CITY –Kohl Murray of the Perkins-Tyron FFA Chapter earned first-place honors in the 2018 Oklahoma FFA Forage Production Proficiency Award area during the 92nd Oklahoma FFA Convention May 2.

Bryant Hague of the Edmond FFA Chapter and Trent Griggs of the Caney Valley FFA Chapter earned second- and third-place honors, respectively.

For his supervised agricultural experience, Murray has worked with two forage production operations, F4 Farms and Murray Farms.Each operation harvests hundreds of acres of forage land and Murray’s duties range from running swathers and balers to storing hay.

“Unassisted, he is now able to inspect, service and solely operate every piece of machinery and equipment on my farm,” said Brad Freie, owner of F4 farms. “This includes the self-propelled swather, rakes, round baler and moving and stacking large round bales.”

Murray said because his SAE is with two different farming operations, he has the opportunity to compare the types of farming methods within each operation and create his own unique method.

The forage production proficiency award is designed to recognize students who are involved in a supervised agricultural experience program related to the expansion, growth and hard work involved with all aspects of forage production.

The 19-year-old Perkins-Tryon FFA member is the son of Kurt Murray and Shawn Freie. His agricultural education instructors and FFA advisersareBrandon Brunker and Brad Chapman.

Murray is currently attending Oklahoma State University, studying agricultural education. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career teaching agricultural education in the state of Oklahoma.

The award is sponsored on the state level by Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma, the Noble Institute and Texoma Custom Baling, LLC. This event is sponsored on the national level by Claas of America.

FFA is an integral part of the Agricultural Education division in the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education system. With nearly 27,000 members and 360 chapters, the Oklahoma FFA Association is the fourth-largest state FFA association. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. To learn more about the Oklahoma FFA, visit okffa.org.

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Kohl Murray (not pictured) of the Perkins-Tryon FFA Chapter captured first-place honors in the 2018 Oklahoma FFA Forage Production State Proficiency Award area. Scott Eisenhauer (right) of the Oklahoma FFA Foundationcongratulates Trent Griggs(left) of the Caney Valley FFA Chapter and Bryant Hagueof the Edmond FFA Chapter, who received third and second place, respectively.

The award is sponsored on the state level by Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma, the Noble Research Institute and Texoma Custom Baling, LLC. This event is sponsored on the national level by Claas of America. The awards were presented at the 92nd Oklahoma FFA Convention in Oklahoma City May 2.