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Gateway Gardeners and Businesses in the News FFA Award Winners
Each year the Missouri Future Farmers of America (FFA) awards statewide Proficiency Awards that recognize FFA members who excel as agricultural entrepreneurs, employees or volunteers while gaining hands-on career experience. The Missouri Green Industry Alliance (MoGIA) a statewide green industry group with many local members, sponsors two of these awards. In the Nursery O p e r a t i o n s c a t e g o r y , Josephine Horne of Silex, Missouri, was the state winner. Horne, a graduate of Elsberry R-II High School, has worked at Forrest Keeling Nursery in Elsberry as part of her supervised agricultural experience program. Her responsibilities include planting and moving trees, pruning, watering, and pulling weeds. Horne observes and treats any trees or plants suffering from disease, insect damage or improper nutrition. She learned how to identify the trees by studying the characteristics of their bark, leaves and branch formation. In FFA, Horne competed at the state level in the poultry, agronomy and grasslands evaluation career development events. She is a graduate of Helping Youth Maximize Agricultural eXperiences Academy and Public Speaking Academy. Horne attended Washington Leadership Conference, National FFA Convention & Expo, Missouri FFA Convention and State FFA Leadership Camp. She also exhibited at the Missouri State Fair and North American International Livestock Exposition. Horne is currently attending Saint Louis University, St. Louis, where she is studying biochemistry and focusing on the pre-medical 20
curriculum. Horne said, when she is home from college, she will continue working at the nursery. In the Landscape Management Proficiency Award category, Seth Evan Hildebrand of Marshfield was the State award recipient. Hildebrand, a senior at Marshfield High School, is a member of the Marshfield FFA Chapter, and his supervised a g r i c u l t u r a l experience involved managing his own mowing crew at Dunn Mowing & Landscaping, LLC, Marshfield. He maintains yards through mowing, trimming, pruning and removing trees. He is responsible for ensuring the direction and safety of his crew. Hildebrand continues improving his customer-service skills to ensure every customer is satisfied with his work and the work of his crew. Hildebrand said the favorite parts of his job are diagnosing and repairing equipment. In FFA, Hildebrand currently serves as chapter treasurer and previously served as chapter parliamentarian. In 2018, Hildebrand won the Area 10 Turf Grass Management Proficiency Award. He attended National FFA Convention & Expo, and Missouri FFA Convention. After graduating high school, Hildebrand plans to further establish his own business, Hildbrand’s Tree Works. Hildebrand said he hopes to have a recognizable community business and wants to be able to offer employee benefits.
Mineral Area College Discontinues Ag Program The Mineral Area College agriculture program has been eliminated, effective June 30, 2021, along with numerous other programs due to extreme budget limitations caused in part by the effects of COVID-19 on enrollment and student The Gateway Gardener™ MARCH 2021
