FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, July 24, 2009

For more information contact:
Bill Clary

(502) 564-1137

TWO SPENCER COUNTY FFA MEMBERS
AMONG AMERICAN STAR FINALISTS

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Two of the 16 National FFA American Star finalists are members of Spencer County FFA, the National FFA Organization has announced.

“I want to congratulate Andrew Baird and Stephanie Mitchell on this outstanding achievement,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. “This is the first time Kentucky has had two American Star finalists in the same year, and having them come from the same chapter is even more remarkable. These young people are to be commended for their hard work and discipline.

“It’s also important to thank their families and their FFA advisors for the support that made it possible for Andrew and Stephanie to succeed.”

Baird is one of four finalists nationwide for the American Star Farmer award, National FFA’s highest honor. His supervised agricultural experience (SAE) is dairy production. He is the son of Bland Baird, one of the advisors to the Spencer County FFA chapter. The other advisor, D.J. Matherly, said Baird also raises corn, alfalfa and mixed hay on the family farm. Andrew Baird was a junior at the University of Louisville in 2008-09.

Nicholas Hardesty of Meade County became the first Kentuckian to earn the American Star Farmer award in 2007.

Mitchell is one of four finalists nationwide for American Star in Agriscience. Matherly said Mitchell has done research in entomology at the University of Kentucky and zoology at Bellarmine University. She was a junior at UK last year.

The National FFA Organization selected four finalists in each of four categories: American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement, and American Star in Agriscience. The organization received some 2,500 applications for the 16 finalist slots. Finalists for the American Star Farmer awards are chosen based on each applicant’s SAE and career preparation exercises during their FFA careers. Each American Star finalists receives a $2,000 award from the National FFA Organization.

The American Star awards will be announced at the 82nd annual National FFA Convention Oct. 21-24 in Indianapolis. Each winner will receive an additional $2,000.

Kansas and Wisconsin each had three finalists. No other state had more than one.

Kentucky has 14,500 FFA members in its 145 chapters statewide. FFA has more than 500,000 members across the nation.

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