DANVILLE — Ethan Swendal was recently recognized at the 98th Ohio FFA State Convention for placing third in the state for his forage production proficiency.
Swendal manages roughly 200 acres of hay ground where he is responsible for all aspects of production, from planting to marketing.
To be a state finalist, he had to submit a lengthy application explaining his operation. From there, Swendal had to explain his operation and his application to the judges to secure his final placing.
Swendal is also a member of the General Livestock CDE, in which students recognize quality production animals.
The skills students learn in evaluating general livestock should make them better livestock producers and consumers by providing hands-on, practical experience in identifying and understanding characteristics that affect production and quality.
This year’s team had seven members: Swendal, Sierra Shields, Kolby Buckley, Brooklyn Ashman, Maycee Samples, Hailey King and Julian Ball.
At the Mount Gilead invitational, the first of the year, the team placed 11th out of over 50 teams. Kolby Buckley placed 11th individually out of nearly 300 competitors.
Following are the results of the team’s other competitions:
— OSU ATI General Livestock Invite: The team earned a banner for their third-place finish out of 56 teams. Swendal placed sixth out of roughly 200 competitors.
— Champaign County Invite: The team placed 12th out of 120 teams, with Swendal placing 12th individually out of 550 competitors.
–Miami Trace Invitational: Led by Buckley, who placed 19th out of 382 competitors, the team placed 10th out of 78 teams.
— Ashland Invite: The team placed sixth out of 52 teams. Shields and Samples placed first and fifth, respectively, out of more than 200 competitors.
The team placed 28th in the state out of 200 teams that competed, with Buckley leading the way at 35th individual out of over 950 competitors.