Hammett named state winner in goat production proficiency award area

CONTACT INFORMATION

COLUMBIA, Mo., April 18, 2024 – Lauren Hammett of Ashland won the Missouri FFA Goat Production Proficiency Award at the 96th Missouri FFA Convention. 

Hammett, a junior at Ashland High School, is the daughter of Nick and Rebekah Hammett. She is a member of the Ashland FFA Chapter. Her FFA advisors are Rebekah Hammett and Jeff Suthoff. 

Hammett’s supervised agricultural experience program consists of owning and managing a commercial Boer goat herd. In 2018, Hammett purchased five commercial boer does from an Ashland FFA member. Over the past three years, she has kidded between 10-20 does each winter, while watching her herd grow in numbers and quality. 

As an FFA member, Hammett served as the Area IV FFA Secretary. She also attended Area IV Officer Institute. 

In addition to FFA, Hammett is a member of National Honor Society, the American Boer Goat Association and Missouri Junior Cattleman’s Association. She also volunteers at the Central Missouri Food Bank and the American Red Cross. 

Hammett plans to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia to study biochemistry and eventually medicine.

Proficiency awards recognize FFA members who excel as agricultural entrepreneurs, employees or volunteers while gaining hands-on career experience. Goat production is one of 46 proficiency award areas recognized at the state level. The Missouri FFA Foundation sponsored the award.

The Missouri FFA has 26,830 members representing 362 chapters. The national organization has more than 945,000 members representing 9,163 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

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