Small wins state FFA extemporaneous public speaking competition

CONTACT INFORMATION

COLUMBIA, Mo., April 17, 2026 — Gracie Small of the Linn County FFA Chapter wins in the extemporaneous public speaking leadership development event at the 98th Missouri FFA Convention. Sixteen students from six districts were selected to compete at the state level. The Linn County FFA advisor is Peyton Neimeier.

Past State Officers sponsor the competition, which requires contestants to deliver a speech based on an agriculture topic they have selected and researched. Participants have 30 minutes to prepare their four- to six-minute speeches. An additional five minutes of questions are included as part of the overall competition. The event helps students to polish logical thinking and verbal skills needed in the classroom.

The Missouri FFA has 27,000 members representing 369 chapters. The national organization has more than 1,042,245 members representing 9,407 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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