Eads wins Diversified Agricultural Production Proficiency

CONTACT INFORMATION

COLUMBIA, Mo., April 16, 2026 – Bo Eads of Trenton won the Missouri FFA Diversified Agricultural Production Proficiency Award at the 98th Missouri FFA Convention.

Eads, a senior at Gilman City R4 High School, is the son of Brandon and Jena Eads. He is a member of the Gilman City FFA Chapter. His advisor is Dan Chalfant.

Eads’ supervised agricultural experience consists of a large-scale row crop operation alongside cattle and goat enterprises. He currently farms 715 acres of corn and soybeans, managing all aspects of the operation from negotiating cash rent prices with local landowners to making equipment and financial decisions. His livestock operation includes a herd of 25 Sim-Angus cows and a bull, from which he raises and sells calves annually. Additionally, Eads manages a trader cattle business, where he purchases individual cows from sale barns to group together and resell for profit.

As an FFA member, Eads serves as the Gilman City FFA Chapter President and was named the Star Chapter Farmer. Eads has participated in various Career Development Events, including Farm Management, Agronomy and Forestry.

In addition to FFA, Eads is a member of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, member of his school’s honor roll, and has held several class officer positions. He also competes on his school’s basketball and baseball teams.

Eads plans to continue his farming career after high school by returning to his family’s fourth-generation farm, with a goal of expanding the family’s farm to 4,000 acres.

Proficiency awards recognize FFA members who excel as agricultural entrepreneurs, employees, or researchers while gaining real-world, hands-on experience in agriculture. Diversified Agricultural Production is one of 45 proficiency award areas recognized at the state level. MTI Greenhouse Solutions sponsors this award.

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.

#  #  #

Click upper-right “Pop-out” icon to download full-sized photo