Freund wins Dairy Production Placement Proficiency

CONTACT INFORMATION

COLUMBIA, Mo., April 16th, 2026 – Ryan Freund of Concordia won the Missouri FFA Dairy Production – Placement Proficiency Award at the 98th Missouri FFA State Convention.

Freund, a senior at Concordia R-II High School, is the son of Paul and Joyce Freund. He is a member of the Concordia FFA Chapter. His advisor is Paige Keith.

Freund’s supervised agricultural experience (SAE) involves working on the Freund Dairy Farm, where he is responsible for almost all daily dairy operations which includes milking cows, feeding livestock, moving cattle and assisting with crop production activities such as feeding hay and the forage management. He also assists with herd health tasks, including vaccinations, tagging newborn calves and monitoring the animal well-being. In addition to this, Freund maintains detailed herd records using farm management systems to track the breeding dates, health treatments and some of the production data.

Through his SAE, Freund has gained hands-on experience in animal care, dairy herd management and agricultural record keeping. He has developed skills in animal health management, sustainable forage production and the overall dairy farm operations while contributing to the productivity of the family farm.

Freund has been an active FFA member since 2022 and has participated in agricultural education coursework since his freshman year. With his experiences in the dairy industry he has strengthened his interest in pursuing a future career in agriculture, with goals centered around herd management and continuing to support the long-term success of his home family’s dairy operation.

Proficiency awards help recognize FFA members who excel as agricultural entrepreneurs, employees or volunteers while gaining hands-on career experience. Dairy Production – Placement is one of the 45 proficiency award areas recognized at the state level. Midwest Dairy 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.

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