TULSA, Okla. — Three members of the Madill FFA Chapter earned first-place honorsinthe2025Oklahoma FFA Proficiency Awards Program during the 99th Oklahoma FFA Convention on May 7.
Bria Tyner:
Tyner’s supervised agricultural experience(SAE) started in 2023, reading books about agriculture at a work experience program with the Chickasaw Nation. She was named an “agricultural liaison” and has expanded her SAE to teach lessons to a local daycare, 4-H clubs and the Choctaw Head Start. Tyner’s students range in age from 2 years old to 10 years old. She uses hands-on learning techniques to better communicate and engage with all her students, she said. Tyner plans to pursue a degree in agricultural education, she said.
“Through my SAE, I have discovered that I truly enjoy teaching, discussing agriculture, and sharing my FFA experiences,” Tyner said. “Even after high school, I plan to continue to do so, as ithasbecomesomethingIam passionate about.”
The agricultural education proficiency award is designed to recognize students who are involved in an SAE related to agricultural education. SAEs related to education and Extension include, but are not limited to, youth mentoring, agricultural education departmental assistants, Partners in Active Learning Support mentors and student coordinators, students developing and conducting information materials and presentations for civic organizations and school-aged youth, and students who are involved in SAEs surrounding educating the public about the broad topics of agriculture, agricultural education and the FF.A The Madill FFA sophomore is the daughter of Jordan Sanders and Brianna Tyner. Her agricultural education instructors and FFA advisors are Michelle Harper, Bart Harper and Nick Hayes.
This award is sponsored by McDonald’s of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University Agricultural Education Workgroup and The Ted Fariss Family. The state winner’s $1,000 scholarship is sponsored by Oklahoma CareerTech Foundation.
Lauren Landgraf:
Landgraf’s supervised agriculturalexperience(SAE) involves her family’s pecan farm. The farm was started by her great-grandfather on 320 acres in Marshall County, Oklahoma. Her parents now own the farm as the third generation. The farmharvestsapproximately 180,000 pounds of pecans per year. Landgraf holds many responsibilities on the farm throughout the different seasons, including planting thepecans,pruningtreesand packaging the pecans to sell in the family’s store.
“My attention to detail has improved, allowing me to carefully use tweezers to plant delicate seeds and sprouts,” Landgraf said. “Since taking the initiative to become an employee, I also operate irrigation and wells, which require a high level of attention and can easily be damaged if operated incorrectly.
The fruit and nut production proficiency award is designed to recognize students who own the enterprise or work for a business that includes the most efficient management practices available to produce and market crops for fruits and nuts such as stone fruits, pome fruits, citrus fruits, pineapples, coconuts, berries, cranberries, melons, grapes, olives, nuts and all common fruits. Pome fruits include apples, mayhaws and pears. Stone fruits include peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries.
The Madill FFA senior is thedaughterofJeffandStacy Landgraf. Her agricultural education instructors and FFA advisors are Michelle Harper, Bart Harper and Nick Hayes. The award is sponsored at the state level by Energy Transfer and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The state winner’s $1,000 scholarship is sponsored by Masonic Charity Foundation.
Rylan Arnold:
Arnold’s supervised agricultural experience(SAE) started as a placement experience. As he worked for Hale’s Excavating and Martin Sand and Gravel, he saw a need for property improvement and cleanup services in his area. Arnold then saved money from his placement SAE to purchase a tractor and rent large equipment fromMartinSandandGravel to start his entrepreneurship SAE. He has developed the expertise to clear land, clean out barns and pens, spread and restore driveway gravel, and level dirt for pad sites, yards or farms. For his services, Arnold focuses on enhancing properties by using natural resources for improvement, he said.
“I’ve grown up in a family with deep agricultural roots, particularly in soil management and environmental work,” Arnold said. “This background gives me an advantage, and I genuinely love being outdoors and working in this field.”
The environmental science and natural resource management proficiency award is designed to recognize students who are involved in an SAE related toenvironmentalandnatural resourcesusingbestmanagement practices. This includes areas of management of agricultural water, recycling, environmental cleanup, land or wetland reclamation, serving in the conservation corps, managing agricultural energy usage and other natural resources.
The Madill FFA junior is the son of Martin and Mandy Arnold. His agricultural eduction instructors and FFA advisors are Michelle Harper, Bart Harper and Nick Hayes.
The award is sponsored on the state level by Ovintiv, the OklahomaFFAAlumniAssociation and Northeast Asbestos Management Services. The state winner’s $1,000 scholarship is sponsored by Public Service Company of Oklahoma.
FFA is an integral part of the Agricultural Education division in the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education system. With 29,500 members and 369 chapters,theOklahomaFFA Association is the sixth-largest state FFA association. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. To learn more about the Oklahoma FFA, visit okffa.org.