Tennessee Students Earn National Agribusiness Awards

Nashville , TN – Warren County High School graduate Eric Brown Hildreth was named the national winner of the Diversified Horticulture Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award at the 2006 National FFA Convention. Rutledge High School graduate Reed Williams was one of four finalists for the national Proficiency Award in Floriculture for Entrepreneurship/Placement. Proficiency awards recognize individuals who excelled in agribusiness while gaining hands-on career experience.

“Achieving this national distinction is an indication of the excellent foundation these students have in place to succeed in the agriculture business,” Tennessee Agricultural Education Consultant Steven Gass said. “With the guidance and instruction of advisors and teachers, they have established professional skills on which they can build a viable career.”

Both students now operate their own agricultural businesses. Hildreth leases 30 acres for raising and selling 750 white dogwoods. He is pursuing a degree in horticulture from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville . Williams owns and operates two greenhouses, a business he plans to expand.

FFA is a national youth organization preparing students for leadership careers in the science, business and the technology of agriculture. Each finalist received a plaque and a $500 award. National winners received an additional $500 award during a special ceremony at the convention. More than 490,000 students across the United States participate in FFA chapters each year.

Photos of award recipients are available upon request. For more information, please contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.