The Oklahoma Youth Expo launches an ag mechanics contest at 2020 show.
Oklahoma FFA students will be exhibiting and competing at the inaugural ag mechanics contest on 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 11 at the Oklahoma Expo Hall on the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds.
Over 100 projects were entered by over 200 Oklahoma FFA members throughout the state for this inaugural contest. Projects are designed, fabricated and built by the FFA students ranging from decorative projects, to custom built trailers and livestock equipment.
“There are some incredible projects students built that will be on display in OKC next week,” said Bray Haven, vice president of operations at the Oklahoma Youth Expo. “Agriculture is a vast and diverse industry and mechanics and fabrication is a large part of it.
“By creating the ag mechanics contest we plan to showcase the best and brightest students and their abilities to create functionable, custom built projects,” Haven said. “The skills students learn in the shop are priceless and help prepare many of these students for future careers in trade and technical fields.”
Exhibitors will bring their projects to the Oklahoma Youth Expo and will display them on March 11 beginning at 8 a.m. Exhibitors are required to build their project, provide an in depth portfolio showcasing their project including blue-prints, and will be judged on the execution and documentation of their project.
An awards ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 12 at the Barn 3 Sales Pavilion at the fairgrounds.
The top 5 projects in each division will be sold in an online auction on BigIron Auctions. Bidding will open April 1 and close April 22 with proceeds going back to exhibitors to help fund future projects and higher education goals.
“Industry leaders have rallied behind this contest as they see the true value of students developing real-world technical skills,” Haven said. “We are fortunate to have so many sponsors who choose to invest in our agriculture youth.
“Additionally, the investment our agricultural education instructors instill in their students will prepare them for their futures,” Haven said.
For more information on the ag mechanics contest and the Oklahoma Youth Expo, visit okyouthexpo.com.
— Written by JD Rosman
The Oklahoma Youth Expo is the largest youth event in the state of Oklahoma. As a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, more than 7,000 exhibitors, their educators and families travel to Oklahoma City each spring from all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties to exhibit their livestock projects. Throughout the course of the ten-day event, OYE has a $25 million impact on Oklahoma City. For more information about the Oklahoma Youth Expo visit okyouthexpo.com.