ORIENT, Ohio — When Ohio FFAer Austin Wippel of Orient began his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), he had no idea his knowledge and love for hay would bring him national recognition at the 88th annual National FFA Convention & Expo.

"It was a total surprise to me," said Wippel, a junior agronomy student at The Ohio State University and a member of the Westfall FFA in Williamsport.

"I started with FFA in 2009 and even before FFA, I was baling 30 acres of straw before joining. I would keep some for myself and thought about the idea of selling the hay for a little profit."

He was one of thousands of FFA members at this year’s gathering. Each year the FFA gives out its American Star Awards (American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement and American Star in Agriscience). These are bequeathed to members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through completion of an SAE experience. Wippel was awarded the American Star Farmer award.

A required activity in FFA, an SAE allows students to learn by either owning and operating an agricultural business, working or serving in an internship at an agriculture-based business or conducting an agriculture-based scientific experience and reporting results.

Early on in FFA Wippel experimented with market steers in Pickaway County. Now 21, he owns and operates a hay baling business. He currently has 10 customers and 85 percent of his product goes to area farmers, with the remainder sold to a horse racing operation at a local fairgrounds. Wippel handles an average of 23,500 small square bales of hay and straw per year.

"My business has allowed me to see the importance of money management, equipment purchases and marketing strategies," he said. "The bales I make are small, tailored just for the horsemen who need that specific size."

In addition, he farms 65 acres of row crops. He tends to corn, soybeans and wheat on his 2,000-acre farm. Wippel will graduate from OSU in 2017 and plans to continue to diversity his business.

"My ultimate goal is to take over my family’s farm and add the row crops into it," he said.

Sixteen American Star award finalists from throughout the United States are nominated for a panel of judges to interview during the national convention and expo. One is selected from each of four categories and receives a $2,000 cash award.

"As a graduate of the program, he has really stood out and taken the time to come in over the years upon his graduation to fill out the awards applications," said Wippel’s FFA advisor, Jake Wuebber. "Just as any farmer has had to keep records on his crops, Austin has kept very good records of his SAE project, and that’s what this award is based on."

Other winners included William James Maltbie (Agribusiness) of Burlington FFA in Oklahoma, Eric Coddington (Ag Placement) of Montello FFA in Wisconsin and Justin Zahradka (Ag Science) of Park River FFA in North Dakota.