Carson Cooper Named FFA State Champion

West Carroll Jr./Sr. High School student Carson Cooper is a Future Farmers of America (FFA) Tennessee state champion, as of last week’s state FFA convention in Gatlinburg. He placed first in the FFA Beef Production Supervised Agricultural Experience competition.

Supervised Agricultural Experiences, commonly known as SAEs, are a key component of agricultural education and the FFA organization. These student-led projects provide opportunities for students to gain practical experience, develop career skills and explore potential pathways in agriculture.

Cooper first earned the title of West Tennessee Regional winner, advancing to the state level where he was selected as the top competitor in his category.

Cooper’s project focused on beef production placement through his family farm.

Cooper helps manage and background 650 feeder steers for market. His responsibilities include daily feeding, monitoring herd health, tracking growth rates and ensuring each animal receives proper nutrition for optimal performance.

Beyond daily care, Carson analyzes market trends and helps make decisions on when to sell to maximize profitability. In addition to the feeder steer operation, Carson contributes to managing the family’s commercial cow-calf herd, focusing on improving genetics to enhance meat quality and overall herd health.

His experience has provided him with valuable skills in beef production, business management and sustainable agriculture—skills he plans to continue developing as he grows the operation in the future.

West Carroll’s FFA chapter was also awarded the honor of Superior Chapter, and had two senior members, Joy Bryant and Elizabeth Hritz, receive their State FFA Degree. The chapter’s Agronomy team competed at the state level and earned twelfth place out of over 45 teams, placing sixth out of teams from the Western Region.