Jessica Renee Grathwohl, of Boonville, won the Missouri FFA Agriscience Research- Plant Systems Proficiency Award.
Grathwohl, a graduate of the Boonslick Technical Education Center, is the daughter of Nick and Laura Grathwohl. She is a member of the Boonville FFA Chapter. Her advisors are Deanna Thies and Doug Henke.
Grathwohl’s supervised agricultural experience program consists of a two-part aquaponics system where she grew Iceberg and Adriana lettuce, tomatoes, kale, basil and broccoli. After her first experiment, she tested a similar hypothesis pertaining to soil mediums. Using peat moss, perlite, sphagnum moss and ProMix BX, she performed multiple trials. She hypothesized that Pisum sativum “Alaska” seed would germinate the fastest in peat moss, which proved true at the conclusion of the trial.
In FFA, Grathwohl competed at the state level in the agricultural issues forum career development event. She is a graduate of the Public Speaking Institute; and attended Washington Leadership Conference, National FFA Convention & Expo and Missouri Association For Career And Technical Education Legislative Day.
Outside of FFA, Grathwhol is a member of Sigma Alpha professional agricultural sorority and Mizzou Horticulture Club. She is a member of the Missouri River Relief and St. John’s United Church of Christ Youth Group.
Grathwohl attends the University of Missouri in Columbia, and is studying plant science and agricultural business. Grathwohl said after college she hopes to own her own greenhouse and floriculture business.
Proficiency awards recognize FFA members who excel as agricultural entrepreneurs, employees or volunteers while gaining hands-on career experience. Agriscience Plant Science Research is one of 46 proficiency award areas recognized at the state level. The St. Louis Community College Center for Plant and Life Sciences sponsored this award.