There’s no need to look any farther than southern Rowan County and South Rowan High School’s FFA program.

The South Rowan chapter recently took top national honors in two competitions and placed highly in two others.

At the 71st national convention in Louisville, Ky., FFA officials also named the South Rowan chapter one of the country’s 10 best and awarded it $1,000 to help build a livestock facility.

Andy VonCannon, a member of the prize-winning environmental and natural resources team and current South Rowan FFA president, called the competition an “awesome”experience.

“It’s just amazing to know that you’re like the best in the nation,”he said. “Then you walk up on stage and get that $1,000 check, and that’s even better.”

Each member of the winning team got a $1,000 scholarship. VonCannon, a senior, plans to join his three teammates — Kurt Weddington, Alex Silliman and Jason Chester — at N.C. State University.

The competition reflects the nature of FFA, which is no longer an acronym for Future Farmers of America, said South Rowan teacher and FFA advisor David Overcash.

“A third of all jobs are related to agriculture in some fashion,”he said. “But less than 2 percent of the population are production farmers.”

In Louisville, the team performed several tasks with an emphasis on environment and technology, including water quality testing and finding geographic points with a global positioning system.

They also gave an eight-minute presentation — after an hour to prepare — on how to deal with a non-native species in a specific eco-system.

“We’ve been in similar contests and kind of knew what to expect, I guess,”VonCannon said. “That’s what put us over the top.”

The team, which beat out 26 others, is one of only five or six from N.C. schools ever to win a national competition, Overcash said.

Another South Rowan FFA member, senior Jessica Skinner, became only the second national individual winner from this state.

She brought home the H.O. Sargent award for diversity in the FFA, which carries with it a $600 scholarship she also plans to use at N.C. State.

The award is named for the man who in the 1960s began the NFA, an FFA equivalent for black students in an era of segregation.

Skinner, who beat out three other national finalists, won for her part in organizing South Rowan FFA members to tutor China Grove Elementary students whose native language is not English.

“It just feels really good to know that all the work is paying off,”Skinner said, “And that what I’m doing is making a difference.”

David Cress, Skinner’s FFA advisor, said it’s “really nice to know you have a student who has been recognized as tops in the nation.”

Other South Rowan FFA members recognized at the convention included Tara Runion, who was Skinner’s partner in creating the tutoring program.

Runion placed sixth in the nation in prepared public speaking. She was one of 49 contestants.

South Rowan’s agriculture issues forum team placed fifth in the nation of 26 competing. Team members are Tasha Schmidt, Holly Deal and Allyson Runion.

With practice and effort on the part of younger FFA members, VonCannon expects the South Rowan chapter will build a winning tradition.