Tillamook High School graduate transforms classroom floriculture project into national award-winning business.
Tatum Lancaster, a 2026 graduate of Tillamook High School and member of the Tillamook FFA Chapter, has been named the 2026 National FFA
Agricultural Sales – Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award winner, earning the highest national honor in her award area.
Lancaster received the award during the 99th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana on Thursday October 22, 2026. In a surprise announcement on stage at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, she was named the national winner before approximately 40,000 spectators in a concert-like atmosphere, with an estimated 30,000 additional convention attendees following the celebration.
Lancaster earned the national title through her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), Western Grace Floral Co., a floral design business she built from the ground up.
Her journey began in a floriculture class at Tillamook High School, where she discovered an interest in floral design and recognized an opportunity to turn her new skills into a business. Founded in 2024, Western Grace Floral Co. began with Lancaster creating corsages and boutonnieres for school dances. As her skills and customer base grew, she expanded into special events, full-service wedding florals, and paid floraldesign classes. Through her business, Lancaster has gained extensive experience in customer service, sales, marketing, pricing, financial management, and entrepreneurship.
What began as a classroom project has become a successful business through Lancaster’s creativity, determination, and willingness to take on new challenges. Her growth reflects not only her development as a floral designer, but also her ability to manage customers, navigate business decisions, and continually expand her enterprise. A Supervised Agricultural Experience is a student-led, work-based learning opportunity that allows agricultural education students to apply classroom knowledge through employment, research, or entrepreneurship. Along with classroom instruction
and FFA involvement, SAEs are one of the three central components of agricultural education.
The National FFA Agricultural Proficiency Awards recognize members who demonstrate exceptional skill development, career experience, and growth through their SAEs.
Following state-level competition and national evaluation, just four finalists are selected in each award area, with one earning the national title. Lancaster’s achievement reflects years of business development, careful recordkeeping, and dedication to her enterprise.
Lancaster is currently attending Oregon State University, where she is focusing her studies on marketing and continuing to build on the entrepreneurial experience she developed through Western Grace Floral Co. From a high school floriculture classroomto the national FFA stage, Lancaster’s journey demonstrates the opportunities agricultural education provides students to discover their interests and turn them into
meaningful career experiences. Her national championship is a tremendous achievement for Lancaster and a source of pride for Tillamook High School, the Tillamook community, and Oregon FFA.
About Tillamook FFA
The Tillamook FFA Chapter is part of the Agricultural Sciences and Industrial Technology Program at Tillamook High School. Through classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experiences, and FFA leadership opportunities, students develop practical skills, leadership abilities, and career readiness for success in agriculture and beyond.
