ASHLAND, Ohio — Crestview FFA members along with Clear Fork FFA began their life changing journey to Honduras June 5.
Travelers included Ellyse Shafer, Brent Ball, Austin Miller and Cora McConkie from Clear Fork FFA. And from the Crestview FFA, students included Emily Fulk, Jenna Purvis, Isaac Fulk, Kaitlyn Hunt, Erin Bernhard and Kathy Lehman.
Once the group arrived in Honduras, they boarded a bus and headed east to El Sembrador, a private school that is located outside the city of Catacamas, in the Honduran state of Olancho.
Then on June 6, the students and teachers were able to tour the farm school where they got to see corn that was planted and learned that at the school they harvest two crops a year, and have just began planting the corn in pairs of two narrow rows followed by a space to aid in the irrigation system’s efficiency.
Next, the dairy operation was toured and many were surprised how modern and organized their dairy operation was. Finally, the group walked through the student class rooms where 96 boys ages 12 to 18 attended classes.
From there, everyone loaded the bus for a long drive to Choluteca, Honduras where the duration of the week would be spent.
On June 7 the group attended a Catholic Church that was nationally televised in the morning which served to be an interesting culture experience as the service was conducted all in Spanish. After church, the city of Choluteca was toured allowing an experience of many cultural customs.
On June 8 the students and educators traveled to Manuel Bonilla (an agricultural high school 45 minutes from Choluteca). During this journey, many adventures came to be while meeting many kids at the school.
The main goal at the school was to help build a pig pen for a gilt (female pig) that Dr. Cano and many other people helped purchase for the kids at the school. The goal of this gilt is to start a breeding chain to help raise money for the school and provide for the community, while also teaching the kids how to properly raise livestock.
The group started off June 9 with a trip to the El Mercado de la Cuidad (the city market). As everyone ventured through the tight maze of clothes, raw meat and vegetables, an overwhelming smell consumed the air. From there, trip members experienced the milk processing plant (Leche Grande Rio) in the Los Mangos community, where they produce cheese.
Then for the afternoon, travelers took a bus ride to the Choluteca Vocational School to assist them in making a concrete sidewalk and surveying the slope of land. On the work site, many of the students and Hondurans worked together leveling the walkway to four inches below the top of the running board.
The group boarded the bus and headed to the dock June 10 Then everyone boarded the fishing boat which went out to the island. A compost barrel and stand were brought to the island for the locals to use in their hoop house.
Then on June 11 the group traveled to the town of Valle de Angeles where students browsed the town and purchased souvenirs.
The highlight of the day, though was reflecting on their trip. Each student had chosen one photo from their Honduras experience and wrote a reflection of how the picture described their trip.
Each and every student had a meaningful photo combined with a well-thought description of their photo and what they experienced.
Thoughts ranged from the contrast of Honduran culture to American culture, to the relationships that students developed with Honduran students.
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ZANESVILLE, Ohio — On June 13, the Timber Run Grange held its annual ice cream social from 4-7 p.m. Volunteers from the West Muskingum FFA chapter and members of the Grange spent more than five hours preparing for the event, cranking more than 150 quarts of ice cream, some by hand but mostly with electric ice cream makers.
Additional volunteers helped on the day of the event, by cleaning dishes and tables, and assisting guests who came to enjoy ice cream and other food made by members of the Grange.
