WEST SALEM, Ohio — On May 8, the Northwestern FFA’s Environmental Science class went to a wetland on Angling Road. Students and teachers worked with Karl Curry, who is the senior wetland scientist/environmental scientist at Envirotech Consultants.
Members who attended were Victoria Devore, Adam Miley, Bradley Aulger, Josh Rood, Spencer Deming, Sarah Maximovich, Ben Vaughan, John Secrest, MaKenzie Harmon, Brady Murphy, Jaret Fugate, Ryan Morr, Kile Schaefer, Hanna Pietrowski, Richie Power, Faith Hudson.
They planted more than 750 different species of trees and aquatic plant life. Students also learned about wetlands, organisms, and wildlife.
Teachers Heather Tegtmeier and Chrissy Balint accompanied the students.
•••
WATERFORD, Ohio — Members of the Waterford FFA were recently awarded their State FFA Degree at the Ohio FFA Convention. They are Derek Huck, Katie Wagner and Janice Whalin.
Their agricultural education instructor is Matt Hartline.
Each recipient received a golden State FFA Degree key and a certificate to commemorate their achievement. Huck is the son of Heather Huck of Waterford, Wagner is the daughter of Kevin and Lisa Wagner of Waterford, and Whalin is the daughter of Brian and Eliane Whalin of Stockport.
•••
MINERVA — The Minerva FFA attended Ohio FFA State Convention in Columbus April 30-May 1. The organization went to Magic Mountain and toured the OSU agriculture campus. Elizabeth Berstler received a gold rating on her secretary’s book and Kaitlyn Wayts received a gold rating on her reporter’s book.
Elizabeth Berstler, Martin Marrick, Madi Snode, and Taylor Zwick received their state degrees.
There was a keynote speaker, Curtis Zimmerman, at session one, who talked about living life to the fullest.
Minerva FFA was recognized for donating over $200 to Akron Children’s Hospital.
The group attended the recognition of Ohio FFA fights hunger, the new FFA chapters, and the retiring address of State President Sydney Snider.
•••
WEST SALEM, Ohio — On April 29, Northwestern FFA member Hannah Hottel, took first place in the AgriScience Fair during the 87th Ohio FFA State Convention.
Hottel is currently a senior and is the daughter of Doug and Holly Hottel. The title of her project was Comparing the Natural and Safe-Guard Treatments Effect on the Strongyle Parasite.
Through using the scientific method and countless hours in researching and performing the experiment, she was able to conclude after just testing once, that Natural had over half of Strongyle eggs eliminated from goats as a whole and separately, where Safe-Guard eliminated less than half though these results are not 100 percent statistically significant.
She is now eligible to compete in the National AgriScience Fair this fall at the 88th National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.
•••
HAMMONDSVILLE, Ohio — The ninth annual Edison FFA Tractor Show and Car Cruise was held May 16 at Edison High School by the Edison FFA.
The event was held to raise money for the wounded warrior project.
The event also featured a silent auction with items that were donated by local people and businesses.
All of the money from the silent auction and plants sold in the greenhouse went to fund the FFA scholarship. In addition to the tractor show, the greenhouse is now open to the public. The group is selling hanging baskets, tomato plants, and pepper plants. The group hopes to see even more people attend this event next year or stop in and see what the group has in the greenhouse.
• • •
ASHLAND, Ohio — On May 14, the Crestview FFA Chapter held Food for America, its yearly community development event.
The program teaches FFA members leadership skills by educating elementary students and the community about agriculture.
Chapter members acted as group leaders and station leaders during this event, educating Crestview Elementary School’s third-graders on different aspects of agriculture. The stations consisted of pedal tractors, welding, classroom, camp games, greenhouse, livestock lab/petting zoo, tractors, and a wagon ride.
Station leaders educated those at their stations about different aspects of agriculture.
Members running the Livestock Lab/ petting zoo station brought in their SAE projects to share, along with informing students about how the Crestview FFA Livestock Lab works.
At the greenhouse station, members talked about growing plants and planted flowers with the third-graders. Overall, Food for America is an experience in which FFA members improve agricultural literacy in elementary student’s by educating them with the importance of farming in our area and the numerous benefits that come out of agriculture.
