CROTON, Ohio — The Utica FFA Chapter had a great week at the Hartford Fair Aug. 4-10.
The chapter was at the fair the Thursday morning before it started, setting up and cleaning the FFA barn was up at 8 a.m. on Thursday setting up and cleaning the FFA barn getting ready for the week.
On Aug. 4, the ag education projects were judged. The Utica chapter received 109 A’s, 11 B’s and four best of show ribbons.
Multiple students showed animals through FFA at the Hartford Fair. Members participated in the market turkey, rabbit, hogs, steer pool and dairy feeder shows.
At the annual FFA Challenge, held in the natural resources area, four chapters battled in several activities, including a natural resource test, bean-bag toss, canoe tug-a-war and a canoe race. Each chapter built a recycled boat to race across the lake and back. The Utica FFA Chapter took first place in the challenge.
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ORWELL, Ohio — Grand Valley High School FFA will be able to buy a plasma cutting/CNC system thanks to a $10,000 grant from the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program
This equipment will be used by the school’s agricultural science students as well as students in the computer programming classes.
The Grow Rural Education program has awarded more than $18 million in grants to more than 1,000 rural public school districts since 2011. The program, sponsored by the Bayer Fund, partnered with local farmers in early 2019 to nominate rural schools and awarded more than $2.3 million in grant to enhance science, technology, engineering and math programs.
To qualify for a Grow Rural Education grant, farmers nominated a school or school district to compete for a merit-based grant of either $10,000 or $25,000. School districts that were nominated then submitted a grant application describing their STEM-focused project.
Grow Rural Education’s Farmer Advisory Council, consisting of about 30 farmer leaders from across the country, reviewed the finalist applications and selected the winning school districts, including Grand Valley High School FFA.
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OWENSVILLE, Ohio — On Aug. 2, officers Taylor Mechlin and Kennedy Short had a booth representing the Fayetteville FFA at the Clermont County Antique Machinery Show where they had activities and crafts for the children visiting the show.
On Aug. 12 , the officers got together at the Fayetteville-Perry Local Schools Open House to meet with new students and answer any questions about joining the agricultural education and FFA program.