JOHNSTOWN, Ohio — Five Northridge FFA members traveled to the Ohio State Fairgrounds Dec. 1 and competed in the Impact of Ag presentation and the Career Conversation CDE, which were for middle school students only. Brayden Dowis placed seventh out of 18 competitors in talking to a person who works at Select Sires. Kenzie Hamlin, Gabby Hupp, Karisa Miller and Cate Wasem placed third out of nine teams for their presentation on the Social, Economic and Cultural Impact of Agriculture on Ohio, as well as how Ohio’s unique ag opportunities.
Northridge FFA hosted one of the Ohio FFA Association’s leadership nights Dec. 8. There were close to 100 students in attendance from seven other FFA chapters, as well as state FFA vice president Hannah Saum and state FFA reporter Alyson Murphy who led the programming for the night. Students learned about how to be a leader individually and in a group setting.
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CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The Zane Trace FFA fruit sale committee transformed the ag shop into a warehouse containing fruit, nuts, cheese, syrup and sauces, Dec. 7. The team of students displayed skills in leadership, organization and goal setting as they unloaded, sorted and assembled just over $28,000 worth of inventory. The students also displayed attention to detail and customer service skills as they picked items for each of the 90 orders and loaded them into vehicles for delivery. Overall the sale raised just over $6,000 for the chapter which will be used to fund CDE teams, travel opportunities and supply purchases.
The Zane Trace FFA chapter took a step toward eliminating invasive species from ZT property by inviting members to help cut out swaths of bush honeysuckle growing the woods near the Athletic Complex. In four hours Nov. 22, students were able to clear nearly 1.5 acres of land of bush honeysuckle, grapevines and autumn olive, three very invasive plants. The work was made possible by a grant from Tractor Supply Co. and the efforts of FFA members. The woods is now more open which will allow native species of trees such as maple and walnut to grow while limiting species that are not beneficial. It will also allow the installation of tubing for collecting maple sap for syrup this winter.
Students in all three Zane Trace AFNR classes learned the art and science of preparing soup for a group when they made three large batches of chili to serve as the meal for the December FFA meeting. The students practiced food safety when browning meat, cutting peppers and heating the tomato juice they canned from the garden. The students also learned about the cost of preparing their own chili versus buying ready-made and developed their own unique chili flavors for their classes. The chili made by the seventh period class using Isaac Detty’s recipe won the popular vote.
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ATHENS, Ohio — Northwestern FFA hosted its annual winter meeting, Dec. 7 at Northwestern High School. President Hanna Wilson called the meeting to order. Mallory Gilbert, Taylor Wurst and Kade Tegtmeier gave officer reports. Secretary Mallory Gilbert read the minutes of the previous meeting and Taylor Wurst reported on the articles that have been sent out since the fall meeting. Kade Tegtmeier also informed the members on the financial information of the chapter.
