LOUDONVILLE, Ohio — After an unexpected hiatus, several local Loudonville FFA members recently received their American Degrees. These members were 2019 graduates Jacob Ashby, Matthew Brightbill, Wyatt Fliger, Derek Mutchler, Nolan Portz, Madalyn Sponsler and Mya Switzer.
Ashby completed his requirements by working at the Secluded Cabins/Baker’s Acres. During his four-year tenure, he participated in cabin and water garden construction, as well as hay-making and more.
Brightbill accumulated all of his SAE hours at his family-owned dairy farm, Brightbill’s Gemhill Dairy. Brightbill’s main jobs were manure scraping, crop work and milking the cattle.
Fliger had an entrepreneurship SAE for raising and selling shorthorn cattle, as well as a placement project at Secluded Cabins/Baker’s Acres.
Mutchler had a few projects he completed. Along with Ashby and Fliger, he worked at Baker’s Acres and The Secluded Cabins. Mutchler also had a herd of shorthorn cattle and placement jobs at Loudonville Equity and Harris Automotive.
Portz spent most of his hours working on the family dairy farm, Windswept Hills Dairy. Along with that, his family’s manure hauling company, Custom Manure Hauling.
Sponsler received her hours through a placement job at Ashland University, working in landscaping. She mostly planted flowers, pulled weeds and was in charge of making the area look nice. Along with her placement at the university, she had another placement job at Bylands Animal Hospital.
Switzer had a placement in outdoor recreation jobs and in a truck patch garden with her grandfather. She mostly helped with upkeep of the various plants. There were several requirements every member had to complete, including each person having their state degree.
• • •
PLYMOUTH, Ohio — The family of Terry Snipes presented the Plymouth FFA chapter with Terry’s framed FFA jacket as they established the Terry Snipes Family FFA Legacy Jacket Fund. Terry was a 1977 graduate of Plymouth High School. He was a very active member of the Plymouth FFA Chapter for four years. He passed away in 1981 in a motorcycle accident at the age of 22.
His sisters, Trena Butcher and Ella Kaple were both chosen as FFA queens, and sister Corinna Dunaway was on FFA court and holds an honorary lifetime FFA membership. All three of Butcher’s children were members of the Plymouth FFA chapter.
Terry’s FFA jacket is now over 40 years old and is one of the last items their family has.
“The fact that after 40 years we still have it says something,” said Butcher.
His family wanted to honor his memory and commitment to the FFA by awarding a jacket every year in his memory.
The Plymouth FFA Chapter typically provides half of the funding towards FFA jackets, with funds raised through donations and fundraisers, and will be matching the Snipes family donation to allow two students each fall to earn a free FFA jacket.
Beck’s is partnering with individuals and their dealer network to serve as many students as possible by providing FFA jackets for first year members. Ohio FFA Foundation also provides an annual essay competition courtesy of Beck’s and many other donors. Learn more at ohioffa.org/foundation/programs/blue-jackets.
Richard Stephens and Mickey Hall, representatives of the Shiloh Car Show, presented the Plymouth-Shiloh FFA Alumni with a $2,000 check to support Plymouth and Shiloh students. The organization donated to the Plymouth-Shiloh FFA Alumni this year to support agricultural youth at the county fair and through the purchase of classroom materials, supplies and another other necessary items.
The Plymouth-Shiloh FFA Alumni is hoping to use part of the donation to help the chapter purchase a plasma table, cutter, laser and router for the ag classroom.
