HOWARD, Ohio — The East Knox FFA recently represented the state of Ohio and competed in the Eastern Regional National FFA Milk Quality & Products Career Development Event held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts Sept. 14-16.
Juniors Dylan Springer, Hayden Baker and Aiden Kapper and graduate Hailey Frazee placed first out of a field of FFA teams representing the 18 states in the Eastern Region of the United States. Individually, all four team members placed in the top eight with Dylan Springer finishing third, Hayden Baker placing fourth, Hailey Frazee finishing fifth and Aiden Kapper ranking eighth. The top five teams and the top nine individuals in the Eastern Region received awards for their ranking at the banquet held on Sept. 16 at the Sheraton Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The team qualified for the Eastern Regional CDE by placing second in the State Milk Quality & Products Career Development Event held at the Ohio Exposition Center in Columbus last March. Individually, in the state contest, Springer placed third, Baker finished 21st and Frazee finished 47th out of 131 participants.
In the event, competitors had to identify off-flavors and intensity of the flavor in 10 milk samples; recognize dairy and nondairy products and determine milk fat percentage or vegetable fat in the samples; identify cheeses from a list of 20 and complete a cheese matrix including moisture and fat content, origin, pasta filata, how it was ripened and brine or surface salted; complete a California Mastitis Test on milk samples and complete a written test including problem-solving questions.
The Milk Quality & Products Event is an educational activity designed as a practical method of teaching students to perform hands-on skills and to identify various dairy products and quality problems associated with milk. This is the fifth time that East Knox FFA has competed nationally in the Milk Quality & Products contest and the 15th year that a team has placed in the top ten in the state.
HOWARD, Ohio — The East Knox FFA recently competed in the State FFA Forestry Career Development Event held at Hocking College on Sept. 30 where they placed seventh out of a field of teams from across Ohio.
Seven members of the East Knox FFA competed in this event with the top four scores counting as the team score. The top four scorers were Dylan Springer, 11th; Aiden Kapper, 18th; Hayden Baker, 20th and Landen Davis, 94th out of 247 individuals. Other members of the team were Braylon Evans, Peyton Finch and Kylie Griffith. The team will receive a plaque for its top-ten state finish and the top-ten individuals will each receive a plaque at the annual Ohio FFA Convention next May in Columbus.
The Forestry Career Development Event is an activity designed to demonstrate students’ skills in the area of forestry management. Students complete a 45-question online test about the forestry industry, identify tree species, identify forestry tools, complete a timber cruise to determine the volume of saw logs in a woods, perform a timber stand improvement practicum, complete a chainsaw part identification and troubleshooting practicum and identify forest and tree disorders.
This year’s seventh-place finish in the State FFA Forestry Career Development Event marks the 32nd year in a row (dating back to 1993) that East Knox FFA has placed in the top 10 teams in the state contest with 21 of those being top five in Ohio. They won the state competition in 2020, 2013 and 1999 and have finished fourth more than any other chapter, placing fourth nine times.
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CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Students from the Zane Trace FFA, Adena FFA and Southeastern FFA chapters participated in the first-ever Ag Professionals Day at the Calvary Lutheran Church of Chillicothe on Oct. 2. Jonathan Davis, the superintendent of Pickaway-Ross CTC, gave students a welcome address and shared the importance of professionalism and premier leadership in life. Then, students learned how to prioritize their time through a workshop led by Ohio FFA President, Luke Jennings. Next, Mary Klopfenstein and Julie Shull from Ohio Farm Bureau shared interviewing tips with the students as well as methods for creating a memorable resume. During lunch, the students enjoyed homemade lasagna and a fresh garden salad, provided by Jan Nusbaum, while learning etiquette and conversation advice from Kelly Pillow. To finish up the day, former Zane Trace FFA president, David Glass, of South Central Power, shared advice on building professional networks and the importance of making connections in the workplace.
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ohio — The Fayetteville FFA held its fourth annual Family Fun Night on Sept. 10. Guests took part in several games and members and guests were able to learn more about each other and make new friends.
Thirty-five Fayetteville FFA members attended the Farm Science Review on Sept. 20 where they met with industry representatives and learned more about the advancements of agricultural technology.
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SULLIVAN, Ohio — Eleven students of the Black River FFA attended the Farm Science Review on Sept. 20. Students had the opportunity to learn about new and emerging technologies in agriculture and environmental sciences, new farming equipment and livestock breed associations. Students also participated in the field plot demonstrations where new implements were used to demonstrate emerging practices in planting, harvesting and conservation. Charlie Hollan, Peter Howard, Wyatt Jostworth, Abbey Kiser, Ariel Payton, Ava Jordan, Addison Flynn, Brayden Lawhon, Jonathan Schramm and Garrett Canfield attended the event.
SULLIVAN, Ohio — Thirteen members of the Black River FFA attended Greenhand Camp at Ohio FFA Camp Muskingum in Carroll County from September 24-26. Greenhand Camp provides first-year members an introduction to the FFA and allows them to work closely with their home chapter and to focus on goal setting for the coming year. During their stay at camp, members participated in leadership activities and a number of goal-oriented workshops presented by the Ohio FFA State Officer Team. Students were encouraged to set goals that will help guide them as they begin their FFA careers. They were paired up with other Ohio FFA chapters, allowing members to meet new friends and work together during the different leadership workshops and activities. The members who attended also got to spend time with graduate Chloee Howard who is serving as an Ohio FFA State Officer Vice President at Large. Carson Steidl, Colton Roberts, Cayden Farr, Emma Macfarlane, Adalee Hollan, Rylee Howard, Carlee Mennell, Olivia Bailey, Madelynn Groesser, Josephine Scott, Elina Crespo, Isabella Crespo and Leah Coffman attended the camp.
