FAYETTEVILLE, Ohio — Twenty Fayetteville FFA members attended the 98th National FFA Convention and Expo on Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana, where the chapter attended various sessions and was recognized as a national three-star chapter. Three students were also recognized for earning their American Degrees including Claire Schaefer, Kadie Short and Katey Wolfer. Members took a tour of Tuttle Orchards and Indianapolis Motor Speedway as well.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ohio — On Nov. 3, seven members of the Fayetteville FFA competed in the sub-district job interview contest at North Adams High School. In Division 1, Lydia Murphy placed third. In Division 5, Jada Kassner placed second and advanced to the district contest.
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DELTA, Ohio — Delta FFA attended the 98th National FFA Convention, taking part in educational tours, opportunities for career exploration and fun activities. They wrapped the trip up by attending the American Degree Ceremony where members Hannah Barnes and Kendra Ehrsam were recognized for their dedication to their chapter and Ohio FFA before heading home.
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JEROMESVILLE, Ohio — Hillsdale FFA took 29 members to the 98th National FFA Convention where they toured farms, food companies, a chocolate factory, Lincoln Tech and DSM Precision Manufacturing. The trip concluded at Lucas Oil Stadium for the American Degree Ceremony, where Seth Crytzer, Owen Hoffman and Braydon Rakovec earned FFA’s highest honor.
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WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — The Miami Trace Great Oaks FFA raised $20,775 to support community members affected by cancer through the sale of promotional T-shirts, with all funds being donated to the Fayette County Cancer Foundation. All funds raised will provide funds for wigs, transportation, medical supplies and other expenses needed by local cancer patients.
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HOWARD, Ohio — On Nov. 11, four East Knox FFA members competed in the State Animal Management Career Development Event held in the Lausche Building at the Ohio Exposition Center in Columbus, placing fourth out of a group of teams from across Ohio.
Team members were Ava Page, Peyton Harris, Rhyan Williams and Gweneth Opheim. Individually, Page finished as the second place competitor in the state, just three points behind the first place individual.
This is the fifth time that East Knox FFA has had a team in the State Animal Management CDE finals and the first time placing in the top five to receive a banner.
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SULLIVAN, Ohio — On Nov. 7, Black River FFA showcased its skills at the sub-district Parliamentary Procedure Career Development Event held at Smithville High School.
Representing Black River’s Advance team were President Colton Roberts, Secretary Olivia Bailey and members Rylee Howard, Savanna Landrum, Jayden Young and Addison Flynn. The team’s hard work paid off as they earned a first-place finish.
SULLIVAN, Ohio — On Nov. 9, six members of Black River FFA competed at the District Job Interview Career Development Event held at Smithville High School.
Serina Dearth earned first place in the eighth-grade division, Caleb Howard earned second place in the freshman division, Rylee Howard earned third place in the sophomore division, Addison Flynn earned first place in the junior division and Rose Wingard took first place in the first-year senior division.
Flynn and Wingard will now advance to the state competition.
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CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Sixteen Zane Trace FFA members attended the National FFA Convention, exploring agriculture careers, touring businesses and connecting with FFA members nationwide. The students participated in convention sessions, heard leadership speeches and received awards, including the three-star chapter award and American Degrees for members Kailee Adkins, Charley Clyne, Kendra Detillion and Sadie Swepston.
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RACINE, Ohio — Racine Southern FFA traveled to Indianapolis for the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo, joining over 70,000 members for leadership, career and personal development.
Students attended key sessions, workshops and competitions, learning to overcome self-doubt and grow personally. They also toured farms, saw Ella Langley in concert, explored exotic animals at Paws and Claws and visited the Career Expo to connect with colleges and agricultural businesses.
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WEST SALEM, Ohio — On Nov. 12, members of the Northwestern Wayne FFA chapter gathered at Wayne Lanes for a chapter bonding event open to anyone in the chapter interested in bowling. Pizza and drinks were also provided.
WEST SALEM, Ohio — The Northwestern FFA chapter also attended the 98th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. Highlights included Ella Saal’s recognition for Dairy Entrepreneurship, Ag teacher Heather Tegtmeier receiving the Honorary American Degree and five chapter members earning the prestigious American FFA Degree, including Kaleb Badger, Kade Tegtmeier, Kirsten Boreman, Saal and Jacoby Gilbert.
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CRESTON, Ohio — On Oct. 29, Norwayne FFA traveled to downtown Indianapolis for the 98th National FFA Convention. Members went on multiple tours, including Hunter’s Honey, where members were taught how honey is made and how it is processed, and Providence Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, where members looked at different rescued bird species. They also went to Driving Winds Acres, where members learned about different fruit production crops. The chapter went to three different sessions held in the Lucas Oil Stadium.
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SULLIVAN, Ohio — Recently, the Black River FFA Chapter joined the Leadership Medina County class for its annual Agriculture Day, an event organized and sponsored by members of the Medina County Farm Bureau for the past 38 years.
The day began with a breakfast at the Medina County Senior Fair Office, where participants learned about the history and continued importance of the Medina County Fair to the local agricultural community.
The group’s next stop was Maple Valley Dairy. There, they explored the farm’s maple syrup operation and dairy herd management. The final destination was Boyert’s Greenhouse, where attendees toured the facility and enjoyed lunch, which featured a buffet made from locally grown and raised products from farms and businesses throughout Medina County. Black River FFA members assisted with meal preparation and serving, while also sharing their experiences in FFA and the role agriculture plays in their lives.
Participating FFA members were Addison Flynn, Adalee Hollan, Olivia Bailey, Aidan Sas, Parker Broadsword, Hunter Varney and Savanna Landrum.
SULLIVAN, Ohio — The Black River FFA Chapter recently received a donation of wheat seeds from Centerra Co-op. The seeds will be used as a cover crop in the chapter’s FFA Land Lab this fall. Additionally, Centerra donated money for the fertilizer and applications necessary for winter wheat. The wheat was planted by A.M. Grain Farms. Black River FFA is grateful for the donations.
SULLIVAN, Ohio — Black River FFA chapter members recently handed out boutonnieres and corsages to veterans and guests attending the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America Veterans Day Assembly. Students hand-crafted the floral pieces and learned floral design skills from Macey Davis of The Potted Sage in Spencer, Ohio. Davis shared her professional experience with the students while helping them assemble the pieces.
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WEST SALEM, Ohio — Feed a Farmer is an event that the Northwestern-Wayne FFA chapter has hosted for over four years, as a way to personally thank the farmers who put countless hours into providing food for the community. The chapter officers prepared a meal Oct. 23 for any farmer in the community interested in lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Commodity Blenders in West Salem. The food prepared included pork sandwiches, shredded chicken sandwiches, corn, mac and cheese, cookies, apples and caramel and chips. The members who prepared meals and helped serve included Emma Connelly, Addy Connelly, Makenna Connelly, Kaylee Cherry, Brooke Hershey, Laurie Barr, Chet McNeil, Alivia Welch, Jake Howman and Gabi Riedel. The chapter was able to feed around 100 farmers a fresh and warm meal.
WEST SALEM, Ohio — Northwestern-Wayne FFA volunteered to stack firewood for a local community member on Oct. 22. Members loaded and unloaded firewood; then stacked it. Students who helped include Emily West, Carmen Guidetti, Blaze Wiley, Triston Flinn, Avery Blount, Charlie Gortner, Kashmiere Woods, Taryn Wagner, Chase Wharton, Lucas Kolp, Ruger White, Madi Miller, Torrie Wurst, Brennan Flinn, Austin Pierson, Aveon Gray and Maddix May.
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HOWARD, Ohio — East Knox FFA members Ethan Phillis and Andrew Poff received the American FFA Degree at the 98th National FFA Convention held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. These two were among 5,162 American Degrees awarded nationally with 533 of those being from Ohio.
Ethan Phillis’ SAE projects included job placement at Mills’ Farms, welding and constructing horse treadmills and completing home improvement projects. He served as the 2022-23 chapter vice president and was the 2021-22 chapter sentinel. Phillis competed in Poultry, Greenland Quiz, Parliamentary Procedure and Agricultural Technology and Mechanics Career Development Events. He attended state and national FFA conventions, state leadership nights and district officer training. He is the son of Darren Phillis and Alicia Burwell of Bladensburg.
Job placement at Apple Valley Marina as well as various home improvement projects were Andrew Poff’s SAE projects. Poff competed in Agricultural Soils, Parliamentary Procedure, Forestry, Nursery/Landscape, Wildlife Management, Envirothon, Farm Business Management and Agricultural Technology and Mechanics Career Development Events. He competed in Environmental/Natural Resources in the U.S. Eastern Regional (Big “E”) in Massachusetts in 2019 after finishing second in the state. He was a member of the fourth place State Agricultural Soils team that represented Ohio in the National Land Judging Contest in Oklahoma. He was also part of the first place State Nursery/Landscape team that represented Ohio in the national contest in 2021, in conjunction with the national convention in Indianapolis. He also attended the state FFA convention, state OLLC, district officer training, as well as state leadership nights and served as the 2021-222 East Knox FFA vice president. He is the son of Richard and Sarah Poff of Howard.
Phillis and Poff are the 54th and 55th American FFA Degree recipients from East Knox.
HOWARD, Ohio — Twenty-one East Knox FFA members recently attended the 98th annual National FFA Convention from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, where they attended sessions, accepted awards, heard from motivational speakers and took tours. Members also went to the Ella Langley concert at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis and the Three Hills Rodeo at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
HOWARD, Ohio — East Knox FFA recently represented Ohio at the National FFA Forestry Career Development Event in Martinsville, Indiana on Oct. 29, hosted in conjunction with the 98th National FFA Convention. Graduates Hayden Baker, Aiden Kapper and Dylan Springer and sophomore Curtis Divan won 14th place. Individually, Springer placed 22nd with a gold rating, Divan placed 38th with a gold rating, Kapper placed 84th with a silver rating, and Baker placed 97th with a silver rating. The team qualified for the National Career Development Event by winning the State Forestry Career Development Event held at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio in September. This is the ninth time a East Knox FFA forestry team has qualified and competed on a national level.
HOWARD, Ohio — East Knox FFA members recently competed and represented the state of Ohio at the National FFA Nursery/Landscape Career Development Event on Oct. 29, held in conjunction with the 98th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ariana Talbott, Mackenzie Wilson, Ava Page and Madisyn Frost placed 18th in the competition. Individually, Talbott placed 41st with a gold rating, Page finished 54th with a silver rating, Frost placed 107th with a silver rating and Wilson received a bronze rating. The team also accepted a plaque for its placing, and each member received medals for their individual national ranking at the awards banquet. The East Knox FFA team advanced to the national contest after winning first in the State FFA Nursery/Landscape Career Development Event on March 26 at the Delaware Area Career Center.
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WATERFORD, Ohio — The Waterford FFA chapter recently participated in county, district and state soil judging contests.
At the county level, Waterford’s agriculture team placed first in the Washington County Soil Judging Contest. Team members included Owen Stauch, Kaylie McCutcheon, Maddie Hansell, Katelynn Valandingham and Luke McCutcheon. Individually, McCutcheon placed first, Valandingham placed second and Hansell placed third.
The urban team also won first place. Team members consist of Gracie Hartline, Adalyn Eichmiller, Leia Barnett, Caitlin Ellis, Ella Schweikert and Taylor Heiss. Individually, Hartline placed first, Eichmiller placed second and Barnett placed third. Both the agriculture and urban teams were honored at the annual Washington County Soil and Water Banquet held on Oct. 15.
The second competition was the District 10 Soils Contest, hosted by Waterford FFA.
The rural team won first out of 17 teams. Team members included Owen Stauch, Kaylie McCutcheon, Maggie Baldwin, Maddie Hansell and Katelynn Valandingham. Individually, McCutcheon won first, Stauch won second, Baldwin won sixth, Hansell placed eighth out of 75 participants.
The Urban team won second place out of 16 total teams. Team members consisted of Gracie Hartline, Ella Schweikert, Caitlin Ellis, Adalyn Eichmiller and Leia Barnett. Individually, Hartline won third, Schweikert won fifth, Ellis placed ninth, Eichmiller placed 10th and Barnett placed 12th.
Both the rural and urban teams advanced to the State Soils contest, which took place on Oct. 11 in Morrow County, Ohio. The rural team won 13th place out of 50 teams. Team members included Owen Stauch, Kaylie McCutcheon, Maddie Hansell and Maggie Baldwin.
The urban team took 20th place out of 50 teams. Team members included Gracie Hartline, Ella Schweikert and Adalyn Eichmiller.
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DELTA, Ohio — Delta FFA competed in the Dairy Cattle Career Development Event district competition on Oct. 9 at Sunnyville Farms and Patrick Henry High School. Jacob Schlatter placed 10th. The state competition will be held in the spring.
DELTA, Ohio — Several Delta FFA members competed in the Ohio Job Interview Career Development Event on Oct. 23 at Fayette High School. Josh Mock placed sixth and Elwin Griewahn placed seventh in division one. Emmy Hintz won second place, and Gracyn Pelton won third in division three. Gavin Cansky placed first, and Trevin Crawford placed second in division five. Other members that competed include Claire Bates and Melanie Wyse. Hintz and Cansky will advance to the district contest.
DELTA, Ohio — Delta FFA competed in the state’s Agricultural Soils Career Development Event, placing 41st out of 51 teams.
DELTA, Ohio — Delta FFA competed in the county trapshoot contest on Oct. 14 at the Fulton County Sportsman Club. Hunter Elton placed first, Hunter Heinemann placed second, Trevor Rohrs placed third, Archer Andrews placed fourth, Ashlynn Tedrow placed fifth, and McCoy Tedrow placed sixth. As a group, Delta FFA placed second.
DELTA, Ohio — Delta FFA members recently got together to make and deliver goodie bags as a thank you to farmers. The bags included meat sticks, donuts, Oreos, Cheese-Itz, Mott’s bars, trail mix, fruit snacks, mints and water. Officers delivered goodie bags to Falor Farm Center, Davis Farm Service, Gerald Grain and Wauseon and Pettisville Grain. Students also conducted individual deliveries to farmers they know.
DELTA, Ohio — Ohio FFA State Treasurer Taylor Johnson recently visited the Delta FFA chapter on Oct. 10 at Delta High School. Students learned valuable lessons and engaged in various activities.
