Roundup of FFA news for Oct. 16, 2025

HOWARD, Ohio — East Knox FFA competed in the Ohio FFA Forestry Career Development Event held at Hocking College Sept. 27, placing seventh. Twelve 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 McKenzie Schwartz, Gweneth Opheim, Curtis Divan and Hayden Garman. Other members of the team were Joey Lively, Ariel Atkinson, John Chadwick, Landen Davis, Bryar Wilson, Marcus Dunn, Peyton Harris and Kylie Griffith. The team will receive a plaque for its top-10 state finish at the annual Ohio FFA Convention next May in Columbus. This year’s seventh-place finish marks the 34th year in a row that East Knox FFA has placed in the top 10 teams in the state contest, with 22 of those being top five in Ohio. They won in 2024, 2020, 2013 and 1999 and have finished fourth more than any other placing at nine times.

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JEROMESVILLE, Ohio — Hillsdale FFA held a meeting on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. where members ate dinner, discussed business and played a game of kickball.

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RACINE, Ohio — Racine Southern FFA competed in the Ohio FFA Soils Career Development Event Sept. 10 at Red Bird Ranch in Stewart, Ohio. Both its urban soils team and rural soils team placed fourth overall. The urban soils team consisted of Colton Jones, Bryer Holley, Tanner Robision, Austin Gaskill, Garrett Beasley, Tanner Harmon and Kaydon Bowling. The rural soils team included Joslyn Hupp, Tyson Hupp, Bethany Roberts, Garrett Vanameter and Marcy Evans. Colton Jones placed 10th in the urban soils contest individually. Additionally, Joslyn Hupp placed eighth and Tyson Hupp placed ninth individually in the rural soils contest.

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SHELBY, Ohio — Shelby FFA recently participated in the Richland County and District 2 Soils and Urban Soils Career Development Events.

Shelby FFA’s rural team placed second at the county level; team members included Kayne Cooke, Sam Fairchild, Kyleigh Biglin and Conner Gayheart. Individually, Violet Auck earned first place in the urban soils contest. At the district level, the rural team placed fifth, earning a spot at the state soils CDE in October. Sam Fairchild won first place in the rural contest, individually, and Violet Auck earned first place in the urban contest, individually.

SHELBY, Ohio — Shelby FFA hosted its first membership meeting of the school year Sept. 10 at Shelby High School, where members learned about and honored the heroes of 9/11. Roughly 85 members attended the meeting. Derek Wallace and Sam Sauder from the Shelby Fire Department talked about the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, including the hardships firefighters faced, the injuries and disease that followed the collapse of the buildings and the death toll. Following the discussion, members had the opportunity to suit up in full fire gear and carry supplies that most firefighters would’ve carried that day. Shelby FFA members also completed a 9/11 memorial climb by climbing the steps at the SHS rotunda over 110 times — the same number of stories the twin towers were. While climbing, members carried the name, picture and story of a firefighter who died in the collapse.

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MILLERSBURG, Ohio — West Holmes FFA helped Holmes County Soil and Water Conservation District run an event at Airport Ridge Sporting Clays Sept. 3. Members parked cars and directed people. Members of the officer team include President Madison Ringwalt, Vice President Emma Eberhard, Secretary Mia Spencer, Reporter Courtney Crider, Treasurer Shane Lorentz, Sentinel Makenzie Mast, Student Advisor Natty Lint and Historian Wyatt Troyer.

MILLERSBURG, OHIO — West Holmes FFA had four members compete at the State Forestry contest at Hocking College on Sept. 27. The team placed 17th out of 36 teams. The members who competed were Dylan Sours, Easton Uhl, Reece Anderson and Grady Hawkins.

MILLERSBURG, Ohio — West Holmes FFA had 19 members participate in the county soils contest at Gingerich Farm on Sept. 12. The urban team consisted of Electra Beachy, Courtney Crider, Dean Hodson, Chloe Kaser, Rayne Larimore, Natty Lint, Cadence Martie, Madison Mittman and Mia Spencer. The Rural team included Reece Anderson, Ellie Babbit, Gabby Fowler, Kendra Hall, Cameron Hinton, Natalie Lauriha, Reagan Mackey, Ali Mash, Emma McDonnell and Andrew Weaver.

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SULLIVAN, Ohio — Black River FFA recently hosts its new member cookout where new members and their families learned about opportunities available through FFA. The event kicked off with a presentation from the chapter officers, followed by discussions on upcoming events, leadership opportunities and ways to be involved. Chapter officers were also welcomed into their new roles. Isabella Crespo was appointed as secretary, Parker Broadsword as student advisor and Aden Says as junior reporter.

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DELTA, Ohio — Several Delta FFA members recently competed in the county-level soils CDE events. The chapter’s rural soils team placed fourth overall and the urban soils team placed fifth. Eight students will move on to compete in the rural soils category at districts, including Abbigail Savage, Hunter Elton, Trevor Rohrs, Jacob Schlatter, Jakub Heinemann, Ryan Graham, Jensyn Gillen and Jayda Graham. Eights students will also advance to districts in the urban soils category, including Braxton Pennington, Ovlivia Siewertsen, Payton Reimer, Elwin Griewahn, Willa Rosene, Layton Fisher, Ethan Wilson and Eve Smith.