FFA News

The Miami East-MVCTC FFA Chapter recently held its 63rd Annual Parent Member Banquet.  Approximately 275 parents, members, and guests were present at Miami East High School Gymnasium.  Highlights of the evening were:

– In 2022 the chapter was named a Gold Medal Chapter and a Top 10 Chapter in the state in the area of Growing Leadership, Building Communities, and Strengthening Agriculture. The chapter was interviewed and results will be announced at the upcoming State FFA Convention.
– Wyatt Black, Alaina Helsinger and Madison Maxson are Top 4 finalists in the Agriscience Fair. They have their interview approaching and their results will be announced on stage at the State FFA Convention.
– Graduate Carter Gilbert has been named a Top 4 in the state proficiency awards program in the area of Service-Learning. Carter is awaiting the final placings at the State Convention in May.
– Gretchen Stevens competed in Ohio’s 2021 World Food Prize and qualified for the 2021 national competition. … Continue reading

With over 130 members in the Amanda-Clearcreek FFA Chapter, seven are elected each year to represent the chapter as officers. This year 30 members were eligible to run for office, and 9 members completed the application process, which included an in-person interview by the nominating committee. To become an officer of the A-C FFA chapter, you must have earned the Chapter FFA Degree and you must also plan on enrolling in an agriculture education course at A-C next year.  The election took place February 14th, 2022 in the High School Cafetorium.

This year, five juniors and two sophomores were elected to serve. The 2022-2023 officer team as elected are: Hannah Saum (Junior) as President, Karlee Parry (Junior) as Vice President, Riley McKeska (Junior) as Secretary, Drew Dossman (Sophomore) as Treasurer, Autumn Parry (junior) as Reporter, Alex Williams (Junior) as Sentinel, and Lily Dennis (Sophomore) as Student Advisor.

As President, Saum runs each monthly meeting, and represents the chapter in a number of functions, including school board meetings.… Continue reading

The Miami East-MVCTC FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation team placed 42 in the state at the Ohio FFA State Dairy Cattle Contest. The contest was held during the Spring Dairy Expo.
The team consisted of Keyara Davis, Dalton Schreadley, Braden Zekas, Lillian McClain, and Lydia Durst. The highest placing individual from Miami East was Keyara Davis who placed 87 out of almost 500 individuals. The team took a test, completed a pedigree and sire selection exercise and evaluated 6 classes of dairy.

The team practiced at Buschur Dairy farm in New Weston. Previously Lillian McClain had competed at the Champaign County Invitational Contest where she placed 69th. … Continue reading

At the State Spring Career Development Event on March 26 at the Ohio Expo Center/State Fairgrounds in Columbus the Miami East-MVCTC FFA General Livestock Team consisted of Isaac Beal, Rhylee Eichhorn, Dustin Winner, Wyatt Black, Ethan Fine, Thomas Wallace, Elisabeth Norman, and Fletcher Harris. The team placed 4th and qualified for the state finals at the end of April. Isaac Beal placed first out of over 950 individuals in the preliminaries and will compete in the finals. 

Prior competitions included the Patriot Invitational hosted by Tri-Village FFA Alumni on February 19. Team members were Isaac Beal, Rhylee Eichhorn, Wyatt Black, Connor Maxson, Abigail Maxson, Blake Boggess, and Jackson Shane. Isaac Beal was the highest placing individual from Miami East and placed first in the contest.

On March 2 at the Marysville/Champaign County Invitational in Marysville the General Livestock team placed 12 out of 112 teams with Isaac Beal, Rhylee Eichhorn, Wyatt Black, Dustin Winner, Ethan Fine, Emma Eichhorn, Kyle Wright, Elisabeth Norman, Fletcher Harris, Alek Fine, and Cylah Boggess.… Continue reading

By Bethany Starlin, OCJ FFA reporter

The Cardington FFA Chapter sent 44 students and 14 chaperones on a three-day, cultural immersion experience to Chicago this past March. 

“The main purpose of the trip was to let students see and experience things that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to do otherwise. For a lot of them, this is their first cultural experience outside of central Ohio,” said Erin Wollett, Cardington-Lincoln agriscience educator and FFA advisor.  

The group began their trip with a stop at the Albanese Candy Factory en route to Chicago followed by a show by the Blue Man Group. They spent much of the next day seeing many famous landmarks in downtown Chicago.

While exploring the downtown area, the group visited the Willis Tower, China Town, WhirlyBall, the John Hancock Center and Lake Michigan. After a full day of sightseeing and tours, they had the opportunity to visit the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and learn about urban agriculture. … Continue reading

Twin Valley South FFA Alumni member James ‘Jimmy’ Kimball has been selected to receive the Honorary State FFA Degree. Individuals that receive this honorary degree from the Ohio FFA Association are nominated and approved based on criteria set by the association. One nomination can be made per FFA chapter per year, and must reflect the nominee’s impact on agriculture or agriculture education. Speaking on Kimball’s influence on the Twin Valley South-MVCTC FFA chapter, advisor Alison Derringer says,
“He’s filled in so many needed roles without hesitation. We felt this was a great way to thank him for all he does and continues to do.” Jimmy Kimball is an active member and the Treasurer of the Twin Valley South FFA Alumni, the group that provides significant
financial support for the chapter. He has also spent time as a Livestock Judging coach, trip chaperone, and assisted in multiple community service projects the chapter has been a part of.… Continue reading

Sweet Science for Elementary Students!

The Zane Trace FFA Chapter hosted 10 classes of little pioneers for lessons about maple syrup production during the week of February 28th—March 4th. To kick off each lesson classes participated in a taste test between real maple syrup made at ZT and pancake syrup made with corn syrup. Students then learned how to identify maple trees by their bark and leaves, how to tap and collect sap from the trees and the steps involved in boiling sap into syrup. Each lesson included a measuring activity for students to help them remember the different sizes of bottles used to market maple syrup. The most popular part of the lessons was the opportunity to try real maple syrup on plates of pancakes and French toast sticks! High school students learned skills in written and verbal communication as well as planning, budgeting and time management.

ZT FFA Lends a Hand For Ross Farm Bureau

Did you know that the share of every dollar spend on food that a farmer receives has decreased over the past 20 years?… Continue reading

On March 14th, West Holmes FFA participated in the state Agricultural Sales contest. The team placed 4th. Individually Cora Crilow was 6th, Ally Ogi was 17th, Ashley Tate was 24th, and Derek Miller was 58th. Alternates were Garrett Houin, Alysa Pringle, and Alex Pringle. 

On March 1st, seven West Holmes FFA members participated in the district agricultural sales contest. The contest consists of a team activity and an individual sale. Members of the team gather before the individual sale to formulate a plan to sell the product and discuss connections they could make with the customer. The team was charged with selling various kinds of cherry and apple trees this year. The team placed 2nd in the district. Individually Ashley Tate was 2nd, Alysa Pringle was 5th, Cora Crilow was 7th, Garrett Houin was 11th, Alex Pringle was 13th, and Derek Miller was 15th. Thank you to everyone who helped the team practice and prepare for the contest! … Continue reading

Seniors Ally Ogi, Leah Reining, and Ashley Tate, Juniors Garrett Houin, Sarah Irwin, Jess Miller, Pacee Miller, Alysa Pringle, Dakotah Ringwalt, and Becca Schuch were all approved for their State Degrees. In order to receive a State Degree, there are many qualifications that members have to meet. First, you have to have been in ag class for at least two years, have earned or invested $3,000 in your SAE, carry a  3.0 GPA or 93% attendance, completed 25 hours of community service, participate in 2 Career Development Events, and participate in at least 8 other school and FFA activities. They will receive their degree at the 2022 Ohio FFA State Convention.

Garrett Houin is a state finalist in Service Learning and Outdoor Rec, and 2nd in the district in Sheep Production, Pacee Miller is a state finalist in Beef Entrepreneurship. The district results are Jess Miller 2nd in Beef Entrepreneurship, Rebecca Sprang 1st in Dairy Placement, and Becca Schuch 2nd in Diversified Crop Production. … Continue reading

On Saturday March 5th, two West Holmes FFA members participated in the state speaking contest. Ashley Tate was 5th in her prelim room for extemporaneous and Garrett Houin was 6th in his prelim room for advanced prepared. Great job guys!
West Holmes FFA members competed in the District Speaking contest at Wellington High School on February 23rd. There were four members that competed.  In prepared speaking, Garrett Houin spoke about the misconceptions of rodeo animal welfare. He received 1st place and will be moving onto the state contest. In Extemporaneous Speaking, Ashley Tate placed 2nd in her contest and will be moving on to the state contest. Jenna Sheldon competed in the creed speaking contest and received 3rd place. In beginning prepared speaking, Derek Miller spoke about the misinterpretation of agriculture, and was 4th in his contest.  
On February 16th, the West Holmes FFA Chapter attended sub-district speaking at Plymouth High School.… Continue reading

On February 21st, the West Holmes FFA chapter held their February meeting. At the meeting we conducted opening ceremonies and then proceeded into officer reports. We then went into new business including: Garrett Fowler moved and Garrett Houin seconded to have all strawberry money due on March 16th. Motion passed. Sarah Irwin moved and Becca Schuch seconded to host West Holmes FFA Week March 21-25 and pay for all supplies. Motion passed. Jess Miller moved and Leah Reining to refer to state & national affairs and social rec committees with the power to act. Motion passed. Casey Ogi moved and Dakotah Ringwalt seconded to have exclusively yours cater the banquet and to have each member and one guest attend for free and have all additional guests pay the full cost of the meal. Motion passed. Natalie Rohr moved and Ally Ogi seconded to hold a silent auction at the banquet. Motion passed.… Continue reading

Milton-Union MVCTC FFA chapter attended the Co-Alliance Career Day on March 16^th, in Eldorado, Ohio. The group learned all about all the different operations that are in the company. Some of the operations included: applications, technology, dispatch, grain, propane/fuel movement, and soil sampling. Our members who attended were Dawson Tinnerman, Zachary Lovin, Karlee Thomas, Emma Deeter, Savannah Smith, Jennifer Riquelme, Zebulon Hines, William Johns, Karson Bechtel, Colin Fogle, Ian Coffey, and Jordan Zizert.… Continue reading

By Bethany Starlin, OCJ FFA reporter 

Each February, the National FFA Organization dedicates a week to celebrate the organization and its’ members. The week is a busy one for the state officer team, FFA advisors and members alike, but surely one that is worthwhile.

“National FFA Week is a week for our organization as a whole to celebrate how far we have come and what we’ve accomplished throughout the years of being an organization,” said Sydney Sanders, a third-year member of the Fairfield FFA Chapter. 

Chapters across the state celebrated in a multitude of ways this year. Whether that be through conducting a spirit week where students school-wide dress up according to a theme each day, hosting a teacher appreciation breakfast where chapter members served breakfast to the educators in their school, competing in an agricultural Olympics competition or honoring members who received their Greenhand or Chapter degrees at a ceremony; the week was full of excitement and celebration. … Continue reading

By: Kayleigh Aiken 

National FFA Week started on February 22. The officer team had the room decorated in blue and gold and some green for our greenhands. On Tuesday the theme was tacky tourist and our activity was turkey bowling. Our chapter is competitive when it comes to turkey bowling. On Wednesday we had our greenhand breakfast. We were surprised at how many students came into school early kudos to them. The officer team prepared bacon and eggs for them. After breakfast all of the greenhands got their hands painted green for the entire school day. Wednesday our theme was to wear your chapter shirts or green for the greenhands, our activity was butter carving. Our winning butter carvings were a lamb, falling dominos, a human heart, butter blazer, shark on a rock, a bird, and lastly a hamster rat kangaroo. These students had a hard time carving but they did an awesome job.… Continue reading

On February 8th, 2022, the Northwestern FFA Chapter held their annual Greenhand and Chapter Degree Ceremony. The purpose of this ceremony is to award first and second year members for all their hard work in the program. There were many members of our chapter that received their Greenhand Degree. This is a degree given to first-year students who have demonstrated that they have a thorough understanding of the history and purpose of FFA and they have a supervised agricultural experience. Members also are required to recite the FFA creed and answer questions regarding the creed. The members who received this degree were, Mallory Bloom, Devan Bresson, Claire Bucholz, Brooklyn Buzzard, Adelynne Cassidy, Kaylee Cherry, Alberto Collado, Addy Connelly, Emma Connelly, Makenna Connelly, Nickolas Coots, Trig Dupre, Harper Flores, Braiden Franks, Cheyenne Friend, Caleb Frontz, Carsyne Frybarger, Samantha Herman, Kace Hixson, Chad Houck, Kate Johnson Jesse Kimble, Nevaeh Kirk, Danny McClure, Chet McNeil, Evan McKay, Arayah Nussbaum, Gabriella Riedel, Mia Rosales, Collin Rouse, Hayden Sigler, Kelsee Smith, Wesley Stoltz, and Garrett Way.… Continue reading

By: Mikalyn D’Amore, Anthony Wayne-Penta FFA 

On March 4, 2022, four Anthony Wayne-Penta FFA members competed over Google Meet, at the District 1 Agriscience Fair. The students presented their Agriscience Research Projects to a panel of judges. They were then judged and placed in their respective category. Ronald Bischoff, Makalya Tellier, and Nick Watcha competed in the Social Systems category and Mikalyn D’Amore competed in the Environmental Systems  category. Ronald Bischoff and Nick Watcha placed 1st, and Makayla Tellier and Mikalyn D’Amore placed 2nd in their prospective categories. Makalya Tellier said, “I am glad that I participated in the Agriscience Fair. It is a great experience, and it allows me to improve my public speaking skills.” Anthony Wayne FFA is a satellite of Penta Career Center.… Continue reading

While most Americans list public speaking as their number one fear, the prospect of presenting in front of others didn’t intimidate Zane Trace FFA members Sarah McGraw, Charley Clyne and Taylor Davis. This trio competed in the Sub-District FFA speaking contests on February 7^th at Westfall High School. During the event McGraw placed first in Beginning Prepared, Davis 3^rd in Creed Recital and Clyne 3^rd in Extemporaneous Speaking.  Sarah McGraw advanced to the District 7 contest on February 16^th at Amanda Clearcreek High School where she placed 2^nd overall and earned a spot in the Ohio FFA State Speaking Finals, becoming only the fourth ZT FFA member to achieve this honor. On Saturday, March 5^th at Marysville High School she put her speaking skills to the test with 19 other members who qualified from around the state.… Continue reading

On Thursday February 17th, 22 members of the West Holmes FFA Chapter departed for the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky. They traveled with Licking Valley FFA and Carrollton FFA. On Thursday, they toured Diefenbacher Greenhouse in Cincinnati and had dinner at Texas Roadhouse in Louisville. Then they visited the Louisville Expo Center to watch the tractor pull. On Friday, they toured the Farm Machinery Show and got to visit with some of the top machinery companies in agriculture.  After touring the show they ate lunch and departed back home. Members who attended were Kalan Bowling, Maison Carter, Haylee Conner, Garrett Fowler, Keith Hawkins, Justice Hendrix, Liberty Hendrix, Derek Miller, Pacee Miller, Madison Pearce- Lafery, Alex Pringle, Alysa Pringle, Hailey Richert, Dakotah Ringwalt, Andi Schuch, Becca Schuch, Jenna Sheldon, Hayden Smith, Alexa Tate, Ashley Tate, and Quentin Vehrs.… Continue reading

Degree Ceremonies took place last night! The officers set up the session in the gym and invited parents of the kids who got the awards. We had 60 members attend the ceremony and they all got various awards. The first degree handed out was for the 8th graders in the AFNR test, we had 29 8th graders that received the first year discovery degree. The next degree handed out was for mostly freshmen, the second and first year high schoolers in FFA, those students were awarded the Greenhand FFA degree. Those students enjoyed adding their hand to the wall of green hands. The last degree is the highest degree that is given in a chapter is the Chapter degree, there were four members who were given that degree. Congratulations to the members who earned a degree and great job to the officers and advisors for planning a great evening!
-Kaitlyn Stoller… Continue reading

National FFA week is a busy week for every FFA chapter around the country. It is meant to be a week of celebrating the great and national organization that is the FFA. Northwestern FFA took time to celebrate the hard working members in several ways. To kick off the week, the school had spirit days. Our theme days were, Tuesday American day, Wednesday Groutfit day, Thursday Animal day, and Friday Farmer day. Each spirit day was in correlation to our Officer Opening Ceremonies.  During the week members wrote thank you cards to their supporters and made tie blankets to donate to the Pregnancy Care Center in Wooster, Salvation Army, and a local Veterans home. The chapter also held an assembly on Tuesday, with middle school students with fun activities to promote agriculture and FFA. On Wednesday, we held our first annual supporter luncheon. Officers sent out invitations to local supporters and invited them to a “Supporter Luncheon” held in the Ag Shop.… Continue reading