FFA News

The Star State FFA Degree recipients were announced Thursday evening at the 96th Ohio FFA State Convention in Columbus. It is one of the most coveted awards available at the state level. The winners were Kara Stephen of Covington-UVCC FFA (Star in Agriscience), Sage Whetnall of Cardington FFA (Star in Agribusiness), Maddox French of the United FFA (Star in Agricultural Placement), and Bailey Amstutz of the North Union FFA (Star Farmer).

Star in Agriscience
Kara Stephen
Covington-UVCC FFA

Star in Agribusiness
Sage Whetnall
Cardington FFA

Star in Agricultural Placement
Maddox French
United FFA

Star Farmer
Bailey Amstutz
North Union FFA… Continue reading

The following are the Ohio FFA Proficiency Award winners from the 2024 Ohio FFA State Convention:

Accounting
Kaylor Jennings
Felicity-Franklin FFA

Agricultural Communications
Jayden Hicks
Greenville FFA

Agricultural Education
Dalton Mullins
Miami Trace-Great Oaks FFA

Agricultural Mechanics Design and Fabrication
Mason Powell
Cardington FFA

Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance – Entrepreneurship
Jason Brown
Portsmouth West-SCCTC FFA

Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance – Placement
Wyatt Black
Miami East-MVCTC FFA

Agricultural Processing
Braden Zekas
Miami East-MVCTC FFA

Agricultural Sales – Entrepreneurship
Gracie Sprague
Genoa-Penta FFA

Agricultural Sales – Placement
Taylor Payne
Ridgemont FFA

Agricultural Services
Kaelyn Saylor
Ridgemont FFA

Agriscience Research – Animal Systems
Ruth Eckstein
Ridgemont FFA

Agriscience Research – Integrated Systems
Mason Jolliff
Ridgemont FFA

Agriscience Research – Plant Systems
Hannah McKinniss
Ridgemont FFA

Beef Production – Entrepreneurship
Delaney Jones
Allen East FFA

Beef Production – Placement
Aaron Miller
Archbold FFA

Dairy Production – Entrepreneurship
Paige House
Preble Shawnee FFA

Dairy Production – Placement
Troy Homan
New Bremen FFA

Diversified Agricultural Production
Maddox French
United Local FFA

Diversified Crop Production – Entrepreneurship
Reagan Winner
Versailles FFA

Diversified Crop Production – Placement
Garrett Schlechter
Firelands FFA

Diversified Livestock Production
Kaylei McHenry
West Muskingum FFA

Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management
Garrett Houin
West Holmes FFA

Equine Science – Entrepreneurship
Callie Finnegan
Firelands FFA

Equine Science – Placement
Savannah Wiley
Liberty Union FFA

Fiber and/or Oil Crop Production
Gabriel Dershem
Houston-UVCC FFA

Forage Production
Garrett Agle
Northeastern FFA

Forest Management and Products
Lane Baker
New Lexington FFA

Fruit and Nut Production
Dylan Arnold
East Clinton Great Oaks FFA

Goat Production
Ava Shroyer
Indian Lake-OHP FFA

Grain Production
Allison Michaels
Bellevue FFA

Landscape Management
Chris Deaton
Covington-UVCC FFA

Nursery Operations
Coy Grayum
Delaware Area Career Center

Organic Agriculture
Abby Crum
West Muskingum FFA

Outdoor Recreation
Brandon Gibson
St.… Continue reading

The following individuals were slated as Ohio FFA State Officer candidates, announced at the first session of the 96th Ohio FFA Convention.

State President:
LAUREN THORNHILL – ANNA FFA
ANNA MOELLER – TALAWANDA-BUTLER TECH FFA

State Vice President:
JOSIE JENNINGS – GLOBAL IMPACT FFA
CARTER BOYD – HILLSBORO FFA

State Treasurer:
RYAN BOWSHER – SPENCERVILLE FFA
LAYNA CORDON – LICKING VALLEY FFA

State Secretary:
LACIE BACHMAN – BLOOM-CARROLL FFA
GRACIE SPRAGUE – GENOA-PENTA FFA

State Reporter:
JAYDEN HICKS – GREENVILLE FFA 
DANIEL HARTZELL – MISSISSINAWA VALLEY-MVCTC FFA

State Sentinel:
JULIA SILVUS – FORT FRYE FFA 
CALEB BENNETT – MIAMI TRACE GREAT OAKS FFA… Continue reading

Session 2 Recap

By Liliana Phillips, Student Reporter

The second session of the Ohio FFA State Convention inspired over 9,000 members who were in attendance. The state officers kicked off the session with an exciting introduction including an assisted backflip performed by the State President, Luke Jennings.

After opening ceremonies were finished, various FFA chapters were recognized for their achievements over the past year. Awards included the Top Ten in Gold Rated Chapters, Chapters Growing Leaders, Chapters Building Communities, Chapters Strengthening Agriculture and Top Ten Chapters in the state.… Continue reading

The following agenda is courtesy of the Ohio FFA. Click here to download the printable PDF.

96th Ohio FFA Convention

May 2-3, 2024 • Ohio Expo Center • Columbus, Ohio

Thursday, May 2, 2024

• 8:00 AM
  • Set Up: Agriscience Fair, Proficiencies, & National Chapter Displays – Bricker
  • Convention Registration Open – Celeste
  • Ag Mechanics Engineering CDE – Bricker
  • Career Show & Expo Open – Bricker
  • Ohio FFA Fashion Place Open – Bricker
  • Industry Welcome Breakfast for State Officer Candidates – Kasich
• 8:30 AM Workshops – Bricker
• 9:45 AM Pre-Session

First Session

10:00 AM

• Opening Ceremony
• Teacher/Administrator Recognition
• Chapter Trust Awards
• FFA Charitable Giving Recognition
• FFA Foundation Scholarships
• Ohio FFA Works Program Recognition
• Recognition of New FFA Chapters
• Keynote Speaker: Krista Simpson Anderson
• Announcement of the 2024-25 Ohio FFA Officer Ballot
• Closing Ceremony
• 12:00 PM Delegate Business Session & Luncheon – Kasich

Second Session

2:15 PM Pre-Session
2:30 PM

• Opening Ceremony
• Chapter Awards:
  • Ohio FFA Gold Medal Chapters
  • Top 10 Growing Leaders Chapters
  • Top 10 Building Communities Chapters
  • Top 10 Strengthening Agriculture Chapters
  • Top 10 Chapters
• Keynote Speaker: Morris Morrison
• Proficiency Award Recognition
• Closing Ceremony

Third Session

6:15 PM Pre-Session
6:30 PM

• Opening Ceremony
• Honorary State FFA Degree Ceremony
• National Winners Recognition
• Star American FFA Degree Recognition
• Star State FFA Degree Recognition
• Proficiency Award Recognition
• Keynote Speaker: Morgan Anderson, National FFA Eastern Region Vice President
• Closing Ceremony

Friday, May 3, 2024

• 8:00 AM
  • Convention Registration Open – Celeste
  • Career Show & Expo Open – Bricker
  • Ohio FFA Fashion Place Open – Bricker
• 9:00 AM
  • Choir Practice – Bricker
  • Band Practice – Kasich
• 9:15 AM Pre-Session

Fourth Session

9:30 AM

• Opening Ceremony
• Officer Awards:
  • Secretary’s Award
  • Treasurer’s Award
  • Reporter’s Award
• Career Development Event Recognition
• Agriscience Fair Recognition
• Closing Ceremony
• 12:00 PM Friends of the FFA Luncheon – Kasich
• 12:30 PM Talent Showcase – Celeste
• 1:00 PM
  • Ohio FFA Center Archives open – FFA Center
  • Workshops – Bricker
• 1:45 PM Pre-Session

Fifth Session – A

2:00 PM

• Opening Ceremony
• Band and Choir Presentation
• Ohio FFA Officers’ Family Recognition
• Keynote Speaker: Luke Jennings, Ohio FFA President
• Conferring of the State FFA Degree (A-L Chapters)
• Closing Ceremony
• 4:00 PM Workshops – Bricker
• 4:30 PM Band and Choir Musical Presentation – Celeste

Fifth Session – B

5:15 PM Pre-Session
5:30 PM

• Opening Ceremony
• Band and Choir Presentation
• Keynote Speaker: Luke Jennings, Ohio FFA President
• 2024-25 Ohio FFA Officer Announcement
• Conferring of the State FFA Degree (M-Z Chapters)
• Officer Installation
• Closing Ceremony

We are excited to introduce the 2024 class of Ohio Ag Net Student FFA Reporters. This year’s team includes five dedicated students who bring a wealth of enthusiasm to their roles. Returning from the 2023 class are Cortney Copeland and Aubree Topp, both of whom have already made significant contributions to the Student FFA Reporter program. They are joined by three new reporters: Sydney Beiting, Liliana Phillips, and Alexis White, each eager to bring their unique perspectives and skills to the Ohio Ag Net and Ohio’s Country Journal audience.

As is tradition, this year’s in-depth coverage of the Ohio FFA Convention is sponsored by Wilmington College.

Cortney Copeland

Cortney Copeland, a junior at Jackson Center High School, serves as the President of the Jackson Center-UVCC FFA chapter. Outside of FFA, Copeland holds the position of Secretary for the Jackson Center-UVCC FCCLA chapter and is involved in the show choir, concert choir, academia, student council, and the student ambassador program.… Continue reading

By Morgan Anderson, OCJ FFA Reporter

On March 14, an EF-2 tornado — a tornado with wind speeds of 111-135 miles per hour — touched down in central Union County, according to the National Weather Service. However, that tornado was only one of eight to go through the area.

By March 17, Gov. Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency for 11 counties in Northwest Ohio, which included Union, Richland, Miami, Mercer, Logan, Licking, Hancock, Delaware, Crawford and Auglaize. Under the order, all relevant state departments provided resources and personnel for recovery due to the significant damage.

Trapp Farms, the family farm of Emerson Trapp, a former member of the Marysville FFA Chapter in Union County, was hit with immeasurable damage. Trapp, now a freshman at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, came home to help his family as soon as he learned what happened.

“The amount of debris in the fields that were in the path of the tornado was overwhelming,” said Chris Trapp, Emerson’s mother.… Continue reading

The 2024 Ohio FFA State Convention is fast approaching, May 2-3, and Ohio’s Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net is looking for outstanding FFA members to help serve as student reporters for this year’s event. 

Ever wonder what it’s like to do our job? This is your chance!

Selected FFA members will get the opportunity to help cover the convention and work alongside our news staff. Reporters can expect to gain an early insight into a possible career in agricultural communication, and make some new connections along the way. 

The coverage of the Ohio FFA Convention will be posted on www.ocj.com and various social media outlets with reporters helping to host news coverage alongside our staff in addition to veteran student reporters. 

Students will assist in gathering information, shoot photos and video of newsworthy items and people, share their commentary of what happened in each session, and much more. 

To be considered: 

• Applicants must be attending both days of the Ohio FFA State Convention May 2 and 3, 2024. 

By Morgan Anderson, OCJ FFA Reporter

From Feb. 17-24, New Lexington FFA members joined the nationwide celebration for “National FFA Week.” The weeklong event is a time-honored tradition. The first holding of the week was celebrated in 1948 when the National FFA Board of Directors designated a weeklong celebration for all things FFA. Now, National FFA Week embraces 96 years of FFA traditions while looking forward to the organization’s future.

This year, the New Lexington FFA Chapter found exciting ways to shine a light on the impact FFA has had on them and their community.

Farmer’s Breakfast

To give back to those who work in acres instead of hours, the New Lexington FFA officer team and chapter advisors hosted a “Farmer’s Breakfast” on Feb. 20. Farmers in the local community were invited to attend the breakfast in thanks for their work in agriculture. Around 5 a.m., the group arrived at their school barn and prepared a full breakfast for the attendees.… Continue reading

By Morgan Anderson, OCJ FFA reporter

Each year, 75 current or past State FFA Officers with active FFA membership are invited to apply for the International Leadership Seminar for State Officers (ILSSO). A 14-day travel experience, ILSSO allows attendees to develop an awareness of global agriculture and enhance their cultural competency of another country. This year, ILSSO was hosted in Australia.

Out of the 75 attendees on the trip to the “Land Down Under,” six of them were the current member of the Ohio FFA State Officer Team.

“After the State Officer Summit in Washington D.C. this past August, all 300+ state officers were invited to apply as potential ILSSO 2024 attendees,” said Kaydence Morris, Ohio FFA State Reporter. “I was blessed to have been accepted. From there, I completed an 8-week curriculum consisting of four modules of instruction on cultural awareness in Australia, completing projects that developed my cultural intelligence, as well as various essays and quizzes.”… Continue reading

By Luke Jennings, 2023-2024 State President of the Ohio FFA Association

As the clock struck midnight, the ball dropped, and we cheered for the start of 2024, many of us probably said this very saying, or at least thought it in our head. Even though it’s likely that most of us have forgotten about our New Year’s resolutions, maybe you’ve been able to beat the odds and stick with it.

While it’s always good to set new goals, 2023 will be a hard year to beat for Ohio FFA members. After closing out a record attendance at the 95th Ohio FFA Convention, dancing our way through Ohio FFA Camp Muskingum, and working all summer on SAEs, we kicked off what’s been a stellar school year.

Ohio FFA members took “stellar” to a whole new level at the 96th National FFA Convention and Expo. Our buckeye state was well represented with three American Star Finalists, three top 10 chapters, 19 national proficiency finalists, one chorus member, one talent act, 47 agriscience fair finalists, two VIP citation honorees, dozens of CDE and LDE competitors, and 457 American Degree recipients.… Continue reading

By Morgan Anderson, OCJ FFA Reporter

Abbi Bolin-Ervin has grown up in the agriculture industry. Since 1918, her family has had a working dairy farm where she said she enjoys working whenever she can.

“I grew up showing dairy,” Bolin-Ervin said. “I started around the age of six and I haven’t stopped since.”

For Bolin-Ervin, competing in the Dairy Cattle Handlers Career Development Event (CDE) was a natural fit. By participating in the Dairy Cattle Handlers CDE, students learn to work with others in a way that is cooperative, courteous and helpful while demonstrating effective dairy handling skills. Handlers earn recognition for their ability to set up their assigned animal to its best advantage, maintain the animal in its most advantageous post, exhibit effective restraint and move the animal as requested by the event ringmaster.

After winning the state contest earlier this year, Bolin-Ervin went on to represent both Athens FFA and the state of Ohio as a competitor at the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.… Continue reading

By Morgan Anderson, OCJ FFA reporter

As the age-old saying goes, “Winning isn’t everything,” but for the Seneca East FFA Chapter, their hard work certainly paid off. On Oct. 14, four FFA members competed in the State Agricultural Soils Career Development Event (CDE), and to their surprise, they came home as state champions.

“To be a state champion in the Agricultural Soils CDE still seems unreal,” Ella Martin said. “When I first looked at the results, I didn’t even believe what I saw. I was sure they had messed up and something was going to change. Being on a champion team is something I hope everyone gets to do. To be on a team and become close with my teammates is a bond and experience that I will never take for granted. I wouldn’t have wanted to experience this with another group of people, and I am so grateful for this opportunity.”… Continue reading