FFA News

On Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013, The Madison Plains FFA Chapter helped their environment by picking up trash alongside State Route 38.

For safety, members were divided into group of two. They also wore latex gloves and safety vest. Each group had a different starting point. The groups met in the middle and were picked up and taken back to the school. Through this activity, members realized how much of a problem littering is today. Kayle Mast stated, “It seems to me that there is a large problem with people being carless and harming our environment.”

The chapter is very dedicated to keeping their community clean and looking nice.… Continue reading

Mohawk FFA members are now selling tickets for a meal on September 20^th at Mohawk School. The serving time is from 4:30-6:30 p.m. You can either pick it up to go or eat there.  It is $8.00 for a meal ticket.  Each meal includes scalloped potatoes with cheese and bacon, one roll, cole slaw, a cookie and a bottle of water. You can pick from the pork meal which has 2 boneless pork chops, the chicken meal which has ½ of a chicken or the combo which is ¼ of a chicken and 1 boneless pork chop.  You can purchase a ticket from any FFA member or stop in at T-N-T Pizza in Sycamore.… Continue reading

This year the Madison Plains FFA chapter received the 2013 Agricultural and Rural Community Outreach Program (ARCOP) grant of $2500.

The money from the grant was used to purchase a laptop to record and upload photos of what the members learned, a camera to record and take pictures of the members learning and participating in the canning process, a pressure cooker, food processer, canning jars, and canning mixes.  Students brought in produce from their own gardens.

The ARCOP grant was used to teach the FFA members how to can and preserve vegetables and fruit. They were taught to first clean the produce, then chop and puree it using the food processer, third the students sanitized the jars and prepped the lids by soaking them in water, and the last step was putting the jars into the pressure cooker to release the pressure and seal the lids. During the students class period they made salsa and pickles. … Continue reading

Name: Aaron Gates

Home Chapter: Monroeville FFA

What state office do you hold? District 2 President

What school do you attend and what year are you? Ohio Northern University, Freshman

What is your major? Mechanical Engineering

What is your favorite thing to do when you have free time? Read, listen to music, hang out with friends

Favorite sports team and why: The Indians, because I love baseball and I also love underdogs, plus I live closest to Cleveland.

Favorite Movie and why: Braveheart, because I love history, and I love the story of William Wallace.

Favorite CDE and why: Rural soil judging because you have to look at all of the factors that affect the land in order to know how well the soil is or how poor it is for farming.

What is your biggest fear? My biggest fear is heights.

What are your personal FFA goals for upcoming year?… Continue reading

On June 18th six members from the Colonel Crawford FFA chapter cleaned up a flower bed at the Crawford county fair for community service.  They enjoyed helping out the fairgrounds.

The FFA chapter had a picnic and trap shoot on July 1st, students and parents attended the event.   The main focus of the night was to introduce upcoming freshman students to the chapter.  All students were allowed to shoot rounds of clay pigeons provided.  All had a fun and enjoyable evening and the Colonel Crawford FFA Chapter would like to thank all who participated.

On August 1st seven Colonel Crawford/Pioneer FFA students, along with their teacher Krista Betti and her parents, worked in the Ohio State Fair Pork Booth.  The Pork Booth is operated by the Ohio Pork Producers Association and allows any AG related club, business, or organization to come in and cook and serve food and drinks.  The chapter worked in booth the indoor pavilion and outdoor trailer for the Pork Producers. … Continue reading

Firefighters from Casstown, Fletcher, and Elizabeth Township participated in a grain bin rescue course held Sunday at Miami East High School.

Besides offering a training program, the Miami East-MVCTC FFA Chapter also raised money in recent months to outfit three local fire departments with the device that helps rescue victims of grain bin accidents.

Miami East FFA-MVCTC FFA member Nathan Teeters said Sunday that the grain bin rescue tube cofferdams were designed to save lives whenever a farmer or farm employee is entrapped in a grain bin or grain wagon. Departments and law enforcement from across the area were invited to participate.

The original goal of the FFA’s “Grain Rescue Tube Program” was to raise $3,500 for the purchase of three grain rescue tubes for each of the fire departments in the Miami East Local School District. The tubes are needed to rescue farmers who become trapped in grain bins. The tubes were purchased through funding provided by the Ohio Department of Agriculture grant in the Agriculture and Rural Community Outreach Program, Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, Miami East FFA Alumni Chapter, and Miami County Farm Bureau.… Continue reading

Name: Elizabeth Overholt

Home Chapter: West Holmes FFA Chapter

What state office do you hold? District 8 President

What school do you attend and what year are you? Freshmen, Ohio State ATI

What is your major? Agricultural communication

What is your favorite thing to do when you have free time? My favorite thing to do in my free time is to sit down and enjoy good movies and spend time with friends.

Favorite sports team and why: My favorite sports team is anything Ohio State because I’m a buckeye!

Favorite Movie and why: My favorite movie is 8 Seconds because it shows what people will do and give up for their passions!

Favorite CDE and why: Parli Pro because it challenged me and made me think on my feet while building  my confidence!

What is your biggest fear? Failure

What are your personal FFA goals for upcoming year? My personal FFA goals for the year is to be able to interact with all of the schools in District 8.… Continue reading

 On Sept. 4, 2013, Mohawk FFA held a smell meal followed be a FFA meeting and then an informative presentation for parents of first year FFA members.  It was attended by of 35 members of the Mohawk FFA and 63 guests.

At the meeting FFA members were informed of their officer families. Once they were with their family groups they discussed the jobs they had for the school year and want over any questions the new members had.

The presentation for the first year FFA members was give by the following: Emily Daniel, Ciara Long, Meghan Chaffee, Lydia Coldiron and Kevin Lonsway. The event was an all together success and was a great kick start for the year.  FFA thanks all who attended.… Continue reading

During the week of July 14th through the 21st 2013 Colonel Crawford FFA students participated in the Crawford County Junior Fair. During the 2012-2013 school year, students kept records of their SAE projects.  At the fair students were asked questions about their SAE projects and record books. Many of the students excelled with their projects.

In the dairy beef show Travis Bogard got a 2nd and 3rd place in his classes. Kyle Hudson placed 3rd in his dairy beef class.  Taylor Lutz got 2nd in both of her dairy beef feeder classes, and received outstanding exhibitor in dairy beef; she also got Reserve senior showman in dairy beef. Kendra Hudson placed 1st in both of her dairy beef classes; she also got Champion in dairy beef feeder senior showmanship.

In the dairy department Kyle Hudson got Grand Champion dairy female. Taylor Lutz got Reserve dairy female and Reserve senior showman.  She also got outstanding dairy exhibitor.… Continue reading

On Aug. 3, 2013, the Benjamin Logan FFA members and officers combined forces with the District 6 Officers and assisted at the Ohio Cattlemen Association Booth, during the Ohio State Fair.  The members helped with either scooping up French Fries, passing out food, or by cleaning off tables after customers had finished eating.  After their shift was over, the members and District 6 Officers enjoyed the sights and sounds of the fair.… Continue reading

The Mohawk FFA, 2013-2014, officers met to begin preparation for the coming school year.  The Officer team this year is Emily Daniel as President, Ciara Long as Vice President, Paige Sigler as Secretary, Meghan Chaffee as Treasurer, Morgan Edgington as Reporter, Lydia Coldiron as Sentinel and Kevin Lonsway as Student Advisor.  This year along with exploring personal strengths and making new Mohawk FFA goals, the officer team was able to come up with four new activities for Mohawk FFA.

Those activities are Back Pack for the Hungry, a program to help feed kids that are less fortunate in the school. Officer Family Fun Day is a day were FFA members will come together to engage in fun team activities to bring members closer together. Also a Pizza Prize Party, this is a small party that the most active members will get to attend by doing this we hope to encourage our members to be more active in FFA.… Continue reading

Name:  Jeanie McGarvey

Home Chapter: Liberty Union

What state office do you hold?  District 7 President

What school do you attend and what year are you?  Liberty Union- Senior & Ohio University Lancaster- Dual Enrollment Option “freshman”

What do you hope to study when you go to college?  Communication and American Sign Language

What is your favorite thing to do when you have free time?  Talk with friends and family

Favorite sports team and why: Ohio State Buckeyes- proud state supporter

Favorite Movie and why: One of my favorite movies is Captain America- I LOVE superheroes and action movies.

Favorite CDE and why: Parliamentary Procedure- I love the team competition and adrenaline that comes with being a chair person.

What is your biggest fear? To miss out on something amazing

What are your personal FFA goals for upcoming year?  Connect with lots of members at FFA Camp, travel around Ohio giving speeches and workshops, making a difference in my community through FFA, help members realize their infinite potential, grow myself, and be completely committed to my state office as well as my home chapter office.… Continue reading

Mr. Tim Williams of Conover was recently selected to receive the Honorary American FFA Degree through the National FFA Organization. Mr. Williams will receive the award on stage at the 2013 National FFA Convention in Louisville, Ky, on Friday, Nov. 2. He will receive a certificate and medal and have his name permanently recorded into FFA history.

Mr. Williams was selected because of his support of the advancement of agricultural education and FFA through outstanding personal commitment. Mr. Williams recently retired from bring principal at Miami East High School. During his educational career Mr. Williams hired countless FFA members to work on his family’s horse, straw, and hay farm.

Mr. Williams attended numerous conventions to support the Miami East FFA members and applaud their accomplishments. Furthermore, he served on the Miami East Agricultural Education Department Advisory Committee for 13 years where he provided direction and insight to the future of the agriculture program.… Continue reading

The September 2013 Miami East-MVCTC FFA Member of the Month is Allyson Supinger. She is the daughter of Rebecca Supinger and Chris DiNardo of Fletcher and a junior and third year member of the Miami East-MVCTC FFA Chapter.

At the 2013 Miami County Fair Allyson exhibited the Grand Champion Turkey, which weighed 54 pounds. She also exhibited items in the Shop and Crop Department. Allyson has competed in the Greenhand parliamentary procedures contest, attended FFA Camp, and participated in the visit to teach elementary students wildlife education.

Every month of the school year the Miami East-MVCTC FFA will select a student to be the FFA Member of the Month. The officer team will nominate one student that has been actively involved in the FFA chapter, school and community activities. If selected, the member will be recognized at the monthly FFA meeting, have their picture displayed in the Miami East Ag Room, and will receive a special memento in celebration of their accomplishment.… Continue reading

Name: Sydney Snider

Home Chapter: Felicity-Franklin

What state office do you hold? State Secretary

What school do you attend and what year are you? This August, I will be a freshman at The Ohio State University.

What is your major? Food Science

What is your favorite thing to do when you have free time? I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I also love to watch movies!

Favorite sports team and why: I do not have a favorite professional sports team, but my favorite collegiate team would be the Ohio State Buckeyes! I enjoy watching Ohio State Football and Basketball.

Favorite Movie and why: I have too many favorite movies to pick! But some of my favorite movies include; Footloose, My Sisters Keeper, The Notebook and Temple Grandin. I really enjoy the stories and meanings behind these movies!

Favorite CDE and why: My favorite CDE is probably the Food Science and Technology CDE because it allowed me to discover my interest in the food industry.… Continue reading

Journal Communications and the National FFA Organization announce the launch of the updated FFA New Horizons free magazine app for Apple, Android and Kindle Fire devices.

The update features content from the fall 2013 edition of FFA New Horizons magazine, including a historical retrospective of the Official FFA Jacket, profiles of National FFA student leaders and agriculture educators, as well as career advice and tips for personal growth.

This latest update has been enhanced with additional technical features, such as a magazine cover with embedded video, vertical and horizontal orientation, and scrolling text for readability. The magazine’s editorial and digital technology teams worked together to ensure the enhancements complement the magazine’s editorial content rather than overpower it.

“It was important to us that we didn’t add bells and whistles for the sake of bells and whistles,” said FFA New Horizons Editor Kim Newsom Holmberg. “We want the app to strengthen the relationship our readers have with the magazine by enhancing their experience with the content.”… Continue reading

The Holmes County Jr. Fair took place on Aug. 5-10.  On Sunday Aug. 4^, exhibitors brought and settled animals at the fair for the week. Monday morning the poultry show went under way. Members that showed poultry were Kayla Bird, Logan Brannon, Lyndsey Davis, Dylan Holloway, Courtney Kozak, and Brittany Sigler. Courtney Kozak was turkey showmanship senior champion and Kayla Bird was senior reserve champion.

On Monday afternoon the king and queen coronation was held. The 2012-2013 King and Queen were Marshall Overholt and Liz Overholt. West Holmes FFA president Mandy Taylor was elected queen, and sentinel Clay Armstrong was elected King. The 2012-2013 King and Queen were Marshall Overholt and Liz Overholt who were also member of the West Holmes FFA. To be elected for king and queen it is mandatory to fill out and application and go through an interview with the judges. The pair will now represent the county for the next year.… Continue reading

As the Anna FFA Chapter starts off their 2013-2014 School Year so does the former 2003 Anna Graduate Mrs. Sarah Heilers. Mrs. Sarah Heilers will be serving as Anna High School’s new FFA and Agricultural Education Teacher. Heilers is filling the vacancy of Mrs. Michelle Brunson who is now employed at the Upper Valley Career Center located in Piqua, Ohio as an instructional supervisor.

While in high school, Heilers participated in the FFA program receiving her American FFA Degree as well as serving as the chapter president. In 2007 she went on to graduate from The Ohio State University with a BS in Agriculture. Heilers received her Master’s Degree in Teaching and Learning. Previous to Anna, she taught at Mechanicsburg and Ft. Loramie Schools. Heilers is glad to come back to Anna as she is very excited to teach at her home school.… Continue reading

On August 14th, 2013, the Edgewood/Butler Tech FFA officer team headed down south to Kentucky for a unique opportunity.

The National FFA Officer breakfast, sponsored by Toyota, gives officer teams the chance to meet and interact with their national officers. The event was held at Gateway Community and Technical College in Florence, Kentucky. After listening to opening remarks from Toyota manager Helen Carroll and Gateway’s president Mr. Ed Hughes, the Edgewood officers ate breakfast and prepared to listen to a presentation by the National Officer team. The National Officers talked about life lessons they wish they knew as chapter officers for FFA. Then, at the end of the presentation, they answered questions from the members in attendance.

“The Toyota breakfast was a great experience for members to meet and learn from national officers,” says Edgewood/Butler Tech FFA Treasurer Lindsey Laird. “Many of us regard them as some if the most influential people in the organization.”… Continue reading

Name: Joe Schmitz

Home Chapter: Mississinawa Valley-MVCTC

What state office do you hold? District 5 President

What school do you attend and what year are you? Senior at Mississinawa Valley High School

What do you hope to study when you go to college?  Agribusiness

What is your favorite thing to do when you have free time? Farm with my brother and dad.

Favorite sports team and why:The Ohio State Buckeyes because that is where my family has gone to school

Favorite Movie and why: The Lonesome Dove Saga because it is adventurous and it’s a Western.

Favorite CDE and why: General Livestock Judging because you don’t have to necessarily agree with the judge to be right.

What is your biggest fear? Receiving a life long injury.

What are your personal FFA goals for upcoming year? This year I want to win districts in public speaking, win State Farm Business Management CDE, as a team win General Livestock Judging Contest CDE.… Continue reading