October 2010 FFA

Create a profile. Add friends. Start a group. Voice your opinions. ffa.org/ffanation

SucceSSMarching Toward

Discover your infinite potential at the 83rd National FFA Convention

Lighten Up!Is your backpack

too heavy?

new horizonsFFA

t h e m a g a z i n e o f t h e n a t i o n a l f f a o r g a n i z a t i o n | o c t o b e r 2 0 1 0

®l o g o n at f fa . o r g / f fa n at i o n

www.ffa.org/ffanation


http://www2.syngenta.com/en/careers/

www.ffa.learn.com

www.justingypsy.com

On the Cover: FFA members represent their states in the 2009 National FFA Convention Grand March.

new horizonsFFAThe magazine of the National FFA Organization

Volume 58 Number 1

®

16

10 cover story

Marching Toward SuccessDiscover your infinite potential at the national FFA convention.

Chi-Town = FarmtownChicago students raise livestock, plants and fish – right in the city limits.

KimNewsom editor jessyyaNcey associateeditor LisaBaTTLes,joycecaRUTHeRs copyeditors jULiewoodaRd FFaPublicationsmanager KRisTymeyeR FFacommunications RaVeNPeTTy Proofreadingmanager jeNNiFeRGRaVes contentcoordinator cHRisHayHURsT,jessicamoZo, contributingwriters jessicawaLKeR cHRisTiNacaRdeN mediaTechnologydirector KRisseXToN,caNdicesweeT, seniorGraphicdesigners ViKKiwiLLiams cHaNdRaBRadsHaw,yameLHaLL, mediaTechnologyanalysts aLisoNHUNTeR,maRcUssNydeR jeFFReys.oTTo Photographydirector jeFFadKiNs,BRiaNmccoRd seniorPhotographers ToddBeNNeTT,aNToNyBosHieR staffPhotographers yaNceyTURTURice informationTechnologydirector RyaNsweeNey i.T.serviceTechnician LeiGHGUaRiN webdesigner ToRiHUGHes integratedmediamanager cHRisdUdLey controller ciNdyHaLL salessupportmanager RacHaeLGoLdsBeRRy salessupport KRisTydUNcaN executivesecretary KaTiemiddeNdoRF adProductionmanager PaTRiciamoisaN adTrafficassistantdiaNaGUZmaN,maRiamcFaRLaNd accounting sHeLLymiLLeR,LisaoweNs GaRysmiTH distributiondirector KeiTHHaRRis marketingcreativedirector RayLaNGeN executiveVicePresident ToddPoTTeR,caRLaTHURmaN sr.V.P./sales caseyHesTeR sr.V.P./operations TeReecaRUTHeRs V.P./contentdevelopment maRKFoResTeR V.P./Visualcontent NaTasHaLoReNs V.P./contentoperations

Foradvertisinginformation,contactToriHughes,(800)333-8842,ext.281,[email protected].

2009-2010 National FFA Officers LeVyRaNdoLPH,ca President BeTHaNyBoHNeNBLUsT,Ks secretary aLeXHeNRy,mi easternRegionVicePresident RaNdaBRaUNe,TX westernRegionVicePresident cHeLseadoss,TN southernRegionVicePresident cHaseRose,mT centralRegionVicePresident

National FFA Staff LaRRycase Nationaladvisor, chiefexecutiveofficer sTeVeBRowN executivesecretary dwiGHTaRmsTRoNG chiefoperatingofficer maRioNFLeTcHeR NationalTreasurer maRKcaVeLL,BiLLFLeeT divisiondirectors daLecRaBTRee,jaNeTmaLoNey, RoBcooPeR,KeNTscHescKe, VicKiseTTLe,LeeaNNesHiLLeR, ToNysmaLL,BiLLsTaGG, wiLLwaideLicH

National FFA Board of Directors – Members LaRRycase chair,Usde,Va sTeVeBRowN secretary,Usde,Va maRioNFLeTcHeR Treasurer,statesupervisor,aR jimBaRBee statesupervisor,NV RoBeRTB.caLViN agricultureTeacher/Usde,mo wiLBURcHaNceLLoR statesupervisor,ms KeiTHcoX FFaexecutivesecretary/Usde,sc joeLLaRseN statesupervisor,mN cURTLUcas statesupervisor,Ky BRiaNe.myeRs associateProfessor/Usde,FL joHNRaKesTRaw BusinessRepresentative/Usde,co

Subscription Information:FFA New Horizons(issN1069-806X)ispublishedFeb.,april,june,aug.,oct.anddec.bytheNationalFFaorganization,6060FFadrive,indianapolis,iN46268-0960. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return ofunsolicited manuscripts, art or any other unsolicited materials. Forsubscription information contact: FFA New Horizons subscriptionservices, (317) 802-4235 or e-mail [email protected]. Periodicalpostagerateispaidatindianapolis,ind.,andadditionalmailoffices.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to FFA New Horizons,P.o.Box68960,indianapolis,iN46268-0960.

copyright©2010bytheNationalFFaorganizationandjournalcommunicationsinc.

The National FFa organization is dedicated to making a positivedifference in the lives of students by developing their potential forpremier leadership, personal growth and career success throughagriculturaleducation.

Please recycle this magazine

4 ScrapbookRead news, jokes and more.

8 FFA FacesMeet members from across the country.

20 National Officer Q & AMeet Vice President Chase Rose.

22 Cool CareersDig up a career in production agriculture.

24 Healthy LifestylesLearn how to lighten up your backpack.

26 Back TalkMeet Syngenta president Vern Hawkins.

28 Your MoneyCount up your collection’s worth.

3FFA New HOrizONsFFA.Org/FFANATiON

October 2010 Contents


FFA Family SpiritA former state FFA officer in

California, Summer Vitelli made

numerous connections during her FFA

involvement. But not until recently did

she realize the power of an “FFA family.”

In 2009, Vitelli was diagnosed with

severe aplastic anemia, which attacks

her bone marrow, creating a need

for multiple blood transfusions and

ultimately, a bone marrow transplant,

for which Vitelli has no match.

Vitelli’s FFA family sprang into action.

Members from her home FFA chapter,

Sierra-Tollhouse, set up a bone marrow

drive, signing up nearly 300 people for

the registry. Visit ffa.org/ffanation

to learn more about Vitelli’s story and

about the national bone marrow registry.

FFA scrapbook express yourself

Why don’t skeletons like parties?They have no body to dance with.

What is a baby ghost’s favorite game?Peekaboo

How do you repair a broken Jack-o-lantern?Buy a pumpkin patch!

Just Joking

54,400jobs in the

agricultural

industry are

expected to be

available in the

next three to five

years, according

to USDA.

29,300students are

expected to

graduate with

agriculture degrees

during that same

time frame. There

will be a lot of jobs

out there for you,

FFA members!

4 FFA New HOrizONs FFA.Org/FFANATiON


FYiYOur TurN

Keepusinformed!

Thisisyourchanceto

beapartofFFA New

Horizons.sendusa

shortarticleabout

yourlatestchapter

activities,awards

you’vereceivedor

evenyourinvolvement

outsideFFa.

wantaneasywayto

sendyourstory?

e-mailaphoto,your

storyandcontact

informationto

[email protected].

allphotosneedtobein

colorandaminimumof

1mBinsize.

or,mailto:

FFA New Horizons

P.o.Box68960

indianapolis,iN46268

Researching Rice AbroadIn 2008, Minnesota FFA member Kyle Bohrer wrote a paper for

the highly prestigious World Food Prize Youth Institute, at the

encouragement of his agriculture teacher. That advice paid off well,

since Kyle’s research paper led to him being chosen as one of

16 Borlaug Ruan interns for 2010 through The World Food Prize.

For his internship, Kyle lived in Beijing, China, for eight weeks this

summer, researching rice genetics at Peking University. He has been

invited back to the Youth Institute next month to present his research.

Kyle started college this fall at Beloit College in Wisconsin and was

recently selected as the Region VII Vice President for Minnesota FFA.

Quite a DealNext time you turn on the radio, you

might just hear a fellow FFA member

singing his song. Chase Yaklin, a high

school senior from a small town in Texas,

recently landed a record deal with a label

from Los Angeles.

Music comes naturally to Chase, whose

grandfather toured with country music

legend Waylon Jennings. At one point,

Chase was so driven to learn music that he

built his own guitar, basically from scratch,

using parts from various guitars that

needed repair.

Chase has served as an FFA chapter

officer for two years and has performed his

music at the Texas FFA Convention.

Farm Facts From Mike Rowe

If you attended the 2009 National FFA

Convention, you may remember a riveting

speech given by Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe.

Recently, Rowe created a new “Farming,

Fishing, Food” section on his website,

www.MikeRoweWorks.com, to discuss and

promote American agriculture.

His goal for the site is to help connect

people with the source of their food and

the people who provide it. Articles about

agriculture and profiles on real farmers

are added regularly to the site. There’s

even a column about and a video of his

national FFA convention experience.



2010 National FFA Convention Navigator

Featuring:• Theonlypublishedmapandboothlistingsforthe2010 NationalffaagriculturalCareerShowandffaShoppingMall• agriculturalcareersinformation• Collegelistings• DowntownIndianapolisattractionsandrestaurants

Theonlineversionwillbeliveatffa.org/ffanationinearlyOctober.flipthroughthedigitalmagazineanddownloadpagestouseinyourconventionplanning.Printedcopieswillbeavailableatconventionregistrationandinformationbooths.

YourCollege,CareersandCityGuide

2009 National FFA Convention Navigator 11

Kathleen BraithwaitOREGON FFA MEMBER CANS JAMS AND JELLIES

Kathleen Braithwait of Dayton, Ore., can certainly can. During her summers,

she works at the nearby Dundee Fruit Co. While she started out building boxes and working on the production line, she quickly began checking for quality control, where she has learned to cap the products, check seals and check jars for vacuum.

Kathleen can get pretty busy, sometimes putting in 16-hour days.

“Our busiest month is always July, because it’s blueberry season,” she says. “You’re working 100 percent for so many hours, and you get frustrated, but you have to keep everyone upbeat so they are at their best performance.”

Kathleen doesn’t know if she’ll make a career out of working at the Dundee Fruit Co., but she’s grateful for the experience.

“I’ve gotten good work experience at the cannery,” she says. “It kind of gives me a head start, I guess. In the future, I’d like a job that involves communications and helping people.”

READ OTHER FFA MEMBERS’ STORIES AND AGRICULTURAL CAREER INTERESTS AT FFANEWHORIZONS.ORG.

10 Cool Food-Related Careers

AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS

FOOD & DRUG INSPECTORS

PRODUCE BUYERS

NUTRITIONISTS

FOOD SCIENTISTS

BACTERIOLOGISTS

MEAT SCIENCE RESEARCHERS

DIETITIANS

FOOD BROKERS

BIOCHEMISTS

percent of the world’s total supply of fresh peaches is provided by U.S. farmers.

Food Products and Processing

BRIAN McCORD

Chew on this: As society continues to focus on diet and health, this career pathway continues to expand.

Individuals working in food products and processing may uncover new food sources, study and evaluate food content and generate ways to satisfy industry and government regulations when processing, preserving, packaging and storing food.

They also create new food products and inspect food-processing areas to make sure that all necessary

standards are met, including sanitation, safety, quality and waste management.

And there are new opportunities every day. Just as the need for food will never decrease, the need for professionals in the food products and processing industry will remain constant or increase.

For more information on these careers, visit ffanewhorizons.org.

All in Good TasteSAVOR THE OPPORTUNITIES IN FOOD PRODUCTS AND PROCESSING CAREERS

is the average yearly salary for a nutritionist

in the United States.

percent of agricultural and food scientists work for federal,

state or local governments.

10 2009 National FFA Convention Navigator

Food

Pro

duct

s an

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oces

sing

www.marines.com

Win a Chevrolet T-shirtchevrolet,thesponsorofFFaFaces,willawardaT-shirttofeaturedmembers.

Nominateyourselfbyfollowingthestepsbelow. Questions? E-mail [email protected].

Goonline describe UploadVisit www.ffafaces.com and

click on Nominations. You can nominate yourself or another

current FFA member.

Fill out the form to tell us about you – your FFA involvement, school

activities, future plans and more.

Find a great photo of yourself – head and shoulders photos work best – and upload it as part of the

nomination form.

IA

OH

OH NJ

WV

cody,acollegesophomore,hopestobecomeaveterinarianoneday,

acareergoalthatstemsfromhisFFaexperienceraisingbeefcattle.

Hewasamemberofhischapter’sLivestockevaluationteamandwas

onthetwo-timestate-winningBeefstockman’sTeam.codyisastate

winnerinthediversifiedagriculturalProductionproficiencyandhas

servedastreasurerandpresidentforhisFFachapter.

Cody groggChapter: Gilmer County FFA

Peyton,ahighschoolsenior,servesasvicepresidentforbothher

FFa region and her chapter. she competed in the national FFa

parliamentaryprocedurecdein2009andwillbeinthenational

FFapreparedpublicspeakingcdeinoctober.incollege,Peyton

plans tostudyagricultural leadershipandpoliticalscienceand

hopestopursueacareerinagriculturalpolitics.

Peyton grahamChapter: Munford FFA

Thishighschoolseniorhasshownherfamily’sHolsteindairycattle

sinceshewas7andnowhasnineheadthatsheownsherself.Heather

hasparticipatedinFFaagriculturalsales,dairycattleevaluation,

and Fruit and Vegetable identification career development events

(cdes).afterhighschool,Heatherplanstoattendcollegeandstudy

animalscience,withplanstobecomeaveterinarian.

Heather shinnChapter: Northern Burlington regional FFA

Lane, a high school sophomore, serves as sentinel for his FFa

chapter. He currently owns two heifers for his supervised

agricultural experience program (sae), and exhibits them at

variouscattleshows.Lanesaystheseheifers,recentlybredto

twoshowbulls,arethestartofhiscattleherd.Healsoplayson

hisschool’sgolfteamandsingsinconcertchoir.

Lane wicksChapter: rockford FFA

amber,ahighschoolsenior,isservingaschaptersecretaryforthe

secondstraightyear.shehasbeenawardedthestardiscoveryFFa

degree, star Greenhand, the star chapter FFa degree and the

outstandingFFaofficeraward.amberraisesyellowperchaspart

ofhersupervisedagriculturalexperienceprogram(sae),andshe

hopestobecomeaveterinarianoneday.

Amber OvermyerChapter: Liberty-Benton FFA

ThishighschoolgraduatehasearnedhisstateFFadegree,servedas

chapter FFa president and was named the 2010 chapter star in

agribusiness.Herecentlyreceivedtheschool’shighestagricultural

honor,thedeKaLBagriculturalaccomplishmentaward,sponsoredby

monsantoco.NathanisnowafreshmanattheUniversityofdayton

inohio,studyingengineering.

Nathan HolthausChapter: Fort Laramie FFA

TN


FFA Faces


www.chevy.com

FYiNAvIGATe The CONveNTION

whileattendingthenationalFFaconvention,it’seasytobeabitoverwhelmed.

Tohelpyoufindyourway,we’republishingaspecialConvention Navigator,filledwithcareerandcollegeinformation,theonlyboothlistingandmapfortheNationalFFaagriculturalcareershow,indyattractionsandmore.

LearnmoreabouttheNavigatoronpage6.

Discover your INFINITe pOTeNTIAL at the national FFA convention

SuccessMarching TowardPhotos by Brian McCord

In less than a month, more than 50,000 of

you will be bound for Indianapolis –

ready to create memories at the 83rd

National FFA Convention. The convention,

themed “Infinite Potential,” kicks off on

Wednesday, Oct. 20, and ends on Saturday,

Oct. 23. So what’s in store for you? A lot of

good times, motivational experiences and

new friends to meet!

But more specifically, here are our top

10 suggestions for how to spend your time in

Indianapolis. As many of our returning

attendees know, you can’t fit all that’s great

about the convention into one list. So after

you finish reading our top 10, head to

ffa.org/convention for even more exciting

announcements and news about the

national FFA convention!

1. SINg ALONg WITH THe THeMe SONg!

Every year, we can’t wait for the opening

session of the convention for one big reason

– the convention theme song! Will it be

country, rock, rap, pop or maybe even

bluegrass? We haven’t heard what format

this year’s song will be, but you’d better

believe that we will be sitting in Conseco

Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening, ready

to hear it and learn all the words!

2. ROCk OuT AT A CONCeRT!

Speaking of music, this year’s

convention will be a little bit country and a

little bit rock ‘n’ roll.

Wednesday night’s concert will feature

Lady Antebellum, winners of five Academy of

Country Music awards, and Easton Corbin,

an up-and-coming artist with the No. 1 hit

“A Little More Country Than That.” On

Thursday, be entertained by 2008 American

Idol winner David Cook and Grammy winner

Colbie Caillat.



www.ffa.org/convention

Check out ffa.org/convention

for information on purchasing

concert tickets.

And as always, you should make

plans to attend the National FFA

Band and Chorus Concert and the

various other venues where FFA

members show off their own talents.

3. SeRVe OTHeRS!

Since its start in 2006, the FFA

National Days of Service has become

a favorite annual convention event.

FFA members become Indianapolis

volunteers during their visit to the

city, by giving their time to support

local organizations. This year’s

Days of Service will be held on

Thursday, Oct. 21, and Friday, Oct. 22,

but advance registration is

required. These spots fill up fast!

4. DISCOVeR A CAReeR!

The National FFA Agricultural

Career Show gets better and better

every year! Be sure to visit this

year’s show to see the new booths,

as well as favorites from previous

years, and win great prizes.

5. LeARN FFA HISTORY!

This year’s convention marks

the 75th anniversary of the creation

of the National Farmers of America

(NFA), which merged with FFA in

1965. Special events are being

planned to commemorate the NFA,

including videos, a booth in the

career show and more.

To learn even more about FFA

history, plan a visit to the home of

FFA. Tours of the National FFA

Center, just north of downtown

Indianapolis, are available

Wednesday through Saturday.

6. PICk uP A SOuVeNIR!

Just next door to the career

show, you can find all sorts of FFA

merchandise to commemorate your

trip to the 83rd National FFA

Convention. Visit more than 30

stores, including the FFA Mega Store,

John Deere, Cowpokes, Tractor

Supply Co., the FFA Sale Store and

more. You can even get your FFA

jacket lettered!

7. Be MOTIVATeD!

During the convention, we’ll

hear powerful speeches from Levy,

Bethany, Alex, Chelsea, Randa and

Chase, then be able to thank them

for their year of service as we

FFA members march down FFA Way, toward Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, for the Opening Session of the National FFA Convention. The FFA Grand March is held annually to showcase the National FFA Band, National FFA Chorus and each state’s flag.


www.ffa.org/convention


welcome six new national FFA officers

for the 2010-11 year. Find out who

your state’s national FFA officer

candidate is and wish them good luck!

8. COWBOY uP!

Bring your boots and cowboy hats

for two nights of great Western events.

The Three Hills Outlaws of Rodeo will

bring the best bull and bronc riders to

the Indiana State Fairground’s Pepsi

Coliseum for two big shows and the

crowning of the series champions.

For ticket information, visit

ffa.org/convention.

9. TAke A TOuR!

More than 30 tours and day-trips

have been organized for the national

FFA convention. So take a day during

the week to learn more about

agriculture in the area. You could

tour agricultural businesses like Dow

AgroSciences or even tour a gourmet

popcorn farm. The full listing of tours

can be found at convention.ffa.org.

10. WATCH IT ALL!

And the best part of the national

FFA convention? You can enjoy it from

anywhere. SchoolTube will be

streaming every convention session

live on www.schooltube.com, and the

full session videos will be available

online after the close of the

convention. Also, you can tune in to

the sessions on RFD-TV during the

week as well. So for those of you not

able to make it to Indy, you can join in

the convention fun, too!

Many FFA members attending the convention are present to compete in national FFA career development events. Others come to be motivated by speakers, like National FFA Advisor Dr. Larry D. Case, who will be retiring after this year’s convention.



www.ffa.org/shop

Angela Mayfieldisnostrangerto

FFa.aformerstateandnationalFFaofficer

andhighschoolagriculturaleducation

teacher,mayfieldcombinesherinterestsin

agriculturaleducation,leadershipand

spanishtopresenteducationalworkshops

acrosstheworld.mayfieldwillbesharingher

leadershipmessageduringtheThursday-

eveningsession.

Kevin Carroll,ourspeakerfor

theFriday-morningsession,believesin

thespiritofplayandcreativityinorder

tomaximizehumanpotential.aformer

headathletictrainerforthePhiladelphia

76ers,carrollcombineshislovefor

sportwithhisbeliefinpersonalgrowth

toserveasacatalystforsocialchange.

Judson Laipplyissometimes

bestknownasayouTubephenomenon,

forhis“evolutionofdance”video,which

hasbeenviewedbymorethan100

millionpeople.Laipplywillsharehis

messagethat“Lifeischange”through

hisdown-to-earthmethods,which

sometimesevenincludedance.Laipplyis

speakingattheFriday-eveningsession.

Clockwise: Josh Shipp, Angela Mayfield, Kevin Carroll, Judson Laipply

Speaking Upamongthisyear’sconvention

speakersareaTVhost,anauthor,

anFFaleaderandadancerevolutionist.

Learnmoreaboutthesespeakers,

whoaresuretoinspireandmotivate

youduringthe83rdNational

FFaconvention.

Josh Shippwillbesharinghis

messageattheconventionopeningsessions

onwednesdayafternoonandeveningand

againonThursdaymorning.shippisthehost

oftheTVshowJump ShippandauthoredThe

Teen’sGuidetoworlddomination.anational

spokespersonforNationalFostercare

month,hewasrecentlynamedtoInc.

magazine’s“30under30”list.


www.wixfilters.com


Create a profi le. Add friends. Start a group. Voice your opinions. ffa.org/ffanation

SucceSSMarching Toward

Discover your infinite potential at the 83rd National FFA Convention

Lighten Up!Is your backpack

too heavy?

new horizonsFFA

t h e m a g a z i n e o f t h e n a t i o n a l f f a o r g a n i z a t i o n | o c t o b e r 2 0 1 0

®l o g o n at f fa . o r g / f fa n at i o n

CheCk out the

Digitalmagazine

at www.ffa.org/ffanation

log onto ffa.org/ffanationanD you Can:

•SignupforanFFANationprofile!

•Uploadphotosofyour FFAexperiences!

•MakeFFAfriendsfrom acrossthecountry!

•Wingiveawaysfrom FFANationadvertisers!

•Join(orcreate)agroup withotherFFAmembers!


www.radacutlery.com

www.weldingschool.com


Chicago students raise livestock, plants

and fish – right in the CITY LIMITS

FarmtownChi-Town = Story by Jessica Walker

Photos by J. Kyle Keener

Anything but typical, the

Chicago High School for the

Agricultural Sciences

(CHSAS) offers what most schools

simply cannot. For starters, the

magnet school includes a working

farm – complete with cows, chickens,

goats and other animals – in the

heart of one of the largest cities in

the United States.

Sound interesting? It is.

The school – housing ninth-,

tenth-, 11th- and 12th-graders – sits

on 80 acres and was built in 1985. In

addition to a farm, the campus is

home to a variety of handy

amenities, including a greenhouse,

atrium, Olympic-sized swimming

pool, food-science lab and more.

However, even though the

campus is spacious, enrollment caps

at 600 students each year, with no

more than 150 students in each grade.

“Last year, 1,350 kids applied for

150 seats,” says Rick Johnson,

Agricultural Finance and Economics

teacher at CHSAS. Those admitted to

the school are chosen through a

lottery system.

Because it is so small, the school

has a small-town feel – quite a feat

for an institution in Chicago.

“Everybody knows everybody,”

Johnson says. “There’s a lot of

respect for teachers and students.”

As freshmen, students are

required to take two agriculture-

related courses in addition to

“regular” classes, such as English

and algebra. Sophomores spend their

school year choosing one of five

“pathways” – Animal Science,

Agricultural Mechanics,

Agricultural Finance and Economics,

Horticulture, or Food Science.

“Each sophomore spends eight

weeks with each teacher in each

pathway,” Johnson says. “On the last

day of the school year, the students

take a survey and pick the area they

want to be in.”

As juniors and seniors, students

are expected to diligently pursue

their chosen pathways. And while

freshmen and sophomores take

music, art and physical education,

upperclassmen only take college-prep

classes and pathway-related courses.

“It’s pretty intense, even for

teachers,” Johnson says. “There’s no

playtime. It’s all about education,

whether it’s agricultural or not.”

Even though schedules are

rigorous, there’s still a lot of fun to

be had. Students not only work on

the farm, they operate the school’s

farm stand and a 5-acre market

garden. They sell a variety of goods,

including their No. 1 product –

genetically modified sweet corn.

In addition, CHSAS has a strong

athletics program. Football, soccer

and baseball are just a few of the

sports in which students can

participate. Athletes compete in the

ChSAS students Kaila Jones, left, and Katie Lucid groom the school’s horses. The horses, along with other animals housed on the school farm, are used by animal science students to learn more about their chosen pathway.



small school division in Chicago and

have won city championships.

“We have a balance,” Johnson

says. “We have to realize not every

kid is going to do agriculture.”

And, of course, there’s FFA. All of

the students are members of the

school’s chapter, which is the largest

in Illinois and the fifth largest in the

nation. Not surprisingly, FFA is a

pretty big deal at CHSAS. In fact, the

school doesn’t even have a student

council – Johnson says FFA officers

get the job done.

The “job,” whether it’s taking

care of animals or making sure the

farm stand is running smoothly,

must get done 365 days a year –

even during vacation time.

“The serious FFA members are

here two, three, sometimes four days

a week in the summer,” Johnson

says. But, it’s safe to say the

students don’t mind too much.

“I don’t think they get enough,”

he says.

In fact, Johnson says most of the

students attending CHSAS are

“overachievers” – a mindset he says

teachers, including him, encourage.

“We have to make them into

overachievers in order for them to

succeed,” he says. “What you put

into it is what you get out of it.”

To motivate his students,

Johnson keeps his classes enjoyable.

“I make mine fun,” he says. “The

kids are having a great time. It’s a

lot easier to learn when you’re

having fun.”

And the kids aren’t the only

ones having a good time.

“This is one of those jobs I could

do for free,” Johnson says.

Tell us what makes your FFA chapter unique! Create an FFA Nation profile, then submit your chapter’s story in the News section.

ChSAS student Daisy Moreno organizes tomatoes in the farm stand, which is open to the public from summer through the holiday season.


www.steverichardmusic.com



www.unitedcountry.com/ffaauction

FYiChASe’S FAvOrITeS

Thismontananativehaswantedtobeanairplanepilotsincehewas5yearsold,soit’snosurprisethathisfavoritehobbyisflyingairplanes.Learnmoreaboutchase:

Food:mexican

Book:Good to Greatbyjimcollins

Movie:airForceone

Sport to play: Basketball

Color:Blue

Season:winter

Animal: dogs

Fruit:Pineapple

hero:RonaldReagan

The son of an FFA advisor, Chase Rose has

been involved with FFA since a very early

age. Chase grew up in a small town in

Southwest Montana, surrounded by three

mountain ranges.

While growing up, he kept quite busy,

through managing three FFA supervised

agricultural experience programs, playing

basketball, skiing, participating in 4-H and

taking flying lessons. Aviation is one of

Chase’s greatest passions; as a college

student at Montana State University, he

studies commercial aviation and

agricultural business.

Right now, however, Chase is taking a

year off from school to serve as a National

FFA Vice President, preparing for the

upcoming national FFA convention.

QWhat does the 83rd National FFA

Convention theme, Infinite Potential,

mean to you and your team?

AInfinite Potential is something that we

can all choose to live by and truly believe

in. The convention will open students’

eyes to not only what they can accomplish,

but what we can accomplish together.

QWhat convention activity are you

most excited about?

AThe opening session! It truly will be

an amazing feeling for me and each

member in the arena when Levy says

“FFA members, why are we here?” and a full

stadium responds together.

QHow will you and your team prepare

for the convention?

ABefore the convention, we will spend a

great deal of time memorizing session

lines and our retiring addresses. We

have a team retreat in Southern Indiana

before the convention with FFA staff, and

that’s where we really focus on getting our

retiring addresses perfected and ready for

delivery. My team and I will also spend a

good deal of time thinking about what kind of

lasting impact we can deliver to more than

50,000 FFA members during convention.

QSince you are nearing the end of your

national FFA officer year, can you put

into words what this experience has been

like for you?

ANational office has been the true

privilege of my life thus far. I have been

continually inspired by students I’ve

met this year, and I have no doubt this

organization will continue to be one of the

great prides of our country.

RoseNational FFA CeNTrAL

region vice president

Chase


FFA National Officer Q & A


www.ffa.org

FFA cool careers Production Agriculture

related safety products and work to

prevent accidents, diseases, injuries

and property losses.

Agricultural safety engineers

should obtain a four-year degree in

engineering, physical or biological

science. They will work in offices

as well as on farms, performing

inspections.

3. VegeTABLe FARMeRS

Vegetable farmers plant,

cultivate and harvest vegetables.

They work to control pests and

weeds and to improve the quality

and quantity of their produce. In

addition, they stay up-to-date on the

most recent production and nutrient

management practices.

A two-year degree is

recommended, and vegetable

farmers should have scientific and

technical knowledge in order to

provide crops for optimal nutrition

and to improve the environment.

Most work will be done outdoors

or in greenhouses.

4. DIVeRSIFIeD CROP FARMeRS

Many farmers grow multiple

crops, sometimes several at the

same time. For example, a farmer in

Dig up a CAreer in production agriculture

Do you believe farm living is

the life for you? If so, a career

in production agriculture

may be a good choice. While the

possibilities are numerous, read on

to discover five cool careers you

may have never considered.

1. AeRIAL CROP DuSTeRS

Aerial crop dusters assist

farmers by dropping chemical

herbicides, pesticides and fertilizer

over crops and fields using

airplanes. Anyone considering this

career should know about the

benefits – as well as the potential

harm – that can come from the

chemicals they work with.

Other than a vocational degree,

aerial crop dusters need a pilot’s

license. They are typically self-

employed and have to be good

communicators, since they must

explain the services they offer.

2. Ag SAFeTY eNgINeeRS

Since farming is considered to

be a dangerous occupation,

agricultural safety engineers are

an important asset to the

agriculture industry. They develop,

inspect and construct agriculture-

A Farm-FilledLifethe Midwest might raise corn,

soybeans and winter wheat, and

could also have a cow herd as well.

Diversified farmers must have

good planning and management

skills, and obtaining a two-year

degree is recommended. As is the

lifestyle of many farmers, the hours

are long, and days off may be few

and far between.

5. AgRICuLTuRe INSPeCTORS

These inspectors make sure

agriculture-related establish-

ments are following laws and

environmental considerations.

They must understand farming

operations, as well as relevant laws

and how they apply to situations.

A four-year degree is required

to work in this field, and a

background in environmental law

and regulations is recommended.

Most inspections will be

performed outdoors, while other

tasks, such as paperwork, will be

completed inside.



www.nationalguard.com

doctor of chiropractics in

Monroeville, Penn. “There has been

an increase in the number of young

people who suffer from headaches,

neck pain and back pain from

backpacks that are simply too

heavy.”

We know you can’t ditch the

backpack completely, with all the

textbooks, homework and school

BaggageExcess

Do your back a favor – LIGhTeN your load

Next time you sling that

backpack over your

shoulder on your way out

the door, you might want to think

twice about how it’s affecting your

back – and the rest of your body, for

that matter.

“Backpacks are a leading cause

of back pain among children and

teens,” says Dr. Marc Tinsley, a

supplies you’re expected to carry

around. But there are ways to make

sure it’s not compromising your

physical well-being in the

meantime.

1. kNOW YOuR LIMITS.

Dr. Eric Plasker, a doctor of

chiropractic in Atlanta and author

of The 100 Year Lifestyle, says the

most important backpack safety tip

is to know your weight limit.

“Safety guidelines advise teens

not to carry anything on their back

in excess of 15 percent of their total

body weight,” Plasker explains. “For

example, a person weighing 100

pounds should carry no more than

15 pounds. And a person weighing

150 pounds should carry no more

than 22.5 pounds.”

2. DISTRIBuTe THe WeIgHT.

It’s also important to properly

distribute the weight in the

backpack. Place heavier items on

the bottom and against your back so

weight is kept off the shoulders and

you can maintain good posture.

FFA healthy lifestyles Baggage



“A good backpack will have

compartments or dividers to keep

the contents from shifting and

making the weight uneven,” Tinsley

says. “It’s also best to wear both

straps. Don’t try to look cool by

slinging one strap over a shoulder.

That causes us to shift our weight

to one side, which leads to muscle

spasms, pinched nerves and

jammed joints.”

3. SHOP SMART.

When it comes to safety, not all

backpacks are created equal. Choose

yours wisely.

“Buy one with padded straps

and lumbar support or wheels,”

Plasker says. “Non-padded straps

dig into the shoulders, which

stresses muscles and joints and

causes pain.”

A waist belt can help your pack

sit more closely to your spine, which

also aids in weight distribution.

4. LIFT CORReCTLY.

There are also proper ways to

lift a backpack.

“Bend at the knees when you lift

to reduce the stress placed on your

back,” Plasker says. “When you bend

at the knees, you’re distributing the

weight to your legs and hips.”

5. PRIORITIze YOuR PACk.

Probably the biggest problem

with backpacks is that they’re just

too “packed.” Many teens use their

backpack as their locker, keeping

everything they need for the school

day on their backs.

“Carry only what you need,”

Plasker says. “Leave unnecessary

items at home or school.”

Utilize your locker too, and drop

off heavy books and extra stuff –

like gym shoes – throughout the

school day. – Jessica Mozo


www.redbrand.com/homegrown


FFA has been a lifelong passion for Vern

Hawkins. While an FFA member at

North Miami High School in Indiana,

Hawkins raised feeder cattle and hay for his

supervised agricultural experience program

(SAE). He also was a member of state-winning

poultry and dairy judging teams, and he was

high individual in the state poultry event.

Today, Hawkins is President of Syngenta

Crop Protection and remains involved with

FFA through the National FFA Foundation

Sponsors’ Board, currently serving as the

board chairman.

Q How did FFA help shape your

career path?

AAs a teenager in rural Indiana, I was

very involved with FFA and worked for

neighboring farms in my spare time. As a

result of these experiences, I developed a love

for rural life and appreciation for agriculture,

both of which are largely responsible for my

pursuing a career in agriculture.

The opportunities and the confidence

I gained from my agriculture teacher, and

through the many FFA activities in which I

participated, helped provide a clear direction

in my future and prepared me to be an

influential leader.

Q Why do you think it’s important that

FFA members remain involved with

the organization after their years of

membership?

AI recognize the impact that FFA had on

me, not only as a student but now as a

leader and a professional, I can’t help

but give back. Eventually, those of us in

agribusiness today will pass the reins on to

the next generation. I want to do everything

I can to make sure young people have the

same educational and developmental

opportunities that I had.

I think supporting FFA is one of the most

effective ways to support our next

HawkinsVern

SYNGeNTA preSIDeNT reflects on his own FFA membership

syngenta president and FFA alumnus Vern Hawkins


FFA Back Talk Former members reflect


generation of agricultural leaders.

Not only will those opportunities

improve their lives, but creating

strong leaders is critical to the

success and sustainability of

agriculture and our nation.

Q Many FFA sponsors, like

Syngenta, will be present

during the convention in October.

What tips do you have for FFA

members, so that they can meet FFA

sponsors and make the most of this

opportunity to interact with some

of the top agricultural companies

and organizations in our country?

AI have no doubt that the

future leaders of the

agriculture industry attend

the convention, and this is a great

opportunity for them to learn

about the various career

opportunities that are available.

I would strongly recommend

that convention attendees take some

time to visit the National FFA

Agricultural Career Show and talk

with companies present. Engage

them in conversation about the

company, what its role is in the

industry and what kinds of

opportunities are available.

Many companies, like Syngenta,

offer various mentoring, scholarship

and internship opportunities, and

employees are on hand to provide

information and insight.

Q Why does Syngenta believe

it important to continue

supporting the FFA organization?

AAt Syngenta, we believe that

people are the most

important part of our legacy,

which is why we’re committed to

Go online to read more from our interview with vern hawkins.

ffanewhorizons.org

youth and the future of

agriculture through mentor

programs, scholarships,

internships and investment in the

National FFA Organization for

more than 45 years.

Every year, Syngenta and its

employees support FFA programs

that educate and equip students

for a career in agriculture.

As we move forward, it’s these

students, the next generation, who

will help us meet the global

agricultural challenges of tomorrow.




www.lincolnelectric.com/moneymatters

FFA your money collections

ValueCollecting

ever wondered how much your collection of baseball cards, coins or dolls are WOrTh?

are priced, which should also help

you determine the value of yours.

HOW TO SeLL

First, you must decide whether

you want to keep your collectibles

or sell them. For many people,

collections have sentimental value,

so they choose to keep their items

for a very long time. For others, they

may be moving, cleaning out clutter,

or ready to start a new collection, so

selling makes sense.

Once you’ve decided to let go of

your items, you have to put them up

for sale. The most popular way to do

this is to use a website, such as eBay,

Craigslist or The SOC Exchange.

“If you don’t put your items up

there, they’re not going to be seen,”

Lagudi says.

Next, be sure to take good

pictures of the items from a variety

of angles and be truthful when you

describe them.

“Give good, accurate, honest

details,” Lagudi says. “Don’t

embellish.”

Finally, price your items

reasonably. Collectibles typically

Just how much is your baseball

collection worth?

Whether it’s stamps,

dolls, coins or other items, almost

everyone has collected something at

one time or another. But how much

is it all worth? Should you sell your

stuff for a quick buck, or hang on to

it? Franco Lagudi, founder of online

buying and selling community The

SOC Exchange, offers a few tips on

getting the most out of your

collectibles.

WHAT IS VALuABLe?

According to Lagudi, anything

– literally, anything – can sell well

online. He says collected comic books

and magazines are big sellers, as

well as Coca-Cola bottles and clocks.

Sounds random, right? Well, what it

really comes down to is the

condition and quality of the item.

“The items that don’t sell well

are really knocked around and

damaged,” Lagudi says. “Make sure

your items are in good condition.

Wear and tear is the crucial thing.”

You can often look at online

auctions to see how similar items

sell for as little as $20 and as much

as $100 – so, when pricing your

items, be honest. If they aren’t in

good condition, don’t try to sell them

at a high price. Lagudi also suggests

letting potential buyers know how

far you’re willing to ship the items.

STAY SAFe

When selling anything online,

it’s important to follow a few

guidelines to ensure your safety.

Remember to never give out

personal information, including

your phone number, home address

and e-mail address. Be especially

careful if you have a meeting

planned to exchange items

and payments.

“Tell a family member where

you’re going and when you will

return,” Lagudi says. “Always meet

in a public place and take a friend.

Trust your instincts.”

In fact, it’s probably best to

have a parent or family member

help you with the whole process –

posting, selling and delivering.

– Jessica Walker



www.cinchjeans.com

www.tonylama.com

stateflip through our

inserts!FFA New Horizons state inserts keep YOU connected to what’s going on in your state or others.

• State FFA news and achievements

• FFA member profiles

• Career information

• Meet state FFA officers

To learn about creating a state insert for your FFA association, contact Kim Newsom at [email protected].

Check out our

www.illinoisffa.org

website

OCTOBER 2010

ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION FFA

Section Map B

Major State Officers C

Section Presidents D

82nd Annual State FFA Convention Wrap-up E & F

National Convention Preview G

Officers’ Tracks H

What’s InsIde thIs Issue

FFA in the SpotlightIntroducing the 2010-2011 Illinois State Officer Team | C

Section Presidents | D Officers’ Tracks | HPreview | G

B • ILLINOIS FFA ILLINOIS FFA • C

SECTION MAP

Major State Officers

John Edgar, President – Trico Jake Ekstrand, Vice-President – Farmington Morgan Ott, Reporter – Olympia Cody Gill, Secretary – Nashville Jeffrey Barnes, Treasurer – Somonauk-Leland-Sandwich

Section Presidents

Section 1 – Hannah Pieper, Dakota Section 2 – William Henert, Ashton-Franklin-Center Section 3 – Trent Tabor, Geneseo Section 4 – Sara DeSchepper, ROWVA Section 5 – Cheyenne Kargol, Midland Section 6 – Trevor Fildes, Sycamore Section 7 – Emily Warhurst, Somonauk-Leland Section 8 – Naomi Harper, CHAS Section 9 – Leon Peters, Heyworth Section 10 – Clayton Carley, Cissna Park Section 11 – Meridith Brinkman, Liberty Section 12 – Ashly Bishop, Beardstown Section 13 – Hannah Hart, Bluffs Section 14 – Kayla Hinrichs, Athens Section 15 – Jacob Meisner, Southwestern Section 16 – Jim Tobin, Blue Ridge Section 17 – Mike Shively, Paxton-Buckley-Loda

Section 18 – Lauren Hawker, Armstrong Section 19 – Katie Cayo, Mulberry Grove Section 20 – Amanda Barr, Altamont Section 21 – Amanda Malawy, Nashville Section 22 – Kyle Jones, Marissa Section 23 – Chelsey Baker, West Richland Section 24 – Christina Greer, Pinkneyville Section 25 – Christine Dubble, Eldorado

B • ILLINOIS FFA ILLINOIS FFA • C

John Edgar

Office: President

Advisor: Jason Huseman

Chapter: Trico

Parents: Doug and Nancy Edgar

Supervised Agricultural Experience:

Diversified Crop Production &

Placement and Wildlife Production &

Management Entrepreneurship

Favorite Career Development Event:

Tractor Driving

Favorite Quote: “The future belongs

to those who believe in the beauty of

their dreams.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Jake Ekstrand

Office: Vice-President

Advisor: Scott Riden

Chapter: Farmington

Parents: Roland & Catherine


Beef Production Entrepreneurship


Livestock Judging

Favorite Quote: “When you get to the

end of your rope, tie a knot and hang

on.” ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Morgan Ott

Office: Reporter

Advisor(s): Matt Nordstrom &

Joan Harrison

Chapter: Olympia

Parents: Mikel and Michele Ott


Home and/or

Community Development


Parliamentary Procedure

Favorite Quote: “If your actions

inspire others to dream more, learn

more, do more and become more, you

are a leader.” ~ John Quincy Adams

Meet the Officers

Pictured left to right: Jeffrey Barnes, Cody Gill, Morgan Ott, Jake Ekstrand and John Edgar

Cody Gill

Office: Secretary

Advisor: Julie Bond-Ledford

Chapter: Nashville

Parents: Mark and Michelle Gill


Beef Production Entrepreneurship and

Dairy Production Placement


Dairy Judging

Favorite Quote: “If it is to be, it’s up to me.”

~ Jim Craft

Jeffrey Barnes

Office: Treasurer

Advisor: Matt Wilson and Dan Kuntz

Chapter: Somonauk-Leland-Sandwich

Parents: Jim and Danette Barnes


Ag Services and Turf Grass Management


Land Use Contest

Favorite Quote: “You only live once.”

D • ILLINOIS FFA

ILLINOIS FFA • E

Section Presidents

Section 1 – Hannah Pieper, Dakota Section 2 – William Henert, Ashton-Franklin-Center Section 3 – Trent Tabor, Geneseo Section 4 – Sara DeSchepper, ROWVA Section 5 – Cheyenne Kargol, Midland Section 6 – Trevor Fildes, Sycamore Section 7 – Emily Warhurst, Somonauk-Leland Section 8 – Naomi Harper, CHAS Section 9 – Leon Peters, Heyworth Section 10 – Clayton Carley, Cissna Park Section 11 – Meridith Brinkman, Liberty Section 12 – Ashly Bishop, Beardstown Section 13 – Hannah Hart, Bluffs

Section 14 – Kayla Hinrichs, Athens Section 15 – Jacob Meisner, Southwestern Section 16 – Jim Tobin, Blue Ridge Section 17 – Mike Shively, Paxton-Buckley-Loda Section 18 – Lauren Hawker, Armstrong Section 19 – Katie Cayo, Mulberry Grove Section 20 – Amanda Barr, Altamont Section 21 – Amanda Malawy, Nashville Section 22 – Kyle Jones, Marissa Section 23 – Chelsey Baker, West Richland Section 24 – Christina Greer, Pinkneyville Section 25 – Christine Dubble, Eldorado

June Orientation Meeting: June 10-11After that final tap of the gavel at the 82nd Annual State FFA Convention the Section Presidents and the newly elected 2010-2011 Major State FFA Officers gathered together to start their June orientation meeting. Also attending were the retired 2009-2010 Major State FFA Officers, Chase Rose the National Central Region Vice-President and three state staff. Chase gave a few remarks on how to prepare for a successful year, and the retired officers led a fun getting-to-know-you game. After all the fun was over we discussed our duties and responsibilities for the upcoming year!

July State Officer Meeting: July 12-14The 25 Section Presidents, five Major State officers and the three state staff gathered together for the second time in Springfield, Illinois. During our time together the team set goals for the upcoming year, and discussed more responsibilities. After having great ideas brought to the table the team came to a decision for the state theme for the year ahead! Ms. Donna Page presented information about FFA Leadership Camp.

D • ILLINOIS FFA

ILLINOIS FFA • E

82nd Annual State FFA Convention Wrap Up

STARS

Star in Agriscience – Clayton Carley, from the Cissna Park FFA Chapter is the 2010 Star in Agriscience. Clayton’s supervised agricultural experience program includes corn, soybeans, wheat, sweet corn and vegetable production. This year he tested insecticide, fungicide, glyphosate, and variety inputs in plots and field tests. He was the 2009 State Vegetable Production Award Winner and National Agri-Entrepreneurship Award Winner and is this year’s State Extemporaneous Public Speaking Award Winner. Clayton Plans to attend Parkland Community College and then transfer to a four-year university for a degree in agronomy. Clayton’s advisors are Jeff Clifton and Ron Lynch, and he is the son of Kenton and Lisa Carley. Good Job, Clayton! Star in Ag Placement – Ty Metsker, from the Taylorville FFA Chapter is the 2010 Star in Ag Placement. Ty has been helping on his grandfather’s 900-acre farm since he was little. Throughout his three years of his placement program, he has increased his hours and learned more each year. This year they had 700 acres of soybeans that yielded 55 bushel per acre. The corn yielded about 200 bushels per acre due to unusual growing conditions. Ty plans to attend Joliet Junior College and then return to the home farm. Ty’s advisors are Lee Meteer, Sue Schafer and Matt Beyers, and he is the son of Dennis and Chris Metsker. Good Job, Ty!

Star Farmer – Tyler Loschen, from the Tri-Point FFA Chapter is the 2010 Star Farmer. Tyler started his Supervised Agricultural Experience program with two bred gilts, one Simmental heifer, and 20 acres of corn and soybeans. He then expanded his operation to farrow 22 liters of Duroc, Hampshire, Yorkshire and crossbred pigs. His cow herd has increased to seven cows and he cash rents 243 acres on which he grows corn, soybeans and alfalfa hay. Tyler as learned to do his own artificial insemination, collect and extend his boars, and make management decisions on his own. He was a member of his chapter’s first place

team in the 2010 State Livestock Reason Division CDE and was the first place individual in the event. Tyler plans to attend a community college and participate on the livestock judging team. After two years he will transfer to a four-year university double majoring in plant and animal science. His advisor is Diana Loschen, and he is the son of Gary and Diana Loschen. Good Job, Tyler!

Star in Agribusiness – Jessica Both, from the Seneca FFA Chapter is the 2010 Star in Agribusiness. Jessica started her pet care business “I Care Animal Service” by handing out flyers in the community advertising her services. She started with four clients and has expanded her business to over 80 clients through business cards, a website and by joining the Seneca Business Association along with the Illinois Valley River Chamber of Commerce. The business offers pet sitting and grooming along with pet walking and basic training services. Jessica plans to attend college majoring in Ag Education and become a high school agriculture teacher. Her advisors are Jeff Maierhofer and Kent Weber, and she is the daughter of Leonard and Kimberli Both. Good Job, Jessica!

From Left to Right: Clayton Carley, Ty Metsker, Jessica Both and Tyler Loschen

F • ILLINOIS FFA ILLINOIS FFA • G

82nd Annual State FFA Convention Wrap Up – Continued

Proficiency WinnersAg Communications – Amelia Martens, Orion

Ag Education – Mark McKown, Sullivan

Ag Mechanics Design & Fabrication – Andy Schaefer, Waterloo

Ag Mechanics Energy Systems – Clinton Hayes, Fairfield

Ag Mechanics Repair & Maintenance Entrepreneurship – Justin Thomas, Charleston

Ag Mechanics Repair & Maintenance Placement – Ethan Swint, Geneseo

Ag Processing – Calvin Lynch, Cissna Park

Ag Sales Entrepreneurship – Tucker Aumann, Nokomis

Ag Sales Placement – Mark Sullivan, Rushville-Industry

Ag Services – Daniel Mitchell, West Prairie

Beef Production Entrepreneurship – Tamar Adcock, Central A&M

Beef Production Placement – Bradley Greer, Nokomis

Dairy Production Entrepreneurship – Brandon Pinski, Nashville

Dairy Production Placement – Corey Steber, Olney

Diversified Crop Production Entrepreneurship – Hayden Byars, Cisne

Diversified Crop Production Placement – Ty Metsker, Taylorville

Diversified Ag Production – Tyler Loschen, Tri-Point

Diversified Horticulture – Kaity Vancil, Bushnell-Prairie-City

Electrical Technology – Drew Higgason, Taylorville

Emerging Ag Technology – Rosemary Chapple, Waterloo

Environmental Science & Natural Resource Management – Trevor Roth, Blue Ridge

Equine Science Entrepreneurship – Natalie Carr, Hardin County

Equine Science Placement – Lauren Wells, Herscher

Fiber & Oil Crop Production – Corey Johnson, Peotone

Floriculture – Michael Paulsmeyer, PORTA

Food Science & Technology – Jarred Winans, Taylorville

Food Service – Faelynn Edwards, Goreville

Forage Production – Josh Ibendahl, Nashville

Forest Management & Products – Samuel Oliger, Mt. Vernon

Fruit Production – Megan Broom, Carlinville

Grain Production Entrepreneurship – Dustin Reetz, Cissna Park

Grain Production Placement – Aaron Prins, Geneseo

Home & Community Development – Yvonne Zavoral, Kansas

Landscape Management – Aaron Smrekar, Seneca

Nursery Operations – Rebecca Crank, Midland

Outdoor Recreation – Victoria Goad, Harvard

Poultry Production – Gus Fandrich, Shelbyville

Safety – Josh Winter, Scales Mound

Sheep Production – Tim Leonard, Sangamon Valley

Small Animal Production & Care – Jessica Both, Seneca

Specialty Animal Production – Laura Child, Amboy

Specialty Crop Production – Josh Evans, Mahomet-Seymour

Swine Production Entrepreneurship – Wade Springer, Olympia

Swine Production Placement – Kaleb Nelson, Tri-Point

Turf Grass Management – Jim Tobin, Blue Ridge

Vegetable Production – Erika Lambattus, New Athens

Veterinary Medicine – Julie Sauls, Highland

Wildlife Production & Management – Jeff Meister, Tri-Point

Special Thanks: As Amie, Caroline, Ellen, Kiersten and Adam hung their jackets up for the final time at the 82nd Annual State FFA Convention, a new team of officers stepped up to embark on a journey of service.

The 2010-2011 State Officer Team would like to thank the five majors and 25 section presidents for devoting a year of their lives to serve the Illinois Association FFA along with the members. We greatly appreciate your hard work and dedication. You have left an impact on the lives of more than 17,000 FFA members across the state of Illinois. We wish you all the best of luck in the future.

F • ILLINOIS FFA ILLINOIS FFA • G

National Convention Preview

National Officer CandidateClayton Zwilling from Viola, Illinois is your National Officer Candidate! He served as the 2008-2009 Illinois Association FFA State President and is attending Lakeland College where he is studying Agriculture Education. At the National FFA Convention in October Clayton will go through a challenging interview and an evaluation process that is conducted by the national nominating committee. Wishing you the best of luck, Clay!!

Ag Communications – Midland

Ag Issues – Midland

Ag Mechanics – Prairie-Central

Ag Sales – Midland

Agronomy – Paxton-Buckley-Loda

Dairy Foods – Prairie-Central

Dairy Cattle – Prairie-Central

Environmental & Natural Resources – Cissna Park

Floriculture – Glenbrook South

Food Science – Unity-Mendon

Forestry – TBA

Horse – TBA

Livestock – Tri-Point

Marketing Plan – Paxton-Buckley-Loda

Meats Evaluation & Technology – Fieldcrest

Nursery Landscape – Paxton-Buckley-Loda

Parliamentary Procedure – Amboy

Poultry – Paxton-Buckley-Loda

Job Interview – Olivia Harris, Heyworth

Extemporaneous Public Speaking – Clayton Carley, Cissna Park

Prepared Public Speaking – Evan Rich, Pontiac

Creed Speaking – Jacob Miller, Geneseo

Agriscience Fair National Entries Individuals

Botany – Cassie Billington (Cisne) & Luke Hays (Delavan)

Environmental Science – Brandon Smith (AC-Central)

Bio Chemistry – Ann Pond (Cisne) & Haley Pfaffe (AC-Central)

Engineering – Sarah Hempen (Waterloo) & Jared Ferguson (Sullivan)

Zoology – Lucretia Mills (Cisne) & Rochelle Meteer (Taylorville)

Teams

Botany – Travis Whittaker & Ross Carls (Taylorville) Danielle Bright & Kelsey Handy (AC-Central)

Environmental Science – Travis Wyantt & Luke Telford (Pontiac)

Bio Chemistry – Taylor Strehl & Connor Strehl (Stillman Valley)

Engineering – Will Keeney & Joseph Ratliff (AC-Central) Austin Metsker & Austin Peters (Taylorville)

Illinois CDE Teams and Individuals competing at the 2010 National FFA Convention:

{

H • ILLINOIS FFA

IAVAT Annual Meeting: June 15-17

John, Jake, Morgan, Cody and Jeff had a tremendous time at the Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers annual meeting in Springfield, Illinois. This meeting gave the five major state officers a chance to interact with the Illinois Agriculture Educators they will be working with throughout their year of service. During the conference teachers were awarded for their dedication and service to their school and the Illinois Association FFA.

Blast Off: June 21-25

After a short time at home, the five majors’ second week of serving the Illinois FFA consisted of attending the annual Blast-Off Training. This year the presenter was Seth Heinert from Wyoming. He attends University of Nebraska in Lincoln and served as a State FFA Officer for Wyoming along with serving as a National Officer. During Blast-Off the five majors learned more about themselves as individuals, techniques for public speaking, and team strengths and weaknesses. After having a fun week of training the officers were able to get to begin their plans for the upcoming year.

National Leadership Conference for State Officers: July 5-9

The five major state officers from Illinois along with, Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana and Wisconsin gathered in Springfield, Illinois for the National Leadership Conference for State Officers. This week was full of workshops presented by Chelsea Doss, National Southern Region Vice-President from Tennessee and Alexandria Henry, National Eastern Region Vice-President from Michigan. The workshops helped the officers gain better leadership and presenting skills. Heritage and Cooperative Tours: June 27-July 2

John and Jake traveled on the Cooperative Tour while Morgan, Cody and Jeff attended the Heritage Tour. The tours were both sponsored by the Illinois Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies. During the trip the participants had the chance to visit our national capitol. When returning home everyone had a better understanding of how cooperatives operate along with our nation’s heritage.

FFA Leadership Camp: July 28-31John, Jake, Morgan, Cody, Jeff, over 300 excited FFA members along with camp staff had four fun days in Monticello, Illinois at the State FFA Leadership Camp. During these four days the group competed in Ag Olympics, team activities, and the red and blue water balloon fight! When the week came to an end the five majors, along with the FFA members and camp staff, felt like the week was a success! Illinois State Fair: August 13-22The five major state officers along with the 25 section presidents had a fun-filled week in the FFA barnyard during the Illinois State Fair. During this week visitors were excited to pet the animals and the FFA officers were there to help assist and teach the young children about Agriculture.

Officers’ Tracks

Above: The five majors attend the annual IAVAT BBQ at the Illinois State Fair Grounds.

Below: The five majors during their first day of BLAST Off.

Check out our

www.californiaffa.org

website

october 2010

california ffa

PaGe

l chapter Scoops

outstanding chapter: atwater ffa b-eState officers on the Go f-Gamerican Degree recipients H-JUpcoming ffa activities Kalumni on the Go lchapter Scoops l-P

What’s InsIde thIs Issue

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outstanding chapter: atwater ffa

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the Atwater High School Agriculture Department and

Atwater FFA is one of two high school agriculture/FFA programs serving the cities and outlying rural areas of Winton and Atwater with a combined population of around 36,000 residents. Atwater is located in the heart of California’s central valley in between Modesto and Fresno along Highway 99. Atwater High School is just over 50 years old and served as the primary high school for the community until the Merced Union High School District expanded to their fifth high school with the construction of another campus (Buhach Colony High

School) in Atwater just less than 10 years ago. When the district lines were drawn between the two campuses, Atwater High School was designated for the “city” portion of Winton and Atwater while the other campus contained part of the city of Atwater, however it also encompassed all of the outlying rural/farm portions surrounding Winton and Atwater. The effect it created at Atwater High School in terms of the agriculture program was the change in student demographics where it became composed today of 98%+ non-agriculture background students.

Over the past few years, the agriculture program has tripled in size from 300+ individual agriculture students in 2006 to a record 900+ individual students in 2010 representing half of the 1800 high school student population. The Atwater agriculture program is lead by a team of six full-time agriculture instructors. The “vision” of getting students involved and utilizing FFA and agricultural education model has created an atmosphere of enthusiasm, production and pride. Due to the recent growth of student involvement within the program, many facets of the program/FFA have been created, strengthened, and expanded within the

outstanding chapter: atwater ffa

CATA – The Atwater High School Agriculture Program staff gather to accept the 2010 CATA Outstanding Agriculture Program award.

B • CALIFORNIA FFA CALIFORNIA FFA • C

ag mechanics, horticulture, agrisciences and FFA.

Last year, a $1.7 million renovation took place with the main agriculture building and shop being redesigned and expanded with state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories. A $500,000 investment was made towards state-of-the-art wood construction and welding equipment to enhance “hands-on” learning and provide students with current trade

technology and skills. Atwater High School became California’s first CANGC-certified high school horticulture program as they expanded their floriculture and horticulture curriculum and facilities. Both the agriculture mechanics and horticulture facilities provide the community a variety of nursery, landscape, and garden plants and materials through biannual plant, garden art, and wood construction sales.

Over the past few years, the agriculture curriculum has collaborated with some of the district’s core science classes where the opportunity for students to receive their Life, Biology, Earth, and Environmental science classes through the agriculture department has provided students with increase exposure of the importance and value of agriculture. The results of this philosophy has transcended into more student FFA involvement, higher

outstanding chapter Atwater FFA, Continued

Maze Trip – The annual FFA “Corn Maze” Meeting is a highlight each October with two FFA charter buses visiting Tracy, California for an “aMAZEing” good time.

Feb Shop Classes – Atwater High has three plasma cams where students take part in state-of-the-art shop technology.

Dissection – “Hands-on” learning, as students demonstrate in their Ag Biology class, is the key to success in agriculture education.

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retention percentages, and the creation and expansion of specialized agriculture courses such as Veterinary Science, Horticulture, and Ag Economics/Government.

The success of Atwater FFA and the Atwater High School Agriculture Program can be centered around student involvement and the opportunity for students to gain a positive and valuable experience towards their personal, academic and career endeavors. More importantly, students comment that their main reason for being involved with Atwater FFA and Atwater High School agriculture is because “It’s fun!” Every monthly FFA meeting is focused on taking care of business effectively and efficiently followed by the opportunity for students to engage in social and recreational activities. September’s “Pool Party”, October’s “Corn Maze”, December’s “Hockey

Trip” and “Morning Wave”, January’s “Movie Night”, March’s “Bowling Tournament,” and April’s “Burrito Bing” are some of the yearly highlight traditions with hundreds of students participating in each event. The enthusiasm of fun activities and events extends into the desire of competition and skill development with a strong core of successful CDE judging teams that include Light Horse, Dairy Products, Nursery and Landscape, Land, Ag Mechanics, Specialty Animals, Meats, Cotton, Vine Judging/Pruning, Floriculture, Best Informed Greenhand (BIG), Creed, Prepared Public Speaking, and Job Interview. The opportunity to work with the community is highlighted with various community/school landscape projects, educational forums and social assistance programs.

Atwater High School was recently recognized as the 2010 California

Outstanding Middle/Secondary School Agriculture Education Program by the California Agriculture Teacher’s Association (CATA) and the National Association of Agriculture Educators (NAAE). The value of the award is not towards the agriculture staff or program, rather the continued investment of involvement, support, and productivity by the students, school staff, district, community and agriculture industry. The model of success came from other various agriculture communities, programs, instructors and students from California FFA and high school agriculture programs throughout the state. It all comes down to “making a positive difference in the lives of young people”, and Atwater FFA takes pride in being one of the many successful and productive chapters throughout the state.

Wood Classes Jan. 7 – Over $500,000 in new wood construction and welding equipment was invested at Atwater High School last year.

BBQ – Atwater FFA students cook up four take-out BBQ fundraisers each year, as well as being responsible for various campus/school BBQ needs.

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Point Award Trip 18 – Each year the Atwater FFA recognizes its Top 25 FFA members and Chapter Officer Nom-Com individuals with a summer trip such as this recent rafting trip.

Officer Retreat 82 – Each year the chapter officer team plans the calendar, identifies the chapter/program goals, and sets the theme for the school year.

PrePlant Sale 1 – Atwater High’s agriculture students are responsible for the care, maintenance, and well-being of the plants and horticulture facilities.

Broccoli – Atwater High freshman agriculture students are traditionally responsible for the fall and spring garden facility where various vegetable crops are grown.

Merced Fair – Thanks to industry and community support/resources, Atwater FFA students are able to house, finance and participate in various livestock SAEs that normally wouldn’t be available to the students.

Reedley 6 – Atwater FFA’s increased student involvement has transpired into growing CDE judging team success.

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CALIFORNIA FFA • G

State officers on the Go


June13markedthebeginningofaonce-in-a-lifetimeexperienceforthenewlyelectedStateOfficers:move-inday.Notonlydoesthismeanthattheyhavehadtheopportunitytoseewhointhehousecancook,butitwasalsoafantasticstarttowhattheyknowwillbeanamazingyear.

Tokickofftheyear,NationalFFAsentArkansasnativeKrystenSheetstotheStateFFACenterforBLAST-OffTraining.TherethenewStateOfficerteamwasabletolearnhoweachindividualhasdifferentcharacteristicstoofferandhowtogethertheycanbeastrongteamreadytoservethemembersofCaliforniaFFA.Thisfour-dayconferenceflewbyandlefttheteammotivatedandanxiousforwhatwasahead.

FollowingBLAST-OffTrainingtheofficerteamtookatripdowntoSanLuisObispofortheCaliforniaAgricultureTeachers’AssociationConference.Heretheyhadthechancetoattendsessionswiththeag.teachersandbeinspiredbyalloftheworktheag.teachersdotobenefittheassociation.Whetheritwaswatchingag.teachersbeinductedintotheAg.Teachers’HallofFameormeetingwiththeFFAAdvisoryBoard,theofficersareverythankfulforallofthesupporttheyhave.ButthenitwastimetoleaveandlearnhowotherassociationsworkattheNationalLeadershipConferenceforStateOfficers!

Although13hourswasalongtimeinavantoNLCSO,itwasincomparabletotheamountofmateriallearnedandmemoriesmadeattheconferenceinbeautifulBryceCanyon,Utah.TheteammetStateOfficersfromseven

otherstatesandwasabletocometogetherwiththeirownteamtosetandplanfortheupcomingyear.TheyalsoexploredthemajesticBryce,Zion,andGrandCanyonsandevenwatchedthe3rdofJulyfireworksinUtah.Theteamhadagreattimeastheywereabletoexploreandbondtogether.

FinallythetimehadcomefortheteamtomeetwiththeirownmembersbackinCaliforniaattheRegionalOfficerLeadershipConferenceatBassLake!ItwassorewardingforthemtofinallybeabletomeetwiththeRegionalOfficersforwhomtheyhadbeenplanningtheconference.Theweekwasfilledwithpatrioticobservances,themeskits,workshops,teambuildingandasafarithemed-socialtowrapitallup.TheRegionalOfficersdidafantasticjob,andtheyhaveproventhattheyhaveahugedesiretoservethemembersoftheirrespectiveregions.

ThemostrecenteventthathashadtheofficerteamgoingistheCaliforniaStateFair.TheretheyhavebeenapartoftheOpeningCeremonies,judgedfortheHerdsmanAwards,helpedwiththeSaleofChampionsandmore.Butamongtheirresponsibilitiestheyhavestillmadesuretofindtimetomeetmoremembersandofcoursefindsometastyfairfood.

Nextuponthecalendartheteamwillbetravelingupanddownthestatefortrainings,industryvisits,SectionalOfficerLeadershipConferencesandSummits,andChapterOfficerLeadershipConferences.Theyaresoexcitedforwhatliesaheadandcannotwaittomeetmoreamazingmembersthroughoutthestate!



State officers on the GoContinued


H • CALIFORNIA FFA

american Degree recipients

AChristopher AdameKelsey AdamsJose AlvaradoMichael AlvaradoNicholas AlvaradoGustavo AlvarezAshtin AlvesJason AndersonEmily AndreiniPete AntognazziSamantha AragonSusana ArmentaCristina AvilaKasey AvilaCurtis AzevedoKevin Azevedo

BEvan BachelderNick BadasciLawrence BanalesMalorie BankheadAshley BarnesSteven BarnettCasey BastianDaniel BazanTerra BazanJenna BennettMichael BensonCooper BerensLauren BeshearsAntonio BettencourtAmanda BivierNiccole BlackCameron BlakeChad BowerAdrienne Bradley

Taylor BrickeyJessica BriggsJessica BrisendineAshley BrookingJulia BrownRobert BrownCassie BrueckerCarl Bushnell

CCourtney CabreraBritney CaetanaKyle CaetanoYasmin CamachoSean CameronSergio CardonaHannah CardozaSergio CarmonaCorey CarpenterRobert CarstensRaven CastroShane CatesAllison CauzzaOmar ChavezJuan ChuronRafael CisnerosEmily CliftonRyan CliftonMolly CochraneJoseph ColemanKevin ComalliJerry ComptonJacob ConwayJonathon CotaSamantha Cyrus

DKate DaleyJoshua Davila

Breauna DeMattoSerena DiasoMartha DiazCraig DienerJustine DonnellyKate DoopSamuel DotyAmy DufurAdelaide Dyer

EWesley EisengaKayla ElderKatie Eslick

FStephanie FairbankStephanie FerrumpauMatt FletcherAaron FloresAshton FlynnKory FontesKayla FountainSandra FrederickBrent FukushimaJD FullmerMichael Fuso

GKayla GardnerWill GarlandJohn GarnerRaechelle GaylordChris GemmellBlythe GeorgeBrooke GilesAllexsis GirardJoseph GobeaCarolynn GomesMarie Gonzales

Benjamin GrayKelly GrayJenna GreenmyerCody GreerChristina GroleauAriel GuerreroErica Guido

HHaley HaansVictoria HamiltonScott HammondBreanne HarlanCrystal HarrisWilliam HavardDaniel HavlinAlonzo HernandezEmanuel HernandezEnrique HernandezJuan HernandezJeffery HillmanChristie HobbyAshley HofmanShannon HollandNatalynne HoodLacey HowardHouston HowellAustin HubbellCody HuffAnthony HughesLance HuntElizabeth Hurd

ICarrie Isaacson

JHolli JacobsenDoug Jeffries

Alexis JimenezSam JobHannah Junio KKlint KeenanShayne KentShauna KetchamPeter KnightWesley Kraintz

LKyle LaneAmanda LarsonKathleen LawsonMichelle LindseyJordan LippincottCarrie LoganJacob LoogmanCain LopezFrancisco LopezKristin LopezSteven LopezHoracio Lopez-SeguraGary LoweryMargarito LuaAlexander Lund

MAnthony MacedoJames MacedoJustin MachadoStacy MaganaYvette MalveauxJenenetta MarisclanDiego MartinezMatthew MartinezTabitha MartinezJeffery Mason

Mario MastelottoAnthony MatteucciBrigid MattosMalille McCallisterBrandon McCorkleAndrew McCormickTaylor McDonaldJordan McGillConnor McKeanAshley McKeeKristyn McQueenAlison MebaneCaitlin MeileKody MelendrezNicole MelloWalter MendozaBlake MenesesBailey MillerMeagan MillerRoss MillerGeorge MinagliaBrianna MonteiroAmanda MooreCharles MoranJohnny MorrisonRhett Mota

NLauren NavarroRyan NazaroffBretton NevilleLukas NickolsChristopher NilsenKristine Nunes

O Tanner ObermeyerCody OldenbergerTaylor Ortiz

american Degree recipientsContinued

CALIFORNIA FFA • I

J • CALIFORNIA FFA

american Degree recipientsContinued

PDarcy PearceMichael PerezSuzanne PerrinAustin PerryJustin PetersRoss PetersenCaitlin Pettijohn-BanegasAmy PhillipsJames PiersmaAmanda PinheiroAshley PipkinWeston PoundsMargarito PradoTatiana PrestininziJaime PrydeLovlean Purewal

QAlexandra QuesinberryTodd QuigleyMarisela Quiroz

RNicole RamosRichard RangelAlayna RennerMiguel ReyesJoel RiedelJerome RiosRoy RobertsSean RobinsonAlexa RocheFrank RocheAlejandro RodriguezCassandra RodriguezBreeanna RolandCynthia Romero

Justin RomingerMadison RowellElizabeth RuelasShelbe RuisJared Rutman

SGlenn SailorsTate SandborgCatherine SandersJose SandovalAlyssa SankeyKari SargentChase SchaffnerKaylyn SchiberKattie SchmidigSarah SchmittBrooke SchmitzFrank SchottMikaela SerafinBethany ShimmelJesse SilvaMason SilvaSebastian SilveiraJacob SkinnerStephanie SloanMorgan StaneartKristin StanfieldLauren StanfieldSarah StannardAlexa StantonElizabeth SteeleMelissa StegallJessica StokesWhitney StuartTanner Swanson

TDace TaylorBrianna TeeseKatie TennesonKatelyn TitusMegan Toler

VAshley Van BurenJaclyn Van BurenKayla VanaseljaSamantha VargusJoshua VeenendaalAnthony VerissimoJovanni VillaJake VivarRobert VyVlecka

WDylan WalleyMelissa WatkinsZachary WeimortzTaylor WeisenbergerLaura WhiteKaitlyn WhitmyreKirsti WhitmyreAlisha WilmothJared WoodBradley WrightRachel Wright

XKou Xiong

ZMichael ZavalaVanessa Zendejas

CALIFORNIA FFA • K

Upcoming ffa activities

CALIFORNIA FFA • K

october

Oct. 2 Imperial FFA and SLC BB Tournament

Oct. 4 Greenhand Conference (Red Bluff )

Oct. 5 Greenhand (Lodi) Imperial Section CATA and FFA O/C Contest

Oct. 6 Ventura Section BIG/O&C – 4 p.m. (Santa Paula) MB Section Opening and Closing (Soledad HS) San Diego Section CATA and FFA O/C Contest

Oct. 7 Greenhand (Lodi) Santa Clara Opening and Closing (Morgan Hill)

Oct. 9 South Coast COLC (Hollister HS)

Oct. 10 South Coast CATA Meeting (Hollister HS)

Oct. 11 Greenhand (Porterville) SLO Section Opening and Closing (Morro Bay)

Oct. 12 Greenhand (Bakersfield) Orange Section FFA Leadership Conference (Orange HS) Orange Section CATA Mtg. (Orange HS)

Oct. 13 Greenhand (Paso Robles)

Oct. 14 Greenhand (Paso Robles) Shasta College Field Day (Shasta College, Redd) High Desert O/C and BIG Contests (Littlerock)

Oct. 15 Imperial Section Greenhand Conference (SDSU – Brawley)

Oct. 18 Orange Section BIG (Westminster)

Oct. 20 National FFA Convention

Oct. 25 O/C Invitational Contest (Buena Park)

Oct. 30 Riverside Section FFA Leadership Conference (Norte Vista)

november

Nov. 2 Greenhand (Clovis East) Orange Section FFA Open/Close (Mission Viejo HS)

Nov. 3 Greenhand (Lemoore) Ventura Section Creed/NNN Parli Pro (Carpinteria) MB Section BIG and COOPS (Soquel) Shasta Section BIG, Co-Op, Farm Record Contests (West Valley HS, Cott) San Diego Section BIG Contest (El Camino HS)

Nov. 4 Greenhand (Visalia)

Nov. 6 SOCAL FFA Leadership Conference (Indio)

Nov. 9 Imperial Section CATA and BIG/Creed Contest (Brawley HS)

Nov. 10 Riverside Section FFA O/C Contest (Norte Vista)

Nov. 12 High Desert SOLC (Pilgrim Pines)

Nov. 13 Superior Region FFA Officers Winter Retreat Meetin (Tulelake)

Nov. 14 LA Section BIG and O/C – 4:30 p.m.

Nov. 16 SLO Section CATA/FFA Creed and BIG (Paso Robles HS) Riverside Section CATA Mtg. (Norco HS) Shasta Section Administrators Night (Redding)

Nov. 17 Greenhand (El Capitan) SB Section CATA/FFA BIG Contest (Nipomo) Intermountain Section Co-Op/BIG/Novice Record/Open (Big Valley HS, Biebe) High Desert Job Interview Entries Due (Apple Valley)

Nov. 18 Greenhand (Heritage) SC Section BIG/COOP (Sobrato) North Valley Section Co-Op, Novice Records, BIG, O/C (Colusa High School)

L • CALIFORNIA FFA CALIFORNIA FFA • ML • CALIFORNIA FFA

esparto ffa chapter Bringing Farming Back!

This year, Esparto FFA celebrated the new officer team with a three-day officer retreat to Quincy, California. During the retreat, the officers planned the entire FFA calendar for the upcoming school year and picked an overall theme to base the year on. The team also got an opportunity to get to know their fellow officers. After “a day of team building exercises involving herding cattle and working with horses, the team decided on their theme, ‘Bringing Farming Back’. The 2010-2011 team hopes to use this theme to increase agricultural literacy in their chapter, as well as to kick off their new horticulture program. Go Esparto FFA!

chapter Scoops

This is an opportunity to showcase alumni from your chapter!1. You are to submit an alumnus with photos of the past and the present.2. Alumni should complete the questions below: • Name, FFA Chapter they were a member of. • List/describe the FFA activities/leadership role you were involved in. • List/describe the projects you were involved in. • How did your participation in FFA prepare you for what you are doing today? Be sure to include what you do, are responsible for, etc. • Any additional information or advice that would be of interest to our readers.Please return responses with a photograph of “then” and “now” to Mindy Burris at: [email protected]. See future due dates in the chapter scoop section.

alumni on the Go

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chapter Scoops Continued

ca FFA New Horizons Due Dates:

february 2011 Material Deadline Date – 11/15/10

april 2011 Material Deadline Date – 1/24/11

august 2011 Material Deadline Date – 5/20/11

Do you have a chapter Scoop to share?

Send in your chapter scoop today! ask your chapter officer team or advisor to send in a print quality photo along with 100-150 words describing your chapter’s latest news to Mindy burris at caffainsert@yahoo com {

Johansen ffa chapterPoultry Receives High Awards

On July 11, 2010 four members of the Johansen FFA Poultry Team competed at the California State Fair. Jordan Dajani, Kimberly Arias, Cody Massengill and Nadia Dajani. These four young people exhibited two meat pens each with birds weighing between four and five pounds.

Johansen FFA member Kimberly Arias was the proud owner of the California State Fair Reserve Supreme Champion Poultry Meat Pen. However, if asked Kimberly will tell you it was a team win, as all four of these members raised the birds together. All four young people were excited to exhibit their project at the California State Fair and would like to thank the California Poultry Federation and Petaluma Poultry Association for supporting Kimberly in the Sale of Champions.

However, this accomplishment was not enough for these young people, on July 15, they exhibited their project at the Stanislaus County Fair. They were joined by the rest of the team, Austin Southern-Jaso, Ismael Garcia, Israel Garcia, Aimee Stone and Craig Puckett. This time Cody Massengill was the big winner, winning FFA Grand Champion. Again, he claims this as a team win.

The members then exhibited in Showmanship and came away with top honors in Advanced Meat Bird Showmanship, Jordan Dajani, first; Cody Massengill, second; Nadia Dajani, third; Kimberly Arias, fourth; Craig Puckett, fifth; and Ismael Garcia, seventh. Novice Showmanship was won by Nadia Dajani; Aimee Stone, second; Austin Southern-Jaso, fifth; and Israel Garcia, seventh.

Even with these top honors they were not done, Craig Puckett, took Best Mediterranean Fancy Bird, with his Sicilian Buttercup. Kimberly Arias, Ismael Garcia, Jordan Dajani, Nadia Dajani and Cody Massengill all exhibited Best of Breeds.

Johansen FFA Poultry was quite successful with their projects this year, and would like to thank Foster Farms for providing chicks to them for their project and purchasing the FFA Champion Meat Pen at the Stanislaus County Fair.

CALIFORNIA FFA • ON • CALIFORNIA FFA


littlerock ffa chapterWritten by Chelsey Jurkovac, Chapter Reporter

On May 8, 2010 the Littlerock FFA Chapter hosted their first annual Agriculture and Environmental Expo, formerly known as the Littlerock High School Farm Day. We changed Farm Day into an Expo and opened it to the whole public, not just the elementary students. We chose to hold our event on Saturdays instead of the traditional Friday, which allowed 215 people from our community to attend. The objective of the event was to educate not only the children, but also the adults about the benefits of agriculture. Everyone who attended was able to learn countless aspects of agriculture. We were able to teach our community how to xeriscape, transplant and more. All who attended were able to learn about natural resources, solar energy, horticulture and livestock. For example, at the Green Planet display, it was demonstrated how to properly sort though their waste to help the environment and how to test for pollutants in the soil that may have seeped in. The children enjoyed solving wooden puzzles and playing fun science games like punnett squares, Benham’s disk, cross breeding games and more. The Expo was a huge success and we plan to keep teaching our community about the importance of agriculture for many years to come. This event involved a lot of help from the students, and it was exhilarating to see all of the families come for a family outing. The Littlerock FFA Chapter is looking forward to another great Expo coming in April of 2011.

CALIFORNIA FFA • O


los banos ffa chapterWritten by Toni Silva, Los Banos FFA Reporter

Many of the Los Banos FFA members showed at the Merced County fair that ran from June 14-20. As a chapter we did outstanding; having many wins and lots of fun. We would like to thank all the buyers at the livestock auction for there generous support in purchasing our animals and the award donors for there kind donations.

The results are as follows: In beef we had one exhibitor Shane Nelson, who once again did a fantastic job; winning beef showmanship participating in round robbin and receiving second. In his market class he received reserve grand champion steer and won first in his heifer class!

In Dairy Caitlin Allen won dairy showmanship and went to round robbin also and placed fourth. She also placed second with both of her registered heifers. Toni Silva placed first with her grade cow. Taylor Pires got first with one of her registered cows and third with her other cow. Kelly Lopes placed first with her grade heifer, Gabe Borba got first with one of his heifers and received third in the final round of showmanship. Paul Borba got second with his heifer and sixth in the final round of showmanship. Rachel Brum received second with her grade heifer, and Alyssa Melo got second with her registered cow. Franklin Silva received second with his grade cow. Jane Demos placed second with her registered heifer. Celeste Lozano placed third with her grade heifer. Lastly in the Dairy show Jeane Cardoza placed fourth with her registered heifer.

In Pigs Josh Hatfield placed third in his market class, and Michelle Cecil also placed third in her market class.

In the Sheep show Lauren Neves placed fifth in showmanship and first in market, and fourth and third in her breeding class. Melissa Silva placed third with her market lamb, and Morgan Hurley received reserve FFA Suffolk champion and seventh in

showmanship. Dana Carlotti’s market lamb got reserve grand champion hamp, and her breeding ewe got supreme champion. She won sheep showmanship and participated in master showmanship and received sixth. Cassie Menezes got reserve FFA champion and received fourth in showmanship. Aubrey Figuerora got second in her market class and Kara Orr got Reserve champion weather type ewe and third in showmanship. David Mclary won lads and ladies. Jaimie Brown placed sixth with her market lamb.

In the Goat show Toni Silva placed fourth with her breeding goat, another fourth with her other breeding goat and placed seventh in advanced showmanship.

In the Rabbit show Delaine Inman won advance showmanship for rabbits and placed second in small animal round robbin. Hayley Hatfield placed fifth with her meat pen, and Michelle Cecil placed sixth with her meat pen. Amanda Flores placed third in rabbit showmanship. Overall Los Banos FFA had a great fair!

Merced Fair Participants after the awards.

L-R back row: Flavio Castro, Josh Hatfield, Hayley Hatfield, David Mclary, Jane Demoss, Michelle Cecil, Shane Nelson. L-R middle row: Gabe Borba, Paul Borba, Paul Torres, Cassie Menezes, Caitlin Allen, Dana Carlotti, Kelly Lopes, Jenae Cardoza, Alyssa Melo, Morgan Hurley, Kara Orr and Dustin Helmer. L-R bottom row: Amanda Flores, Taylor Pires, Celeste Lazano, Lauren Neves, Melissa Silva, Toni Silva and Franklin Silva.

Shane Nelson showing his 1st place heifer!

P • CALIFORNIA FFA


nipomo ffa chapterWhat a year! After the school year comes to an end a new one is right around the corner. Nipomo FFA just ended the year with the Spring Banquet, which was a huge success. More than 225 people attended the event and were welcomed to a fabulous BBQ chicken dinner and a following ceremony. The new officers were installed and members were recognized for their achievements throughout the year.

Students who have participated in Competitive Career Development Events statewide were recognized for their efforts, they are as follow: Horse Evaluation and Livestock Evaluation teams, Parliamentary Procedure team, Job Interview, Creed Recitation, Prepared Public Speaking, Extemporaneous Public Speaking, Marketing Plan, and Best Informed Greenhand were all given a large hand of applause for their hard work. Star Greenhands were Diana Krichevsky and Riley Nilsen, while the Star Chapter Farmer was awarded to Miles Mankins. Twenty Proficiency winners were recognized and 19 Degree Recipients were announced. A slideshow was revealed of the leaving seniors as a tribute to parents, friends and guests. Many seniors were given scholarships for their upcoming college adventures. The Ag Friends awarded $5,000 in scholarships and the CWA gave $3,000.

As we say goodbye to our old officers who have lead us in a year of success, we say hello to the newly elected officers for the 2010-2011 year. All officers are eager to begin the year and have worked hard to get where they are. Anneke Dobbe – President, Tyler Menane – Vice President, Peyton Maas – Secretary, Diana Krichevsky – Treasurer, Riley Nilsen – Reporter and Miles Mankins – Sentinel. Nipomo is extremely proud of all the chapter has accomplished and wishes the best for the year to come!

ffa conteStHow has FFA changed YOUR life?

in 200 words or less, describe the impact that ffa has made on your life Please include a head and shoulder picture of yourself and e-mail it to caffainsert@yahoo com by nov 5, 2010

Documents

October 2010 FFA