Saint Peter High School’s FFA chapter has been busy this school year and recently took part in some notable events including sending a contingent to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., in late October.
(PICTURED ABOVE) members of the SPHS FFA team taking part in the Regional CDE Contest on Oct. 16th included: front row (l to r), Bryce Pettit, Will Schultz, Eli Yost, Ryan Hermanson; back row, Tucker Nimps, Alex Mueller, Tyler Krakow, Kendra Johnson, Clair Weber, Allison Hanson, Olivia Schumann, Kenna Holtz, Logan Bock, and Sarah Cooke.
Below is a synopsis from SPHS FFA co-advisors Jasmine Witty and Jacob Pehrson from those events:
National FFA Convention
We left at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22 to start our drive to Indianapolis, Indiana for the 97th National FFA Convention and Expo. Along the way we stopped at the Caterpillar Museum and Fair Oaks Farm. At Fair Oaks Farm we visited the birthing center, pig facility and dairy facility and even got to see robotic milking systems. To finish the day off we went to a rodeo that National FFA hosts at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
While we were in Indiana at the FFA Expo and Career Fair Hall we conducted a radio interview with KNUJ (Ana Stoffregen, Kyla Yost, Tyler Krakow, and Alex Mueller were all interviewed).We were able to walk around the convention center and visit many booths and learn about different career opportunities in agriculture, as well as browse the many different college booths that were there.
Additionally, we attended sessions with keynote speakers. One keynote speaker being the most renowned animal welfare activist in the livestock industry Temple Grandin.
“It was really interesting to hear what she has to say and how what she is doing relates to our Animal science class that Ms. Witty Teaches,” Kyla Yost said.
On the last day of our trip we had the unique opportunity to visit Hunter’s Honey Bee Farm and learn about how natural flavored honey is produced and the different products and by-products that can be made throughout the process.
“Trips like these help the students understand and see different agricultural practices in different parts of the country,” Jasmine Witty said. “We are grateful for these opportunities.”
October CDE contest
We had two Career Development Event (CDE) Teams compete on October 16. One of the teams that competed was our Livestock Judging team consisting of Kyla Yost, Braelin Weber, Elana Beckel, and Jaylin Yost. The contest consists of judging market classes of beef, swine, sheep, and goats. They look for muscle structure and growing efficiency. They also complete a team test on current issues within the livestock and market industry. Kyla Yost placed 11th overall and the team placed 19th overall.
Our other CDE Team competing was our Horse Evaluation Team consisting of Ana Stoffregen, Lydia Yost, and Lucy Tauer. In this contest they evaluated different tack items commonly found in the horse world. They also evaluate different breeds and patterns the horses use. Ana Stoffregen placed first individual overall, and Lydia placed ninth. Their team placed third overall earning a spot to compete at the State contest in April at the U of MN!
We also had many other students attend a leadership workshop on the same day. They were able to put their minds together and help each other solve complex problems with each other as a team. The workshop consisted of topics related to agriculture and being young leaders developing skills to help navigate the future.
Those SPHS FFAers participating in the leadership workshop were Sarah Cooke, Logan Bock, Will Schultz, Tucker Nimps, Allison Hanson, Clair Weber, Kenna Holtz, Alex Mueller, Tyler Krakow, Kendra Johnson, Olivia Schumann, Eli Yost, Ryan Hermanson, and Bryce Pettit.
Pictured below are highlights from the SPHS FFA trip to Indianapolis.
