Activities – Page 9 – Fairbury Public Schools

What a Day for Fairbury FFA!

The Fairbury FFA Chapter had 30 members compete at the 2016 District 5 Career Development Events (CDE) Contest on Tuesday March 1st at Southeast Community College in Beatrice. These 30 members represented Fairbury FFA well by showing how hard work and dedication can pay off. Fairbury FFA was named district champions in the Welding and Vet Science Contests. Fairbury FFA also had three individual district champions with Nathaniel Stapaules placing 1st in Oxy/Acetylene Welding, Dylan Au placing 1st in Gas Metal Arc Welding, and Ryan Umland Placing 1st in Vet Science. Below is a complete list of all the team and individual results for the Fairbury FFA Chapter members that competed in the District 5 CDE contests.

The welding contest consists of a team of three members where one member has to Oxygen-Acetylene (O/A) weld, one member has to Shielded Metal Arc Weld (SMAW), and one member has to Gas Metal Arc Weld (GMAW). Fairbury had two welding teams compete in the district contest with team one consisting of Nathaniel Stapaules who placed 1st in the O/A division, Tyler Heidemann who placed 7th in the SMAW division, and Trevin Likens who placed 4th in the GMAW division. This team was named as the District 5 welding champions. The second team consisted of Tony Grummert who placed 10th in the O/A division, Brandon Reese who placed 13th in the GMAW division and Dylan Au who placed 1st in the GMAW division. This team placed sixth overall in the district 5 welding competition.

The Agronomy team placed 4th overall and consisted Cody Huss who placed 2nd, Patrick Ondrak who placed 21st, Jon Engelman who placed 25th, and Blake Bauer who placed 48th individually.

The Agriscience team placed 6th as a team and consisted of Michaela Buchli and Tori Likens who tied for 10th, Kaylee Sipek who placed 32nd, and Delaney Miller who placed 36th individually. Bryn Livingston also competed in the Agriscience contest and placed 46th individually.

The Ag Sales team placed 4th and qualified for the state contest. The team consisted of Garret Ragland who placed 10th, Ryan Umland who placed 11th, Althea Esteller who placed 15th and Natalie Stapaules who placed 16th individually.

Fairbury FFA was represented by two Meats teams with team 1 finishing in 10th place and consisting of Tony Grummert who placed 26th, Jesse Graves finishing in 28th, Dylan Au finishing in 45th place, and Brandon Reese finishing in 48th place. Team 2 finished in 11th place and consisted of Jake Maschmann who finished in 27th place, Jerod Hughes who finished in 31st place, Brock Barton who finished in 41st place and Carson Bohlmeyer who finished in 43rd place.

The Floriculture team placed 3rd overall and qualified for the state contest. Team members include Shavara Kroeker who finished in 10th place, Paige Livingston who finished in 14th place, Evie Schwab who finished in 15th place and Jordan Ruhnke who finished in 16th place individually.

The Livestock Management team finished 10th place and consisted of Tori Likens, Sarah McCown, Delaney Miller, Michaela Buchli, and Kaylee Sipek.

Fairbury was represented by two Vet Science teams with the 1st team consisting of Ryan Umland placing 1st, Patrick Ondrak and Natalie Stapaules placing 10th, and Madison Black placing 36th individually. This team was named the District 5 Vet Science Champion. The second team consisted of Sarah McCown who placed 13th, Jordan Ruhnke who placed 29th, Paige Livingston who placed 42nd, and Evie Schwab who placed 47th individually. This team placed 8th place overall.

Fairbury FFA had two Natural Resource teams with the first team placing 4th overall. This team consisted of Nathaniel Stapaules who placed 16th, Carson Bohlmeyer who placed 20th, Tyler Heidemann who placed 26th, and Trevin Likens who placed 32nd individually. The second team placed 8th overall and consisted of Brock Barton who placed 21st, Jesse Graves who placed 25th, Jake Maschmann who placed 27th, and Jerod Hughes who placed 35th individually.

The last team that competed for Fairbury FFA was the Food Science team that placed 4th overall and consisted of Garret Ragland who placed 5th, Blake Bauer who placed 22nd, Althea Esteller and Madison Black who placed 24th individually. The Fairbury FFA Chapter had a day to remember! It was a great day to be a Jeff.

National FFA Week

Each year, FFA chapters around the country celebrate National FFA Week. The week-long tradition began in 1947 when the National FFA Board of Directors designated the week of George Washington’s birthday as National FFA Week in recognition of his legacy as an agriculturist and farmer. The first National FFA Week was held in 1948.

Today, FFA Week always runs Saturday to Saturday and encompasses Feb. 22, Washington’s birthday. The Fairbury FFA Chapter celebrated this week in a fashionable and fun way. Each day was a specific theme for the staff and students of the high school to show their FFA pride. The theme for Monday was America Day as students were able to dress in their best American pride clothing. Tuesday’s theme was FFA/farm shirt day as FFA members dressed in their red FFA shirts and the rest of the school wore their favorite farm shirt. This was also the day for the annual FFA Ag Olympics convocation.

FFA members entertained the student body with multiple activities throughout the afternoon. The first event of the day was the Hay Bale Relay where a team of four competed to claim the prize of best straw bale hauling team. The second event was corn shucking where 6 individuals pulled the husks and corn kernels from two ears of corn. The third event of the afternoon was a search and find contest where six individuals looked through buckets of corn and candy to find a small cow figurine and claim their prize. The fourth event of the day was name that country song where six individuals competed to name an older or current country song. A small part of the song was played and the first person to write down the correct answer was the winner. The fifth event was the egg roulette competition where six individuals competed against each other by hitting eggs over their head. Each dozen of eggs had ten hard-boiled eggs in them and 2 raw eggs. The first person to crack a raw egg over their head lost and did not move onto the next round. The last event of the afternoon for the Ag Olympics was the food tasting contest where six individuals ate Chicken in a Biscuit, Pickled Eggs, Pork Chop, Pork Liver, Steak and Beef Tongue. The person that ate all six food items was crowned as the food tasting champion.

Wednesday’s theme was blue and gold/official dress day as FFA members dressed in official dress and were served pizza for lunch. The rest of the school wore their best blue and gold clothing to represent the colors of FFA, which are National Blue and Corn Gold.

Thursday’s theme was Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge day as students represented their favorite brand of truck by dressing in their favorite Ford, Chevy, or Dodge apparel for the day. This was also the day that the FFA members cooked breakfast for all of the teachers and staff of the Fairbury Public School District and also for any FFA Alumni/supporter. Members of the FFA started cooking breakfast at 5:30am in the Ag Shop and fed over 60 people throughout the morning. This is an annual tradition for the Fairbury FFA Chapter that the members enjoy doing because it helps them remember that being of service to others is the main focus of the National FFA Organization.

Friday’s theme was Jeff Pride day as students wore their best crimson and gold apparel for the day. February 22nd through the 26th was a very busy week for the Fairbury FFA members but all of them enjoyed the fun activities and experiences of the week.

FFA Finds Success at District Leadership Skills Events

It was a great day to be a Fairbury FFA Jeff! On January 20th, 14 students of the Fairbury FFA Chapter competed at the 2016 District 5 Leadership Skills Events contest. This year these contests were held in York at the Holthus Convention Center. Fairbury FFA members competed in a variety of contests throughout the day. Ryan Umland, Garret Ragland, Althea Esteller, Patrick Ondrak, Blake Bauer, and Madison Black all competed in the Senior Parliamentary Procedure contest and received a red ribbon. Carson Bohlmeyer, Trevin Likens, Cody Huss, and Tyler Heidemann competed in the Agricultural Demonstration contest where they showed the judges how to process baby pigs. They received a blue ribbon for their demonstration. Ryan Umland competed in the Natural Resource speaking contest where he discussed the importance of the Ogallala Aquifer. He received a purple ribbon for his speech. Michaela Buchli and Tori Likens both competed in the Creed Speaking contest and both received a blue ribbon. Lauren Patton competed in the Discovery Speaking contest where she discussed the “Wide World of Agriculture”. She received a red ribbon for her speech. Kennedy DeBoer competed in the Agricultural Literacy contest where she discussed how farmers harvest and plant their crops. She received a blue ribbon for her speech. Garret Ragland and Althea Esteller both competed in the Job Interview contest and both received a purple ribbon. Garret was then named the District 5 Job Interview Champion and will be representing the Fairbury FFA Chapter at the Nebraska State FFA Convention in April. Congratulations to all of the FFA members who participated in this year’s Leadership Skills Events contests.

National Honor Society

National Honor Society inducted ten new members in the Fairbury chapter. Students were selected by a faculty council based on scholarship, leadership, character and service. FHS has been part of this national organization since 1936 inducting new members every year. Chapter president, Ryan Umland, lead the ceremony with readings, candles, signatures, a pledge and a poem.

New members include: Madison Black, Emily Burkley, Jonathan Engelman, Althea Esteller, Jacob Johnson, Macy Ohlde, Britney Scheetz, Evie Schwab, Jolie Scott and Megg Vaughn

Members carried over from last year include: Nick Christiansen, Halle Knigge, Mark Kroeker, Lindsay Lee, Trevin Likens, Paul Mach, Patrick Ondrak, Justin Peterson, Anna Schouboe, Ryan Umland and Hannah Yantz.

These students are expected to be leaders in their school and community, while maintaining a high GPA, distinguished character and active service.

New Equipment Brings New Opportunities

BEATRICE, NE –Fairbury FFA received a $2,000 Working Here Fund grant for a plasma cutter to use in the ag classroom at Fairbury High School. The grant is provided through Farm Credit Services of America’s (FCSAmerica) Working Here Fund.

Fairbury FFA will purchase a plasma cutter to be used to teach students important skills related to future careers in welding or metal fabrication. The students will learn how to properly use the plasma cutter, gain skills through practice and training, and will be introduced to careers in welding and metal fabrication, a growing career opportunity for students.

“Our goal in the Fairbury Agricultural Education Department is to help students find a career that interests them,” said Thomas Dux, Fairbury FFA. “Welding is a great career to get students plugged into.”

“As members of the communities we serve, we’re actively demonstrating our commitment with contributions that serve the rural agriculture life we value so highly,” said Amy Blomenberg, vice president of retail operations at FCSAmerica’s Beatrice office.

Fairbury FFA is one of 68 organizations to receive a Working Here Fund grant in the third quarter of 2015. FCSAmerica awarded $120,870 during the latest grant cycle ending September 30, 2015.

About Fairbury FFA

Fairbury FFA is an agricultural science program located in Fairbury, NE. The chapter has 49 active AET student accounts and 1 teacher. The students are developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

Farm Credit Services of America is a customer-owned financial cooperative proud to finance the growth of rural America, including the special needs of young and beginning producers. With $24 billion in assets and $4.3 billion in members’ equity, FCSAmerica is one of the region’s leading providers of credit and insurance services to farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and rural residents in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. Learn more at www.fcsamerica.com.

Agronomy Grant

(Dorchester, Neb.) – Farmers Cooperative, has donated $3000 to the Nebraska FFA Foundation to directly support local FFA programming needs. Fairbury was one of seven FFA Chapters selected to earn a grant. The Fairbury Chapter has received $500 to be used for their student development.

The Fairbury FFA Chapter is looking to improve their plant science class with this grant. In their plant science class the students identify crop plants and seeds, weed plants and seeds, and discuss soil management that affects the growth of agronomic crops. The plant science class falls in the winter and spring months, therefore; the FFA Advisor is not able to collect all of the specimens necessary to show the class. With this grant the Fairbury FFA Chapter will purchase the specimens they are unable to collect from the Purdue Agronomy Club. This will help students prepare for the FFA Agronomy contest. This will also introduce students to a possible career in agronomy.

“We are happy to donate to these programs. The Farmers Cooperative knows that these young people represent our future customers, and employees, as well as our future community leaders. For these reasons, we believe that it important to support our local FFA Chapters and the work that they do.” Our slogan is “Investing in Our Owners’ Success! And the Farmers Cooperative believes that Investing in our Agricultural Youth today will insure our future success tomorrow. We are proud and happy to donate to the Nebraska FFA Foundation and support local FFA” says Ron Velder, Farmers Cooperative General Manager.

The mission of the Nebraska FFA Foundation is to enhance quality education/FFA programs in order to achieve excellence in leadership development, curriculum innovation and scholastic advancement of students.

Practice Pays Off for Livestock Judgers

On November 17th, 13 members of the Fairbury FFA Chapter competed at the District 5 Livestock Judging competition at Southeast Community College in Beatrice. The contest is split up between junior livestock evaluators that are in grades 9th and 10th and senior livestock evaluators that are in grades 11th and 12th. The top four teams in each division qualify for the state contest that is held during the Nebraska State FFA Convention in April. Fairbury was represented by four senior evaluators that consisted of Blake Bauer, Jonathan Engelman, Althea Estellar, and Madison Black. This team placed 5th and was one spot away from qualifying for state. This team, however, did have the district champion evaluator as Blake Bauer won the senior competition. Fairbury was represented by nine junior evaluators that consisted of Jordan Ruhnke, Evie Schwab, Michaela Buchli, Tori Likens, Kaylee Sipek, Olivia Koop, Tommy Kroeker, Colton Starck, and Kristin Branson. The team that consisted of Jordan Ruhnke, Evie Schwab, Michaela Buchli, and Tori Likens placed third and qualified for the state competition. Congratulations to all of the Fairbury FFA Livestock Evaluators for your hardwork and success.

FBLA National Fall Leadership Conference

Five FBLA Members attended the National Fall Leadership Conference in Omaha on November 6 and 7. With over 2400 students in attendance, members were able to connect with FBLA members from many other states including Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, and even Vermont. Members had the opportunity to listen to motivational keynote speakers Patty Hendrickson and Aaron Davis. The Conference provided ample opportunities for professional development and career planning through networking and workshops.

Bringing the Farm to School

Students in Agricultural Science and Technology Class have been learning key terms and evaluation of livestock over the past two weeks. On November 4th, these students got first hand experience as a class of market swine was brought to the high school. The pen was set up behind the welding shop, and students had time to evaluate the swine, write notes about each hog, and were then asked to write down their placings. Students discussed each body part and were asked what they liked and disliked about each animal. This was a great way to promote the livestock industry and to give students a lasting experience.