Waitsburg FFA Takes Top Prize at State

WAITSBURG - Nine­teen members of the Waits­burg High School FFA Chapter competed at the state level at the 84th Wash­ington FFA Convention in Spokane on May 15-17. Several teams and indi­viduals won awards and the Chapter walked away with a $5,000 check for placing first in the "Nutrients for Life Helping Communities Grow" competition.

FFA members participat­ing in the state competition were: Emily Adams, Cait­lyn Jones, Zion Branson, Beka Adams, Mikala De­Ruwe, Kassidy Kuykendall, Devin Newman, Kimmie Hamann, Kendra Roberts, Heidi Miller, Katie Bry­ant, Brandon Penner, Mark Montgomery, Tristan New­man, Tyler Brooks, Timber Frohreich, Trenton Kitsel­man, Jared Farley, Luke Alexenko, Devin Acev­edo and FFA Advisor Nicole Abel. Dwight Penner, Lanny Adams and Vickie Hamann attended as chaperones and Melissa Ney, Becky Harsh­man and Lanny Adams served as judges.

Waitsburg's Chapter won first place - out of 23 proj­ects completed in the state - in the Nutrients for Life Helping Communities Grow competition. FFA Vice President Kimmie Hamann learned of the competition at the 2013 State Conven­tion and worked with fellow chapter members to organize an event in Waitsburg. Mem­bers taught 7th and 8th grade students about soil nutrients, which included a field day in Perry Dozier's field, hosted by the McGregor Company. Students took soil samples, analyzed results and evalu­ated fertilizer inputs needed for various crops. The chap­ter received $500 from the Nutrients for Life Founda­tion for successfully com­pleting the project. They also walked away with the first prize check of $5,000.

"I think the rest of the members saw what a little ambition and follow-through can get you," said Abel."I will definitely support this activity if the members want to work on a project again next year." Abel said the chapter will form a commit­tee to propose how to spend the funds and the chapter will vote.

Luke Alexenko, Trenton Kitselman, Devin Acev­edo and Mikala DeRuwe all earned State Degrees. The State FFA Degree is given to the top members of the State FFA Association. To receive a State Degree, members must complete an extensive checklist of items in the areas of education and academics, agricultural experience, leadership, par­ticipation and community service.

Kendra Roberts served as Chapter Delegate which includes voting on State Of­ficers and discussing issues presented at the state level. She also submitted the Chap­ter scrapbook. Heidi Miller received the Gold Grain Pro­duction Proficiency Award , winning $100, and Kimmie Hamann earned the Bronze Sheep Production Profi­ciency Award.

Teams participated in the following competitions:

Agricultural Marketing (placed 10th): Emily Adams, Caitlyn Jones, Zion Branson

Veterinary Science (placed 12th): Beka Adams, Mikala DeRuwe, Kassidy Kuykendall, Devin Newman

Parliamentary Procedure: Beka Adams, Kimmie Ha­mann, Mikala DeRuwe, Kendra Roberts, Caitlyn Jones, Heidi Miller

Food Science and Tech­nology: Kimmie Hamann, Katie Bryant, Brandon Penner, Zion Branson, Mark Montgomery

Prepared Public Speak­ing: Mikala DeRuwe

Meat Evaluation: Tristan Newman, Tyler Brooks, Timber Frohreich, Trenton Kitselman, Jared Farley

Senior Kendra Roberts - a four-year FFA Mem­ber and three-time State Conference veteran - said this year's convention was the perfect end to her FFA career. "Everyone was so surprised at the Nutrients for Life Foundation win - it was so awesome! The delegates get to sit closest to the stage so I was right there to see Kimmie receive the award. It was an awesome experi­ence."