Nevada R‑V students brief board on internships, World Food Prize, state fair and test plots

Members of the Nevada R‑V FFA addressed the board on Sept. 15 to report recent student activities and program work, including a student research internship in Kenya, state fair responsibilities, a seventh-grade Ag Day, supervised agricultural experience projects and district test plots.

Gavin Eglin told the board he participated in the World Food Prize process, attended the Iowa Youth Institute and the Global Youth Institute, and was selected for an international internship at the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. “I was lucky enough to be placed at the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, where I spent eight weeks researching alongside doctor Calvin Chikuku, a senior economist there,” Eglin said. He said his work focused on implementing index-based livestock insurance to make it more affordable and accessible for rural farmers.

Two students, Mackenzie Olsen and Abby Elwoody, described a leadership conference in Washington, D.C., that included group projects students plan to bring back to the local community. Jaden Graham, identified in the meeting as FFA president, outlined Ag Day for seventh-graders, listing sessions on drone technology, veterinary tech, food technology, conservation and agricultural safety; he said the program includes hands-on sessions and T-shirts for students.

Other students reported state fair involvement. One student said six Nevada members served as ushers and performed grandstand responsibilities, assisted in the Livestock Pavilion and helped run events; students also described scholarship opportunities and volunteer work at the fair.

FFA advisor and presenters described on-site agricultural test plots: nearly 72 acres of test plots were being harvested as the corn dried down. The presenter reported cash inputs on the FFA test plots of “just under $21,000” and a crop-insured indemnity value of $44,005.28. The group also said Iowa State University faculty and students had collaborated with the program, including entomology assistance to collect and catalog pollinators for classroom use.

Board members asked questions about the use of drone technology for fungicide application and whether the district’s welding program has been affected by an instructor shortage. An advisor said drones were used in specific fields to reach hard spots and described the technology as “noninvasive” to crops. On the welding program, an advisor said the fall instructor shortage prevented some offerings; he said the lab space remains in use for classes and that the program may return in the spring if an instructor is hired.

Board members thanked the students and noted the FFA’s ongoing collaborations with Iowa State and community partners. The presentations were informational; no formal board action was requested or taken on the program items during the meeting.