Nevada FFA reports equipment sales, fundraisers and student trips as year ends

Nevada FFA advisor Mr. Cooper told the Nevada Community School District Board of Education on Dec. 16 that the chapter finished the year with multiple student activities, equipment sales and fundraisers that will support student travel and programming.

The presentation summarized recent activities — from county and state fair participation to an Ag Day for seventh graders, farm test-plot results, equipment and fruit sales, and FFA member attendance at state and national conferences — and emphasized the program—s hands-on learning opportunities for students.

Mr. Cooper described a range of recent events that involved students: field trips to Upchurch Feedlot and Iowa Central Community College; participation in soils judging; and the Discovery Ag welding lab that meets on Saturday mornings. He said 12 members attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, where students toured a dairy creamery and a bioprocessing research lab and attended leadership sessions.

Student speakers highlighted specific outcomes. Lily Anderson told the board the chapter took teams to an Iowa Central soils judging event and sent members to introductory FFA leadership conferences. Emily Kelly reported on the chapter—s mum sales and pumpkins fundraiser, saying the mums sold quickly and that pumpkin donations were harvested and donated by Jensen Farms. Reid Kelly described attending an Ignite leadership conference that focused on leadership, teamwork and social skills.

Mr. Cooper gave financial and program figures from the year: about $15,140 in crop input costs and roughly $30,000 in grain value on the test plots; equipment sales of roughly $20,000; gross fruit sales of about $28,000 with an estimated profit near $8,000; and a pumpkin fundraiser that yielded about $2,000 profit. He also said the chapter received a $500 donation from Veil Bank to buy tools for the shop.

The presentation included program logistics and plans: additional land for 2025 estimated at 18–20 acres, plans to no-till soybeans on new ground next spring to limit erosion, and continued collaboration with Story County Conservation for prairie seeding. Mr. Cooper said one field triggered a crop-insurance payment of $745 after an area yielded below expectations.

Board members and attendees thanked the students for their work and for hosting Ag Day, which Mr. Cooper said included seven rotational sessions, a keynote from Bill Kauser of the Global Farming Network, demonstrations from an Iowa State Water Rocks program, a DMACC vet-tech session, and a lunch prepared by the Story County Pork Producers.

The board did not take formal action on the presentation; the item was informational and the district will bring other items back when applicable.

The board meeting continued with unrelated agenda items after the FFA report.