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Hagerstown FFA students brief Nettle Creek board on competitions, community service and skills programs
Summary
Students from Hagerstown FFA outlined upcoming FFA Week events, described Supervised Agricultural Experience projects that qualify them for district, state and national contests, and reported outreach and grant-funded conservation-day activities reaching roughly 666 children.
At a Nettle Creek School Corporation board meeting, students from Hagerstown FFA told trustees about this month’s FFA Week activities and showcased the chapter’s career-focused programs, competitions and community outreach.
Superintendent (title used in meeting) introduced the group and students listed events planned for the week of the 22nd, including a game night, bowling, a farmer’s breakfast that will feature an alumni panel (identified as Darren Baker and Dr. Andy Her) and district volleyball. Students said they are also running a weeklong drive to collect supplies for a local animal shelter.
Several students described their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects and how they feed into competitive pathways. One senior said his SAE is sheep production placement and estimated logging “close to 450 hours” during his senior year. Another described a pig entrepreneurship SAE that grew an initial breeding herd from two animals to about 75.
Students explained the differences between district, state and national contests and the separate STAR-style application process used for some awards: "the STAR application is based off records and essays," one student said, and the chapter served as a pilot group for the form this year.
The group also reported on career-technical contests: welding teams attended district events (two advanced teams and two beginner teams submitted work to be judged from blueprints and by safety and workmanship standards) and a meats-judging team prepared for a contest at Purdue focused on carcass grading, retail identification, an industry quiz and meat formulation. Students explained how graders use rib cartilage and meat color to estimate age and how KPH (kidney, pelvic and heart fat) factors into yield and quality scores.
The chapter said it received a $300 grant to support Conservation Days last November, and estimated that about 666 children attended the two-day outreach event. Students described rotating stations that included a veterinary station (hands-on activities for children), a heart-rate station using stethoscopes and a medication-dosing weight exercise.
Board members praised the FFA program and the students’ leaders and advisors. The students invited trustees to their annual banquet on April 10; they provided Emily Schaper as the contact for invitations.
The board’s superintendent noted the FFA program’s role in career exploration and soft-skill development for students across the district. The board session moved on after trustees and staff thanked the students for their presentation.
