FFA attends convention

COLUMBUS — On May 1-2, the South Central FFA Chapter attended the 97th Ohio State FFA Convention. At the First General Session, Diton Farnsworth, Landon Gamble, Landon Koch and Savannah Morrison of the South Central FFA Chapter accepted an apprenticeship into the Rise Program at Sunrise Cooperative through the Ohio FFA Works Program and Bryan Chaffee accepted the Charitable Giving Award presented to the South Central FFA Chapter for the committing to over $1,000 back into our community through local projects. At the Second General Session, Jaleigh Riddle and Alivia Walcher accepted the Gold Medal Chapter Award on behalf of the officer team for being in the top 10% of chapters in the state of Ohio for the National Chapter Award and our application will be forwarded on the national level. The students listened to motivational speaker John Beede who has climbed the tallest mountain on all seven continents, whose message was that anything is possible as long as you climb on and having 10 seconds of courage. In the last part of the session, Isabella Lucha earned third place in the State for the Accounting Proficiency Award for keeping accurate records in all of her projects. In the Third General Session, the students listened to the National FFA Secretary, Luke Jennings, speak about opportunities in FFA and how it can influence you. Afterwards, Isabella Lucha earned third place in the State for the Poultry Proficiency Award for her projects in production hens, market broilers and breeding program for the Red Shouldered Yokohama, an endangered chicken on the Livestock Conservatory list. On May 2, the South Central FFA chapter started the morning by receiving Officer's Awards for achieving a Gold Rating. The officers that received the Gold Rating were Secretaries Abby Fannin and Lauren Ingram, Treasurers Riley Major and Kaili Ingram, and Reporters Grace Rhode and Jayla Tolliver. At the fifth and final session of the Ohio State FFA Convention, nine South Central FFA members earned and received their State FFA Degrees, an honor that less than 2% of FFA members in the state achieve. The members earning their State FFA Degrees were: Bryan Chaffee, son of Benjamin and Jodi Chaffee of North Fairfield; Jake Coy, son of Eddie and Melissa Coy of North Fairfield; Abygail Fannin, daughter of Randy and Jaimee Fannin of North Fairfield; Isabella Kimberlin, daughter of BJ and Jenn Kimberlin of Greenwich; Isabella Lucha, daughter of Tom and Sarah Lucha of North Fairfield; Grace Rhode, daughter of Blake and Carissa Rhode of Greenwich; Jaleigh Riddle, daughter of Jason and Jera Riddle; Jenna Shepherd, daughter of Amanda Cooper of Willard and Brian Shepherd of North Fairfield; and Ethan Webb, son of Billy and Erin Webb of North Fairfield. Other activities the students participated in during their two days in Columbus was to tour The Ohio State University, check out German Village and its shops, go bowling in Hilliard and to attend the Career Show and Trade Show where they could check out colleges, see other FFA member achievements and purchase agricultural related merchandise.