Atwater FFA Students Compete in State Skills Competition

By: Jacky Velazquez, Atwater FFA

Forty-one Atwater High School agriculture staff and students joined nearly 2000 high school students representing over 100 high schools throughout central and northern California at the Arbuckle FFA Field Day and the Merced College Parliamentary Procedure Invitational contest on February 4th. The FFA Field Day competitions mark the beginning of the FFA judging season where thousands of students throughout California compete in various Career Development Event (CDE) agriculture-related skill contests.

The Atwater FFA Small Engines team placed 3rd overall. Aden Hansard (4th overall), Abdiel Ramirez (7th overall), and Santiago Avila participated in the contest that focuses on industry related skills associated with engine theory, problem solving, technical skills, identification and team troubleshooting.

The Atwater FFA Veterinary Science team placed 4th overall. Zoe Jolly (7th overall), Guadalupe Millan, Jasmine Monge, Maricela Perez, Roxana Alavarez, Jamileth Guillen, Maritza Vargas, and Lupita Valenzuela participated in the contest that seeks to effectively prepare the students for the expectations of the animal health care and services (Veterinary Hospitals/ Clinics, Grooming Facilities, Pet Stores, Kennels/Boarding Facilities, and Feed Stores) workplace. Students participate in identification and general veterinary tests and “hands-on” practicums based on real-world scenarios.

The Vegetable Crops team placed 4th overall and consisted of Sebastian Parra, Liliana Aquino, Nicole DeLeon, and Dariana Torres. The contest involves gaining knowledge and skills in the vegetable crop industry through the demonstration of skills and proficiencies associated with the vegetable crop industry.

The Atwater FFA Milks Quality and Dairy Foods team of Brianna Duran (1st overall), Allison Brewer (2nd overall), and Danica Christofferson competed individually with a strong finish overall in a contest where students demonstrate their knowledge and skills in milk quality (tasting), cheese identification, real vs imitation dairy foods, and a written exam on the dairy industry.

The Atwater FFA Ag Mechanics team had a good showing as they demonstrated their plumbing, problem solving, electrical, Arc welding, tool identification, and a written exam on all aspects of agriculture mechanics. “This contest is all about ‘hands-on’ application of skills,” said coach and FFA advisor Sam Meredith, “We look forward to the opportunity to continue developing our skills and competing against other highly skilled individuals and teams throughout the upcoming contests.” Members of the Ag Mechanics team Marcos Padilla, Adrian Silva, and Jose Barreto, and Cain Sanchez.

The Atwater High School FFA Advance and Novice Parliamentary Procedure team competed at the Merced College Parliamentary Procedure Invitational. The advanced team placed 3rd overall with a team comprised of Allison Garner, Kendall Borba, Alexa Bracamontes, Alany Guzman, Bryce Nickerson, Josh Medeiros, Sydney Nickelson, Katrina Andujar, Hailey Herforth, and Ella Boyenga. The Atwater FFA Novice Parliamentary Procedure team comprised of Gizeelle Avila, Grant Williamson, Hailey Azevedo, Hallie Billings, Isabella Silva, Katelyn Medeiros, Pasily Garcia, and Kayleigh Trindade. The purpose of this contest is to encourage students to learn to effectively participate in a business meeting and to assist in the development of their leadership skills. Nineteen schools throughout California competed at the event.

This was the first primary contest of the year for most of the FFA Career Development Events (CDE’s) throughout the state of California. The primary judging season continues February 11th at at CSU Chico followed by UC Davis, Merced College, Modesto Junior College, West Hills College, Reedley College, Fresno State University, and the 2023 FFA State Finals at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo on May 6th. The contests are developed for all California high school agriculture students where they are challenged to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a variety of agriculture pathways and industry.

For more information on the Atwater High School Agriculture Department and Atwater FFA, please log on the website www.AtwaterFFA.org .