Tractor drive-in, hog roast cap Caston FFA Week

From a petting zoo, skating party and appreciation breakfast to a tractor drive-in, cornhole tournament and huge hog roast, FFA Week at Caston High School is packed full of activities meant to highlight the value and fun of membership in the national youth organization.

Student organizers put their all into planning and hosting the events, dedicating many early mornings and late evenings to the effort and staying on the run throughout the week.

“At the end of the week,” said 17-year-old senior Mackenzi Roudebush, president of the Caston FFA chapter, “I go home and crash.”

The school week starts Monday, Feb. 20, with a day off for Presidents Day and a skating party at Logansport Skate World & Fun Center. The Caston group invites other area FFA chapters from Pioneer, Lewis Cass, Rochester and Logansport to join in the fun.

A petting zoo is the featured event Tuesday, drawing in children from across the school and even some community members to touch a piglet, chicken or lamb.

Teachers and staff are honored with an appreciation breakfast on Wednesday. A new event has been added that day — a workshop titled “What is FFA?” — to explain to youngsters what the group offers.

Thursday sees the annual chapter luncheon and cornhole tournament.

Friday caps the week, starting with a tractor drivein when between 20 and 30 FFA students actually drive farm tractors to school. “Pulling into the school, seeing your friends and comparing tractors,” noted FFA member Pete DuVall, a junior, “is such an experience.”

Friday culminates with the always popular hog roast. This year, the FFA will be roasting five donated hogs and serving up hundreds of meals at the school and for carryout, for a freewill donation.

The entire school seems to look forward to that hog roast and FFA Week in general, said Kinzie Mollenkopf, a 17-year-old senior who serves as FFA student advisor.

Each day of the week also features a themed dress-up day, such as “Country vs. City,” “Adam Sandler” and “Pajama Day.” On Friday, high school chapter members wear their official FFA attire, which includes a dark blue zippered jacket, collared white shirt, FFA tie or scarf, black skirt or trousers and black dress shoes. Junior high members wear their chapter T-shirts, and non-FFA members wear official FFA colors of blue and corn gold.

FFA is a national organization established in 1928 as Future Farmers of America. It later adopted FFA as its of- ficial name to welcome anyone who might find value in the leadership skills the group promotes through agricultural education and competition. Public school FFA chapters like Caston’s are the heart of the national organization. FFA Week is the highlight of each local chapter’s school year.

On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being very important, how would students rate the importance of FFA Week? Mollenkopf doesn’t hesitate. “It’s a 10,” she said. “Maybe an 11.”