FFA & 4H June 2022

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A SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TURLOCKJOURNAL.COM

CERESCOURIER.COM

JUNE 2022

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FFA & 4-H

C O N T E N T S PITMAN HIGH FFA.........................................................4 TURLOCK HIGH FFA.......................................................8 HORSIN’ AROUND......................................................12 DENAIR GARDEN GROWING.......................................13 HEAD, HEART, HANDS AND HEALTH..............................14 PUBLISHER/OWNER

HANK VANDER VEEN

EDITOR

KRISTINA HACKER

DESIGN

SHARON HOFFMAN

WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY

KRISTINA HACKER

Proud supporter of our local FFA

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT SPECIAL SECTION CONTACT THE ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT AT (209) 634-9141.

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JUNE 2022

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FFA & 4-H

Pitman FFA gets back into the The past academic year provided multiple opportunities for Pitman High students to find success in various areas in the FFA, according to Pitman agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Kiley Gravatt.

“Members got to show dedication, participation, passion and commitment to the FFA and their particular areas of interest through class, projects, SAEs (supervised agricultural experiences), and meeting new members since being back on campus,” said Gravatt.

“This year Pitman FFA finally got to experience all the fun post COVID. Students are active members and ready to participate in anything Pitman FFA has to offer. It has been fun seeing the students really dive into agriculture and getting to experience it daily in the classroom, on the farm, or out on field trips. We can’t wait to see what next year has to offer.”

Here are a few highlights of Pitman FFA’s 2021-22 year: ● 8 State FFA degree recipients ● 1 American degree candidate ● Pitman FFA Livestock Show Team of 35 students (beef, dairy, sheep, goats, swine, and rabbits) ● CTE Pathway completers: Students completed a pathway or multiple pathways in the areas of animal science, ag mechanics, horticulture and ag

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science. Students must complete three consecutive courses in the same pathway (three years).

Two FFA members were selected to speak at

graduation — Bella Kern and Tia Brautigam 100 students earned their greenhand degree and 70 earned their chapter degree Members attended MFE/ALA (Made for Excellence and Advance Leadership Academy) Students learned what they can bring back to their FFA chapters for meetings ideas, more inclusive of all members, how to step up as a leader, and what they can do for their program.

embers attended the State Convention M 20 students got to experience FFA on a huge platform for a four-day event. Students heard keynote speakers, award presentations, exploration of careers and trades, leadership workshops where students got to participate all week in. Students really got to see all that FFA has to offer and the potential the program has. embers attended LDE M (Leadership Development Event) A handful of students have participated in job

interview, prepared speaking, FFA Creed, BIG, and Opening and Closing. Students in these competitions work on their public speaking and presentation skills in a variety of the areas listed above.

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embers attended CDE M (Career Development Event) Students compete in teams of four in the following competitions: Vet Science, Vegetable Crop Judging, Floral Design, AET Recordbook, and Welding. These students practice tool identification, plant identification, floral construction, welding, judging/reasons which involve placing classes from best to work of vegetables or flowers, and finances and record keeping.

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onthly meetings offered to all members in the M program.

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onthly community service events including: M

Cards for the elderly, donations for the animal shelter, school supply donations, elementary garden clean up, etc.

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TURLOCK IRRIGATION DISTRICT

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Pitman High FFA 2022-23 newly elected officer team: Olivia Cunha, president; Melissa Mendes, vice president; Angelo Machado, secretary; Gustavo Burgos, treasurer; Madeline Iwasyk, reporter; and Elijah Caine, sentinel.

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TURLOCK HIGH FFA YEAR IN REVIEW Conferences: ● Greenhand Conference (freshman only) - 40 students ● Made for Excellence (10th-12th grade) - 18 students ● Advanced Leadership Academy (11th & 12th grade) - 22 students ● Spring Regional Meeting (Delegates to vote on new officers) 4 students ● State Leadership Conference 43 students ● National Convention 2021 1 student ● Planning 2022 group trip approximately 30 students, Indianapolis, IN Awards/Degrees: ● State FFA Degree - 23 students Jon Chapman George Gioletti Noah Fernandes Amelia Bettencourt Gianna Gutierrez Megan Wong Kimberly Huerta Jenna Hernandez Elena Arguello Gabriela Franco Lexy Lockmiller Daniel Sanchez Kevin Lizarraga Kodi Nairn Rafael Sanchez Hayley Thompson Teresa Sousa James Kiehn Cole Ingersoll Natalia Lightfoot Nicholas Salcedo Madison Mendes Madison Blount ●

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merican FFA Degree A 11 students roficiency Award P 2 students

Cameron Crutcher Reyna Lopez Daisy Salazar Llanie Hanshew Megan Wong Blake Alexander Nansi Malekyazdaq

Leadership/Career Development Events: ● Opening & Closing Public Speaking 42 students ● Creed Speaking 6 students ● Impromptu Speaking 3 students ● Extemporaneous Speaking 1 student ● Prepared Speaking 1 student ● Job Interview 6 students ● Best Informed Greenhand Contest - 8 students ● Cooperative Marketing 5 students ● Floral Judging - 6 students ● Dairy Cattle Judging 4 students ● Livestock Judging - 4 students ● Ag Mechanics - 6 students, (Logan Ladd 5th High Individual in the State) ● Vine Pruning 6 students ● Horse Judging 2 students ● Veterinary Science 4 students ● Farm Power 7 students ● Vegetable Crop Judging 6 students, (5th High Team in the State) ● Agriscience Research 4 students

Ag Wood Alexis Narsa

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Ag Welding Justin Avila Anthony Gutierrez Rafael Sanchez

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Ornamental Horticulture Elena Arguello Emily Salazar Kodi Nairn Mikaela Harris Ignacio Vasquez

OUR DOG IS MISSING.

NEW

FARM FAMILY FARM BUREAU MEMBERSHIP Share

athway Completers: (taking 3 or 4 P courses in an agriculture pathway) ● Agriscience Jenna Hernandez Kimberly Huerta Lexy Lockmiller Madi Mendes Gabriella Franco Cailyn Estacio Hadynn McCormick Edith Mercado Daisy Salazar Jenna Hernandez JUNE 2022

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2022 Stanislaus County Fair ● Horse 1 student ● Dairy 23 students ● Sheep 2 students ● Swine 21 students ● Goats 26 students ● Beef 4 students ● Poultry 5 students ● Rabbits 4 students ● Plants, Vegetables, Floral 25 students ● Ag Mechanics – 98 students

Your

Legacy

This membership is designed for family farms and companies. We hope that this will be a simple way for you to give Farm Bureau Memberships to family members or employees. Membership includes benefits that support your business.

Benefits FREE 1 hour training consultation

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California Bountiful Subscription

2 tickets to an event of your choice

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include:

FFA & 4-H

And MORE!

Interested?

Contact Abi Fair at 209-522-7278

Meet Amelia Bettencourt, incoming Turlock High and Tri-Rivers FFA Section President Amelia Bettencourt is an incoming senior at Turlock High School. Her hobbies have always revolved around agriculture. She started with 4-H and then transitioned into FFA when she entered high school. During her time at Turlock High, she also played soccer but eventually gave up the sport so she could focus more time on her FFA activities.

Q. What positions have you held at Turlock FFA? A. This past year I served two semesters as the Turlock FFA reporter. In May I was elected to be the 2022/23 Turlock FFA President.

In April I was elected to be the 2022/23 Tri Rivers Section FFA President. The Tri Rivers Section consists of 10 local FFA chapters.

Q. What do you like about being involved in FFA? A. My favorite thing about being a member of Turlock FFA is my Vegetable Crop Judging team. I have enjoyed learning

about food production with my teammates over the past three years. We were 5th in the state this year! On a broader scale, I enjoy the community that FFA has given me and the skills that it has taught me. FFA has created a place for students at Turlock High School to grow with the support of our advisors. We have opportunities to expand our FFA community when we go on trips to meet other FFA members

and veterinary science. This is just a fraction of the teams available. Students are able to find a team that suits their individual agriculture interests and use that team to expand their knowledge of the ag industry. These teams spend the spring time traveling to different agricultural colleges (Chico, Davis, Cal Poly, etc.) to compete. I believe this program is so valuable because the wide variety of options allows for students to experience the wide scope of the ag industry.

I am also proud of Turlock FFA’s connection to the community. Turlock FFA members are constantly met by support from the community. We receive opportunities such as job shadowing, buyers for our Fair market animal projects, and support on our fundraisers. We are continuously grateful for

Q. What programs at Turlock FFA are you most proud of ?

A. I am proud of the competition opportunities that are provided by Turlock FFA. Turlock FFA is home to many agricultural based competition teams. Some examples include the floral team, vegetable crop judging, dairy judging, agriculture mechanics,

the generosity from the community towards Turlock FFA. One more important thing to mention about Turlock FFA is the wide variety of agriculture classes that are offered at Turlock High. These classes range from agriculture science, to welding and woodshop, to floral and horticulture. The agricultural class pathways prepare students to enter a career in the ag industry. Many of these classes are even articulated with MJC, allowing students to earn college credit for their work during high school.

Q. What are your future educational and/or career goals?

A. I plan to attend a four-year university after high school. This year as I apply to colleges, my focus will be on agricultural colleges in California. Although I am not sure where exactly my place is in the ag industry, I know that I am interested in agricultural business.

I am excited for the chance to expand my agricultural knowledge after high school.

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FFA & 4-H

209-669-4510

High Point champion

Turlock teen wins big at Fair horse events

BY KRISTINA HACKER

Turlock High FFA’s Betsy Theis is a regular on the high school rodeo circuit, but she decided to try her hand at horse showmanship this year at the Stanislaus County Fair and brought home a bevy of blue ribbons, along with the two High Point category awards.

An incoming Turlock High sophomore, Theis placed first in all the Western classes (5) and Gymkhana classes (6) she competed in and placed second in Horse Showmanship. Theis’ excellence also earned her the High Point Western Champion and High Point Gymkhana Champion awards.

Theis said she was “super surprised” at her success at the Fair because this was the first time she has competed in pleasure, equitation and showmanship events. She isn’t new to the horse life, however.

“I’ve been riding since I was a little,

little kid and competing,” Theis said.

While she knows her way around a barrel and a rope, being judged on how well she could control both her own body and her horse was a new experience.

Theis and her 10-year-old Quarter Horse, Buttermilk, impressed the judges. “[Buttermilk] got lots of compliments,” Theis said about her mild-mannered roping horse.

Theis and Buttermilk will now take their newfound skills to the California State Fair July 9-10.

She hopes that her success will spur on other horse lovers in the county to come out and compete at next year’s Stanislaus County Fair.

“We need more horse competitors.

Horse events are struggling in Stanislaus County. We need to bring it back. I know so many rodeo people who have the ability to come out and compete in showmanship,” Theis said.

July 8-17 2022

Supporting our 4H and FFA for over 100 years!

Photo contributed

Turlock FFA member Betsy Theis and Buttermilk brought home 11 first place ribbons, one second place ribbon and two High Point champion awards at the 2022 Stanislaus County Fair.

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Farm to fork in Denair

BY KRISTINA HACKER

It started with a vision that Denair High agriculture teacher Holli Jacobsen had for turning a dusty patch of ground into a one-acre garden that could produce enough food to supplement students’ lunches, while playing a hands-on instructional role for classes.

A $20,000 grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture in 2021 got the ball rolling and over the past year progress has been made in getting the garden up and running. Last summer, students built the garden beds. A few tomato plants have been planted, but there is still more work to be done, said Jacobsen. She has 100 variety of seeds in her classroom ready to be planted when the garden is ready.

The upcoming school year will see more students taking an active role in the garden as a new Career Technical Education pathway was created that includes a biology – soil science – farm to fork course.

“I’m hoping to be to the point that all our garden beds are full with produce and be able to produce throughout the year,” said Jacobsen.

She’d also like to see an eventual pumpkin patch be planted for Denair FFA to use for fundraisers.

In the meantime, Jacobsen has hosted open community volunteer hours at the garden from 8 a.m. to noon throughout the summer. For more information about the garden or how to help, contact Jacobsen at 209-595-9175 or hjacobsen@dusd.k12.ca.us.

Photos contributed

Denair High received a CDFA Farm to Fork grant in 2021 to create a community garden.

The next to the community garden is the Denair High farm, which includes two sustainability pigs. The pigs eat dehydrated scraps of food leftover from school lunches and the garden uses the pigs’ feces for compost.

The Denair High farm has eight breeding goats, whose offspring are available for students to purchase as livestock animals for the county fair, and farm dog named Jake who keeps them safe from predators.

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FFA & 4-H

4-H: Head, Heart , Hands and Health

4‑H is delivered by Cooperative Extension—a community of more than 100 public universities across the nation that provides experiences where young people learn by doing. Kids complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and citizenship, in a positive environment where they receive guidance from adult mentors and are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles. Kids experience 4‑H in every county and parish in the country—through in-school and afterschool programs, school and community clubs and 4‑H camps.

The Stanislaus County 4-H program is operated by the University of California Cooperative Extension. Information on local clubs can be found at: http://ucanr.edu/sites/Stanislaus4-H/

I pledge my head to clearer thinking, My heart to greater loyalty, My hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.

— 4‑H Pledge

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FFA & 4-H

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FFA & 4-H

HELP US

PREVENT MOSQUITOES!

Call the District for Mosquitofish used in

WATER TROUGHS, NEGLECTED POOLS AND WATER FEATURES.

Yellow Fever Mosquito

REPORT TO THE DISTRICT: • Large amounts of mosquitoes • Report neglected swimming pools • Daytime biting mosquitoes around the home • Dump and Drain any Standing Water Asian Tiger Mosquito

• When outdoors, use EPA registered repellents like DEET, Picaridin or IR3535 • Make sure windows and doors have tight fitting screens

Call (209) 634-1234

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visit us at www.turlockmosquito.org to report mosquitoes or for more information.

JUNE 2022 16

FFA & 4-H