Local Williams County - Fulton County Schools Celebrate FFA Week

A Salute To Our Local Williams & Fulton County FFA Chapters

NATIONAL

FFA WEEK

Reporter

www.thevillagereporter.com

February 17 – 24, 2024

Archbold • Delta • Edgerton • Edon • Evergreen • Fayette Four County • Hilltop • North Central • Pettisville • Stryker • Wauseon

Fulton County 2024 Dairy Ambassador & Scholarship Applications Available Do you have a dairy farm background, work on a dairy farm or have you taken a Junior Fair Dairy Project at the Fulton County Fair?

Would you enjoy the opportunity to develop speaking and leadership

skills, meet new people and learn more about the dairy industry? If so, you will want to apply for the 2024 Fulton County Dairy Ambassador.

The applicant, male or female, must be sin-

gle and 16 years of age and not older than 21 as of January 1, 2024.

The Dairy Ambassador will receive a cash award of $250, a onetime $1000 scholarship toward a second year of college and will have an exciting and rewarding year promoting and representing the dairy industry.

The Dairy Ambassador will be asked to participate at various functions including the June Dairy Ice Cream Social and the Dairy Show on Labor Day at the Fulton County Fair.

There are also op-

portunities to promote dairy at local festivals and parades. The Dairy Ambassador will also write and record a radio spot for the local radio station(s) for June Dairy Month as well as be available for media interviews.

Applications for the 2024 Dairy Ambassador can be downloaded at the Fulton County Extension blog/website or picked up at the Fulton County Extension Office at 8770 State Route 108, Suite A, Wauseon, OH 43567 or call 419337-9210.

Completed appli-

cations should be returned to the Fulton County Extension Office and postmarked no later than March 21, 2024.

Applicants will be interview judged and will be required to give a short speech at least 3 minutes in length on “Why I Would Like to Promote the Dairy Industry” at the Dairy Association board meeting on April 4, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. at the Extension Office, Wauseon, OH. The Fulton County Dairy Association provides (1) $1,000 (minimum) scholarship to graduates of a Fulton

County School who have been active in a Fulton County youth activity.

Students must at least be in their second year of college majoring in dairy science, food technology, family and consumer sciences, agricultural education or communications, veterinary medicine, or an agricultural related field.

Youth must fill out a Dairy Association Scholarship application, (available online which is to be sent to the Fulton County OSU Extension Office by April 30, 2024.

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Four County FFA Four County Career Center Celebrates FFA Week

Members of the Four County Career Center FFA Chapter are enthusiastically observing National FFA Week, engaging in various activities throughout the week. The FFA Officers are scheduled to visit the OSU Extension offices within the fourcounty region.

Additionally, FFA members are organizing contests between different career and technical programs, showcasing their skills and talents.

To express gratitude and recognition, the FFA Officers will be sponsoring a Staff Appreciation Day for all staff members at the Career Center. The FFA members are also gearing up to participate in FFA District contests, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their abilities and compete at a district level. The collective spirit of the FFA Chapter is exemplified by the participation of over 145 students, all

proudly displaying their FFA school spirit.

Officers of the 20232024 FFA Chapter include (FRONT - LEFT TO RIGHT) President - Olivia Joyner (Hicksville) Veterinarian Assistant; Vice President - Keara Lantz (Defiance) Veterinarian Assistant; Secretary - Emilee Treace (Fairview) Veterinarian Assistant; Treasurer - Kansas Barcia (Montpelier) Floral Design; (BACK - LEFT TO RIGHT) Reporter Mikhaela Long (Napoleon) Veterinarian Assistant; Student Advisor - Ben Boger (Pettisville) Powersports; and Sentinel - Clayton Dulle (Edon) Agriculture/Diesel Mechanics. Career Center Advisors include Jason Elston, Agricultural Diesel Mechanics; Eric Hite, Environmental Horticulture; Florence Luzny, Floral Design; Denton Blue, Diesel Mechanics; Larry Soles, Powersports; and Stephanie Pippin, Veterinarian Assistant.

Four County Career Center FFA Members

Agricultural Diesel Mechanics: Jason Elson, Instructor, Leo Ankney, Kole Boettger, Matthew Cox, Toby Croninger, Caden Damman, Jay Dockery, Clayton Dulle, Storm Goebel, Mason Good, Trevor Haury, Devyn Helmke, Nathaniel Henderson, Nicklas Hoshock, Robert Lamb, Jr., Aiden Lamb, Garrett Macke, Bryce Meyers, Raif Peffley, Zachary Puehler, Anthony Punches, Max Radabaugh, Xander Rasey, Lance Reitzel, Albert Richard, Jordan Rodriguez, Brendan Saylor, Rowan Snyder, Logan Speiser, Thaniel Torres, Hunter Trumbuss, Richard Villarreal, Braden Vonalt, Tyler York.

Diesel Mechanics: Denton Blue, Instructor, Alyssa Athy, Keaston Bertolet, Dakota Brandeberry, Xander Brown, Braydon Gibson, Kaden Goebel, Dominick Humes, Ethan Hurtt, Serenity Johnson, Lane Maassel, Caleb Mar-

tin, Hayden Meyer, Alex Miller, Braxton Milliman, Kohen Nofziger, Zeek Oehler, Marshall Panning, Logan Peebles, Ashwhyn Petersen, David Piasecki, Ricky Riffe, Jacob Russell, Landon Smith, Austin Sonnenberg, Donovan Towers, Nicholas Wisecup, Makayla Young.

Environmental Horticulture: Eric Hite, Instructor, Kyla Adkins, Ivan Applin, Hunter Baskin, Bree Cowell, Michael Crawford, Larz Drees, Max Jones-Taylor, Zane MengerinkLather, Natasha Perez, Bryce Raynor, Caleb Rosebrook, Ashton Salazar, Marcelino Sanchez, Jr., Jared Schelling, Ashlee Spade, Dakota West.

Floral Design: Florence Luzny, Instructor, Lili Ash, Kansas Barcia, Madison Elston, Halee Ivy, Oliver Jones, Dottie Lupien-Brown, Macy Nutter, Haley Polaski, Trenitie Ream, Logan

Riegsecker, Shannon Schulte, Ezra Wilson.

Powersports: Larry Soles, Instructor, Benjamin Boger, Alexander Bolaney, Weldon Buehrer, Leah Delgado, Gage Egner, Michael Geiger, Braeden Hancock, Deven Huffman, Parker Kelley, Nick Kruzel, Damien Kryder, Logan LaGreca, Ayden Moser, Brian Oliphant, Theodore Ripke, Elijah Rose, Zander Runkel, Brody Terry, Mason Vitek, Evan Walters.

Veterinarian Assistant: Stephanie Pippin, Instructor, Gen Brown, Braydon Buchanan, Carmine Castaneda,

Brianna Collins, Isabelle Croninger, Allison Cuffle, Danika Cunningham, Makayla Davis, Tauren Davis, Raevyn Dixon, Jordan Durbin, Maryn Findling, Karsyn Gillen, Kamryn Halsell, Rebekah Harley, Lyla Hogrefe, Olivia Joyner, Jackson Keiser, Keara Lantz, Mikhaela Long, David Mancer, Alexa Massie, Danica Mastin, Ellie Merillat, Grace Meyer, Rylie Roberts, Alexandria Rupp, Trisha Rupp, Kara Schnitkey, Aydrea Spiller, Sadie Sutton, Jorja Swihart, Emilee Treace, Faith Ward, Abigail Wonderly.

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Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

"The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News) - C1

Archbold FFA

Archbold FFA 2023 Year In Review

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

ARCHBOLD FFA … Row 1 (L to R) - Oliver Seibert, Sentinel; Kurt Krueger, Student Advisor; Aaron Miller, Treasurer; Baylee Lumbrezer, Vice President; Titus Rufenacht, President; Tayanna Bagrowski, Vice President; Rayne Kinsman, Secretary; Augusta Martin, Reporter; Tessa Nafziger, Student Advisor. Row 2: Nathaniel Schaffner, Nahum Aeschliman, Aiden Kruse, Landynn Krugh, Chris Aleshire, Jeronimo Morales, Tristan Wyse, Mason Bickel, Micah Nofziger, Caleb Harrow, Alanna Pedraza, Jalynne Schroeder. Row 3: Jr. Azua, Evynn Roth, Remi Ryan, Lexie Ripke, Lydia Frey, Kassie Gigax, Adison Kinsman, Brynn Hurst, Makena Thiel, Alana Tracz, Taelor Baden. Row 4: Liana Rodriguez, Mya Sproles, Kira Murillo, Angel Morales, Joslyn Grime, Katelyn Hancock, Janae Murillo, Kylie Wanemacher, Autumn Nafziger, Raegan Gerken, Makenna Bickel, Meg Ames, Callie Nafziger. Row 5: Natalie Schmucker, Bella Miller, Courtney Stuckey, Nicole Stevenson, Scarlett Brehm, Brooks Miller, Vey-gus Abalos, Remi Speiser, Tyler Bok, Wyatt Lumbrezer, Jason Grime, Chase Burmeister, Kaenan Helberg, Isidro Hernadez. Row 6: Cody Cornell, Josiah Dominguez, Brayden Garcia, Ryder Ryan, Payton Morgan-Smith, Moses Zimmerman, Kaden Kruse, Colton Nofziger, Lars Soles, Nicholas Fry, Griffen Valentine, Jace Beck, Keith Rose, Hunter Biglin. Row 7: Cameron Lemley, Anthony McCollough, Coby Bentley, Kaleb Reno, Eli Farbrother, Alex Garza, Jaylynn Jasso, Ana Diaz, Connor Plassman, Gage Nafziger, Jarret Rufenacht, Caleb Wanemacher, Carter King, Trey Weirauch, Grady Short.

STATE FFA DEGREES … Awarded State FFA Degrees were (from top, left to right) Baylee Lumbrezer, Micah Schmidt, Wyatt Armstrong, Rayne Kinsman, Tomi Bok, Aaron Miller.

Arrow Tru-Line, Inc. 2211 South Defiance St. Archbold, Ohio 43502 419.446.2785

BAKING … Archbold FFA students baked and served cookies for participants to decorate during the Kenn Feld Kids Day held at Archbold’s John Deer store.

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DONATION … The Archbold FFA built and donated a swing set for the Ladies’ Night Out Relay for Life Charity Auction.

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C2 - "The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News)

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

Delta FFA

Delta Chapter Hosts Annual 8th Grade Recruitment Day By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter

PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

RECRUITMENT DAY … Jayda Graham, Jordinn Heinemann, Addison Wyse working at the Plant Science station helping the 8th graders make paper flowers.

On January 8, 2024, the Delta FFA Chapter held its annual 8th grade recruitment. This is an activity that our chapter looks forward to every year.

Chapter members interact with the 8th graders and encourage them to join FFA. This event is always a fun time for all involved.

This year we had animals, floriculture, all about FFA, leadership, soil judging, welding, woodworking, and ag power diagnostics stations.

We had lots of participation with

not only our FFA members but the 8th graders as well. The 8th graders spent the day and went from station to station learning about FFA and our chapter.

They got a break in the middle of the day for lunch. Thank you, Fulton County Pork Producers, for supplying the pork.

The 8th grade recruitment day is a great way to show the middle school students what all goes on in the FFA and allows them to get a sneak peek of all the opportunities available to them.

Delta FFA Competes In Winter CDEs By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter On January 23, 2024 several Delta FFA members participated in three different online CDE (Career Development Event) tests.

The first one was Grain

Merchandising which stimulates interest in the area of grain merchandising and to make students aware of the complex decision-making process associated with merchandising agricultural products. Walter Hallett was

AG SALES TEAM - Sam Pace, Abby Savage, Hannah Barnes, Sarah Richardson.

Delta FFA Chapter Hosts Annual Pond Party

PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

KICKOFF PARTY … Delta FFA members enjoy time in the pond at their annual pond party to start the school year.

By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter Kicking off the school year, the Delta FFA Chapter had a blast at the annual pond party. Students from the chapter joined in on the fun and brought condiments, silverware, food, drinks, desserts, and more.

A slip and slide was created and by the end of the event almost everyone was covered in bubbles.

Students swam in the pond, played on the rafts, and fished.

Later, students gathered, and a family-style meal was held. Thank you to all who brought items and thank you to the Barnes family for being such amazing hosts once again.

the single participant and placed 15th in the district.

The second online test, Ag Power Diagnostics, serves as an authentic assessment designed to evaluate students’ knowledge in recognizing and repairing malfunctions in agricultural and/or industrial power equipment.

The skills Agricultural Education students’ employ in this CDE are the same skills required by agricultural and industrial technicians.

The students who took the test were as follows: Tucker Stricklin, Walter Hallett, Brennan Stemen, Hunter St. John, Cody Sticker, and James Borck.

The team ranked 41st and were in a four-way tie for first in the district.

Students take this test to determine who will go to the district contest.

On February 2nd Tucker Stricklin and Walter Hallett competed in the district competition where they had to diagnose com-

PUBLIC SPEAKING CREED … Gracyn Pelton. mon problems with equipment and tractors. Thank you to Redline Equipment in Bowling Green for hosting. The team placed 4th.

The third competition was Ag Sales which is the marketing of agricultural products that are key to profitability in today’s competitive economy, and agricultural sales that play a major role in the marketing process.

Through this CDE students will have the opportunity to demonstrate skills in sales by partici-

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

AG POWER DIAGNOSTICS … Tucker Stricklin and Walter Hallet. pating in a wide range of activities oriented around the total sales process.

Members Abby Savage, Hannah Barnes, Sam Pace, and Sarah Richardson with alternate Jayda Graham competed at districts and placed 2nd.

They will move on to the state competition in midMarch.

The fourth competition was the county Creed Speaking Event on January 23rd at Evergreen High School where Gracyn Pelton placed 6th.

The Creed CDE consists of memorizing the five paragraphs of the FFA Creed and then answering questions dealing with the Creed.

Delta FFA Members Attend Mission & Impact Conferences By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter On January 13 & 14, 2024 six Delta FFA members traveled to Columbus for the Ohio FFA State Mission and Impact Conferences.

Freshman Gracyn Pelton and Madison Doughty, along with Sophomores Abby Savage, Jordinn Heinemann, and Ryan Graham had the opportunity to attend the Mission Conference which is designed for 7th through 10th-grade students.

The journey of leadership begins with selfdiscovery. Students at the Mission Conference explored what makes them unique and learned strategies to become a more confident and capable version of themselves.

They explored values, their strengths,

PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

MISSION CONFERENCE … Front L-R - Abby Savage, Jordinn Heinemann. Back - Ryan Graham, Brennan Stemen, Madison Doughty, Gracyn Pelton. decision-making skills and having self-confidence. The Mission Conference culminated in students developing their personal mission statement.

Senior Brennan Stemen attended the Impact Conference which is designed for 11th and 12th-grade students.

Leaders can make a positive impact on their

communities that can live on long after they leave.

The Impact Conference empowers students to define what their impact will be.

Students explored challenges facing their communities and strategies they can deploy to help their communities.

In addition, students will explore their val-

ues, practice innovative thinking, and determine how they can inspire others. The Impact Conference culminated in students developing an Impact Plan to create change in their local community.

Students had the opportunity to hang out with several Ohio State FFA Officer team members and met a lot of students from other schools across the state.

Freshman Gracyn Pelton said “I enjoyed learning about my values in life and learning about myself with my friends. The conference was a great way for me to step out of my comfort zone and show some leadership skills.”

Thank you to the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association for sponsoring these conferences!

Delta FFA Members Attend Ohio FFA Leadership Night By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter The Ohio FFA Association’s Leadership Nights are designed to give students the tools they need to develop Premier Leadership, Personal Growth, and Career Success.

The Delta FFA Chapter traveled to Evergreen High School to attend a leadership night. Seven members attended this state event directed by current Ohio State FFA

Officers.

While at the event students had the opportunity to interact with students from all over District 1.

They talked about taking a road trip and all the things they might need to go on that road trip.

The main item learned was not looking through the rearview mirror of life but looking through the windshield instead.

The members who participated were Kendra

PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

LEADERSHIP NIGHT … Allison Earl, Kendra Ehrsam, Jordinn Heinemann, Carlie Mitchell, Olivia Tipton, Claire Bates, Liz Schlatter.

Ehrsam, Liz Schlatter, Olivia Tipton, Allison Earl, Carlie Mitchell, Jordinn Heinemann, and Claire

Bates. Thank you to the Evergreen FFA Chapter for hosting this event for our district.

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Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

"The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News) - C3

Delta FFA (Continued) Delta FFA Holds Winter Activities

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

RADIO INTERVIEW … The group being interviewed PARADE PARTICIPANTS … (L-R) Aidan Mlynarek, for the radio by Maxell Smith of WMTR in Archbold.

Melanie Wyse, Luke Snyder, Walter Hallett, Claire (L-R) Sarah Richardson, Paige Hosler, Gracyn Pelton, Bates, Gracyn Pelton, and Sam Pace in the back.

Luke Snyder, Hannah Barnes, Chastity Smith (front).

PRESENTERS … (L-R) Sarah Richardson, Kendra Ehrsam, Abby Savage, Hannah Barnes, Jordinn Heinemann, and Walter Hallett.

The Delta FFA Chapter members had a chance to use their sales and communication skills to sell to customers during our annual fundraiser.

During the fundraiser students sold citrus, Ohio apples, DB Yummers BBQ sauce, Country Meat Sticks, Pettisville Meats snack sticks, custom made buckets of fruit, and Florida’s Best nut selections.

Students received training during class where they learned about the products, how to take orders, set personal and chapter goals, and wrote a personal introduction for them to use during sales.

Products were all preordered and received in the ag shop. Students then sorted, made, and delivered the products to their customers.

The money raised is used throughout the year to help students attend contests, conventions, participate in CDEs, and many other leadership

opportunity to meet new people from across the county, begin to understand leadership characteristics that will influence their ability to serve, set goals for experiencing personal success, learn more about FFA and the ways to grow and succeed through Supervised Agricultural Experiences, Career & Leadership Development Events and FFA specific leadership opportunities.

The chapter officers and key students put together stations for popular CDEs and SAEs. The Camp Palmer staff conducted low ropes courses with the Greenhands while two State FFA Officers conducted team building activities and leadership training.

Fulton County FFA Chapters are made up of Archbold, Delta, Evergreen, Fayette, Pettisville, and Wauseon. Delta was represented by officers Hannah Barnes, Kendra Ehrsam, Sarah Richardson, Abby Savage, Allison

activities. Thank you to all the students who sold products and all of the customers who purchased items from the Delta FFA Chapter.

On an early winter day the Fulton County FFA Chapters worked together to serve a free will donation lunch of sausage patties, hamburgers, chips, and cookies to raise money for the Fulton County Toys for Cheer drive.

The students collected donations and brought locals into the parking lot to get lunch and make a donation. We also collected new unwrapped toys to donate to the cause.

Students were able to talk on the radio to promote the event. The event raised over $3,000 for Toys for Cheer. Thank you to The Buck for promoting the event and ACE Hardware for hosting the event. All the FFA chapters donated supplies to make lunch happen.

The Fulton County Chapter FFA Officers and

GREENHANDS … (L-R front) - Jayda Graham, Hunter Heinemann, Hunter Elton, McCoy Tedrow, Justina Bingman, Chastity Smith, Melanie Wyse. (L-R middle) Jack Tedrick, Claire Bates, Addison Wyse, Archer Andrews, Gracyn Pelton, Paige Hosler, Bella Griffith, Madison Doughty. (L-R back) Jeremiah Konczal, Trevor Rohrs, Miguel Hernandez. other key members came together at Camp Palmer to put on the first ever local Greenhand Conference.

The Greenhand Conference introduces first year members to the benefits and opportunities in agricultural education, including Supervised Agricultural Experiences and FFA. This conference, for many members, was their first exposure to an FFA

event above the chapter level.

The program was hosted and designed by the Fulton County Chapter Officers to inspire and excite members about agricultural education throughout their years in high school.

The overall outcome of this conference is for students to get hooked on the opportunities available to them in the FFA. Participants had the

Earl, and Jordinn Heinemann with special presenter Walter Hallett.

We took fourteen Greenhands to the conference. Thank you to Camp Palmer staff, the Ohio FFA Officers, and the county ag teachers for putting this conference together.

The Delta Winterfest Parade happened on a rainy December day the Delta FFA Chapter gathered at the Pelton Farm to decorate an old horse wagon owned by the Pelton’s.

Graduate, AJ Pelton drove the wagon with a tractor in the parade. Dakota Rohrs brought her horse and rode behind the wagon.

This is a great opportunity for students to get out into the community.

Students rode in the parade and passed out candy to the little kids.

Thank you to the Pelton’s for the use of their wagon, tractor, and helping the students decorate and be in the parade.

Delta FFA Members Enjoy Success At The Fulton County Fair By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter The Fulton County Fair was held September 1-7, 2023. The Delta FFA had over 100 projects in the County FFA Booth.

The projects displayed included Ag Communication posters, metalworking, woodworking,

crops, and vegetables.

Rylan Andrews won Best FFA Metal Project, and Claire Bates won Best FFA Soybean Project.

Besides the Junior Fair Building projects, the FFA had 22 members who exhibited livestock this year. Nine members showed cat-

tle, four showed pigs, three showed rabbits, one showed poultry, three showed horses, three showed lambs, five showed goats, and one member showed dairy cattle.

During the fair, the FFA is in charge of working a shift at the Fulton

County Pork Producers Stand. This year we had 12 members, and six parents volunteer their time to work the stand.

This year we had many members participate in Junior Fair Day activities.

We had four members participate in the

livestock judging contest. Abby Savage, Allison Earl, and Mackenzie Clapp placed 1st as a team. Abby placed 1st overall, Mackenzie 2nd overall, Ashlynn Tedrow 4th overall, and Allison 11th overall.

We also had a team enter the straw-loading

contest. The team of Walter Hallet, Connor Sintobin, and Brody Waugh placed 1st in the 40-bale division.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered, sponsored, and supported the FFA chapter and its members. You helped make the fair a success!

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

FAIR COMPETITION … Brody Waugh, Walter Hallett IV, and Connor Sintobin took home 1st place in the Straw Loading Contest during Junior Fair Day.

PORK STAND VOLUNTEERS … Kendra Ehrsam, Melanie Wyse, and Carlie Mitchell working in the Fulton County Pork Stand.

SHOWING ANIMALS … Kendra Ehrsam (left) showing her market heifer.

HOG SHOW … Ashlynn Tedrow showing her market hog.

TOP SPOT … Mackenzie Clapp, Abby Savage, Allison Earl placed 1st place in the General Livestock Judging contest for the Senior Division.

LAMB SHOW … Olivia Tipton with her market lamb.

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C4 - "The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News)

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

Delta FFA (Continued)

Delta FFA Members Compete In Late Fall CDEs

By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter The animal behavior, welfare, and husbandry education CDE (Career Development Event) is to stimulate student interest and to promote education in the basics of understanding animals’ evolutionary biology, their biological needs, and indicators of differing levels of welfare and how to holistically evaluate different facilities, husbandry, and management.

Congratulations to our Animal Behavior, Welfare, and Husbandry CDE team, who learned about a whole new contest this fall! They placed 2nd as a team in the District 1 contest with team members: Emma Thompson, Elizabeth Schlatter, Olivia Tipton, and Ryan Graham.

They competed in the state online test where they placed 14th in the state. The team did not qualify to move on to the state finals.

The Dairy Cattle CDE is designed as a practical method of teaching students to select quality dairy cattle. Students were challenged with pedigree evaluation, sire selection, linear evaluation, a written test, plac-

ing classes, and written class reasons.

The team of Sam Pace, Cooper Tipton, Ryan Graham, and Sarah Richardson traveled to Sunnyville Holstein Farm near Deshler. They placed 14th in the district.

The Milk Quality and Products CDE is to correctly evaluate raw milk quality and attributes of selected milk by-products. Students also look at federal milk marketing orders and milking equipment.

Team members included: Tucker Stricklin, Walter Hallett, Hunter St. John, and Brennan Stemen. They placed 4th in the district.

The Food Science CDE is to stimulate learning activities in food science and technology related to the food industry and to assist students in developing a good working knowledge of sound principles used in a team decision-making process.

Team members included: Carlie Mitchell, Carter Mitchell, Luke Snyder, and Jordinn Heinenmann. The team placed 4th in the district.

The Floriculture CDE is designed as a practical method of teaching

students to identify various horticulture plants, disorders, insects, and diseases that affect the floriculture industry.

Team members include Mackenzie Clapp, Hannah Barnes, Jordinn Heinemann, Allison Earl, and Carlie Mitchell. The team placed 10th in the district.

The Job Interview CDE is designed for FFA members to practice and demonstrate the skills needed in seeking employment in all areas of agriculture.

Each part of this event simulates real-world experiences that students will have when seeking employment in the future.

The county contest results were as follows: Division 1 - Freshman Gracyn Pelton 3rd, Jayda Graham 5th; Division 2 Sophomore Melanie Wyse 5th, Jayla Williams 7th; Division 3 - Junior Walter Hallett 2nd, Olivia Tipton 6th; Division 5 - 1st year Junior or Senior Emma Thompson 1st, Adlen Ruby 3rd. The District 1 Contest results were Division 3 - Walter Hallett 7th, Division 5 - Emma Thompson 1st. The state prelims virtual results were Emma Thompson 9th.

DISTRICT MILK QUALITY PRODUCTS … Kelsi Willitzer, Jayla Williams, Ashlynn Tedrow, Tucker Stricklin, Brennan Stemen, Hunter St. John, Walter Hallett.

DISTRICT DAIRY CATTLE … (L-R front) Ryan Graham, Mackenzie Clapp, Olivia Tipton, Jayda Graham, Kendra Ehrsam (L-R back) Wyatt Flickinger, Allison Earl, Cooper Tipton, Sam Pace, Claire Bates, Hannah Barnes, Sarah Richardson.

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

DISTRICT ANIMAL BEHAVIOR TEAM … (L-R) Elizabeth Schlatter, Emma Thompson, Olivia Tipton, and Ryan Graham.

COUNTY JOB INTERVIEW DIVISION 2 … Jayla Williams and Melanie Wyse

DISTRICT FLORICULTURE … (L-R) Carlie Mitchell, Allison Earl, Mackenzie Clapp, Jordinn Heinemann, Hannah Barnes.

COUNTY JOB INTERVIEW DIVISION 3 … Olivia Tipton and Walter Hallett.

DISTRICT FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TEAM … (L-R) Carter Mitchell, Carlie Mitchell, Ashlynn Tedrow, Jordinn Heinemann, and Luke Snyder.

COUNTY JOB INTERVIEW DIVISION 5 … Adlen Ruby and Emma Thompson.

COUNTY JOB INTERVIEW DIVISION 1 … Gracyn Pelton and Jayda Graham.

Delta FFA Wins County Trap Shoot

FFA Participates In Tailgate Event

By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter

On September 15th the PAC (Panther Athletic Club) group hosted their first PAC Tailgate Event where they asked local groups to put on a station for the young kids who might come to the

This year the Delta FFA Chapter Trap Shoot team brought home first place in the Fulton County Trap Shoot Competition. This event is held every fall for FFA members in the county to compete in.

FFA members Rylan Andrews, Brody Waugh, Luke Snyder, Ethin McKenzie, Blake Hilton, Ian McKenzie, Archer Andres, Hunter Elton, and

Ashlynn Tedrow practiced throughout the fall and competed in the competition on Tuesday, October 17th.

For the first time in a number of years, the Delta FFA Trap Shoot team took 1st place!! Congratulations to the team members who helped lift our score: Rylan Andrews - 1st, Brody Waugh - 2nd, Ashlynn Tedrow - 3rd, Blake Hilton 4th, and Archer Andrews - 5th.

The team is proud to house the rotating trophy for the year!

By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter

event.

They asked the Delta FFA to do a craft with the kids.

The students came up with a little tractor craft activity and the students had a great time interacting with the kids that attended.

The following students helped set up, work the event, and tear down: Carlie Mitchell, Emma Thompson, Olivia Tipton, Trevor Rohrs, Luke Snyder, and Dakota Rohrs.

PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

COMPETITION WINNERS … Winning Fulton County Trap Shoot team - (L-R) Ashlynn Tedrow (Sophomore), Hunter Elton (Freshman), Archer Andrews (Freshman), Brody Waugh (Senior), Rylan Andrews (Senior), Blake Hilton (Senior), Ethin McKenzie (Senior).

Not pictured Luke Snyder (Senior) and Ian McKenzie (Freshman).

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

PAC TAILGATE … Emma Thompson with a young kid who made a tractor.

CRAFT MAKING … Trevor Rohrs and Dakota Rohrs helping kids make tractors for their craft.

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Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

"The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News) - C5

Delta FFA (Continued)

Delta FFA 2023 Year In Review

By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter Last summer, the Pike-Delta-York FFA Officer team conducted their annual officer retreat at Hocking Hills State Park.

Having two nights and three days to explore the area. Fun activities such as hiking, touring a local glass place and petting zoo, and ziplining were all a part of this adventure.

The officer retreat is used to help bond the officers in a timely manner before the school year. Meetings were held in the midst of all the activities as a time to calm down and start our work for the year ahead.

The yearly schedule was made, and goals were set. Students also had SAE visits for their projects and prepared for the fair.

Time flew by this summer and the next thing we knew; it was time for our annual pond party. Students brought snacks such as pop, chips, cookies, hotdogs, and buns for a well put together lunch. The activities included swimming, fishing, chatting, and slip and slides. Thank you to the Barnes family for generously supporting the Delta FFA. The Fulton County Fair was a success for the participants here in the chapter. Starting off with the annual Straw Loading Contest, the team created by Walter Hallett, Brody Waugh, and Connor Sintobin took first place.

We had 4 members participate in the livestock judging contest. Abby Savage, Allison Earl, and Mackenzie Clapp placed 1st as a team. Abby placed 1st overall, Mackenzie 2nd overall, Ashlynn Tedrow 4th overall, and Allison 11th overall.

Seven-chapter members showed their animals Hannah Barnes showed dairy beef feeder calves. Kendra Ersham showed a beef-breeding heifer. Sarah Richardson showed her market goat.

Olivia Tipton and Cooper Tipton each showed a beef feeder calf and market lamb. Abby Savage showed her beef feeder calf, and Ashlynn Tedrow showed her pigs and goats.

Each year at the fair, the Delta FFA Chapter likes to contribute to the community by participating in volunteer activities such as for the Beef Producers Stand and Pork Producers Stand.

Different shifts were given and at the end, workers received a sandwich for their help. Each FFA Chapter helps to put together a Fulton County FFA Booth in the Junior Fair Building.

Together we display our award winners such as State and American Degrees, Proficiency Awards, and top CDE winners.

Other projects taken include woodworking, welding, vegetables, flowers, agricultural communications, and crops. Congratulations to everyone who

participated this year.

September brought PAC Family Tailgate Night which was held at Panther Stadium. The chapter hosted a craft where kids could put together a tractor.

Students started the CDE year with Rural and Urban Soil Judging CDE where they competed in County and Districts and earned a trip to State.

Students were also successful in Food Science & Technology where they placed fourth in Districts.

Throughout the rest of the fall, students had opportunities such as District Dairy Products and Dairy Cattle, Job Interview where we had a state finalist, State Leadership Night, County Trap Shoot, Fulton County Greenhand Conference, and Fall Fruit Sales.

We also had a wonderful experience taking 28 kids to the National FFA Convention where four of them got the chance to represent their school, county, district, and state in the National Farm and AgriBusiness Management where the team ranked as Silver, three of the boys were Silver, and one ranked Gold and placed 12th.

Heading into the holiday season, members volunteer at ACE Hardware to collect donations, serve lunch to raise money, and collect toys for the Fulton County Christmas Cheer Toy Drive.

Then we had a float in the Delta Community Christmas Parade and completed a Letters to Santa Project at Delta Elementary where we collected student’s letters to Santa and made sure they got the right place and received a response from Santa and his Elves.

Overall, this year has been a great one for the Delta FFA Chapter. We are developing our premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through our programs and activities.

We look forward to the coming months of 8th grade recruitment, CDE contests, State FFA Convention, Ag Day, and learning opportunities.

CONNECT AND I AM CONFERENCE …

Was held at Sauder's Heritage Inn (L-R floor) Luke Schlatter, Cooper Tipton (L-R middle) Aiden Reigsecker, Abby Savage, Mackenzie Clapp, Jordinn Heinemann (L-R back) Ashlynn Tedrow, Allison Earl, Ryan Graham.

2023 OHIO FFA STATE DEGREE RECIPIENTS … Brody Waugh, Anthony Pelton, Luke Schlatter, Kendra Ehrsam, Brennan Bronson, Holden Barnes, Rylan Andrew.

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

STATE GOLD-RATED OFFICER BOOKS … Hannah Barnes - Secretary, Walter Hallett IV - Treasurer, Alana Hyott - Reporter

FARM AND AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT … Anthony Pelton - 1st place individual, Brennan Bronson, Walter Hallett IV, Luke Snyder.

AG DAY … Kendra Ehrsam at our annual Ag Day.

CONVENTION TOUR … Part of the group at National Convention on a tour of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center.

Delta FFA Chapter Members 2023-2024 Archer Andrews, Rylan Andrews (SA), Emilio Arroyo Sierra, Hannah Barnes (Pres), Claire Bates, Alexis Bernal, Justina Bingman, James Borck, Joseph Byczynski, Joseph Mackenzie Clapp, Jada Clark, Keegan Cordes, Emily Cornell, Carlos DeSantos, Madison Doughty, Allison Earl (Sec), Kendra Ehrsam (Sen), Hunter Elton, Hailey Falk, Wyatt Flickinger, Nash Gadway, Hunter Heinemann, Jordinn Heinemann (Parl), Miguel Hernandez, Blake Hilton, Paige Hosler, Richard Johnston III, Jeremiah Konczal, Zoey Krasula, Ethin McKenzie, Ian McKenzie, Carlie Mitchell, Carter Mitchell, Aidan Mlynarek, Aaron Mora, Brady Murray, Kaitlynn Nagy, Autumn O'Neill, Samuel Pace, Gracyn Pelton, Mace Reckner, Sarah Richardson (VP), Abbigail Savage (Rep), Elizabeth Schlatter, Mason Sheffer, Daniel Sintobin, Sean Smith Jr, Allen Smith, Chastidy Smith, Luke Snyder (Tre), Hunter St. John, Brennan Stemen, Cody Stricker, Tucker Stricklin, Kaden Sutton, Clarence Taft III, Jack Tedrick, Ashlynn Tedrow, McCoy Tedrow, Emma Thompson, Cooper Tipton, Olivia Tipton.

RECRUITING FUTURE MEMBERS … Ashlynn Tedrow with her baby goat at our annual 8th-grade recruitment event.

DEGREE RECIPIENT …

Ashley Creps received her American FFA Degree at National FFA Convention.

2023-2024 DELTA FFA OFFICER TEAM … Sarah Richardson - Vice President, Hannah Barnes - President, Allison Earl - Secretary, Luke Snyder - Treasurer, Rylan Andrews Student Advisor, Kendra Ehrsam - Sentinel, Jordinn Heinemann - Parliamentarian, Abby Savage – Reporter.

Delta FFA Members Educate Fulton County 3rd Graders By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter On September 19th four students from the Delta FFA Chapter worked with the Pettisville FFA to host local Fulton County schools during the annual Fulton County Ag Fest put on by several groups in the county.

Third graders from local schools came out to the Fulton County Fair-

grounds and learned about many different aspects of the agricultural industry.

Carlie Mitchell, Hannah Barnes, Luke Snyder, and Aiden Riegsecker took a baby goat, bunny, and chickens to educate the students on during the event. The topic was small animal care. Thanks to Tedrow Farms and Riegsecker Farms for the use of the animals.

LEARNING ABOUT GOATS …

Hannah Barnes taught some students about the goat which was borrowed from Tedrow Farms.

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

FULTON COUNTY AGFEST … The group that presented to the county 3rd graders (L-R) Hannah Barnes, Carlie Mitchell, Luke Snyder, Aiden Riegsecker

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TEACHING STUDENTS … Carlie Mitchell teaching a student about the Parts of a Dairy Goat which is a poster the FFA members made.

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C6 - "The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News)

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

Delta FFA (Continued) Delta FFA Competes In Multiple Land Judging CDEs By: Abby Savage Delta FFA Reporter On September 15, 2023, the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District hosted the Fulton County Soil Judging CDEs (Career Development Events) near Metamora.

There were two separate contests. The Urban Land and Soil Judging CDE is an educational activity designed as a practical method of teaching students to evaluate land and soil to determine its potential use for urban, homesite, and other non-farm uses.

The second contest is the Agricultural Soils CDE which is an educational activity designed as a practical method of teaching students to evaluate land and soil and to make decisions when faced with soil-related issues that affect agricultural production. The top eight scorers from each contest can move on to the district contest.

The County Urban Soils results are as follows: Emma Thompson - 1st, Trevor Rohrs 2nd, Jack Tedrick - 3rd, Adlen Ruby -4th, Brennan Stemen 5th, Addison Wyse - 6th, Olivia Tipton - 7th, and Hunter Elton - 8th. The County Ag Soils results are as follows: Sarah Richardson - 1st, Mackenzie Clapp - 2nd, Hannah Barnes 3rd, Carlie Mitchell - 4th, Ryan Graham - 5th, Mace Reckner 6th, Kendra Ehrsam - 7th, and Jordinn Heinemann - 8th.

District Land Judging was held on September 26, 2023, in Wood County. The Urban Soils team placed 4th in the district and individually placed: Emma Thompson 10th, Addison Wyse - 19th, Olivia Tipton - 21st, Brennan Stemen - 22nd, Trevor Rohrs - 33rd, and Hunter Elton 45th.

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

AG SOILS … Group at County Soils Judging.

They earned a trip to the state contest. The Ag Soils team placed 7th in the districts and individually placed: Kendra Ehrsam - 19th, Mackenzie Clapp - 25th, Ryan Graham 43rd, Hannah Barnes - 46th, Carlie Mitchell - 85th, and Cooper Tipton - 152nd.

The State Land Judging contest was held on October 14, 2023, on the southern side of the state. The competition started bright and early in the morning.

The Urban team placed 30th in the state competition with Emma Thompson, Brennan Stemen, Olivia Tipton, and Trevor Rohrs making up the team.

The Ag Soils team placed 40th with Ryan Graham, Sarah Richardson, Kendra Ehrsam, and Mackenzie Clapp making up the team. Congratulations to all of our participants!

URBAN SOILS … Group at County Soils Judging.

URBAN SOILS … Group at State Soils Judging.

AG SOILS … Group at District Soils Judging.

AG SOILS … Group at State Soils Judging.

URBAN SOILS … Group at District Soils Judging.

North Central FFA Williams Soil & Water Conservation District 11246 St. Rt. 15 Montpelier, Ohio 419-636-9395 • www.williamsswcd.org

PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

NORTH CENTRAL FFA MEMBERS … Front - Makinzy Frame, Gracie Zuver, Sami Cummings, Ava VanAuken. Back - Parker Felt, Kaiden King, Ben Pettit, Carter Eckley, Adrian McMillen, Eric Elsworth.

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Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

"The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News) - C7

Edon FFA 2023 Edon FFA Year In Review By: Ella Osborn Edon FFA Reporter The Edon FFA Chapter had a busy and successful year. On January 24th, Emma Howard, Jarrett Trausch, Max Radabaugh, Grace Reitzel, Peyton Trausch, Wade Parrish, Blake Baker, and Skylar Osborn took the online Ohio FFA Grain Merchandising CDE exam placing 31st in the state.

Members are tested in the areas of grain merchandising to stimulate interest and to make students aware of the complex decision-making process associated with merchandising agricultural products.

The team placed 9th in the state preliminary test advancing them to the State Finals held in April at Wilmington College.

In the beginning of February, students competed in the District One Contests held at Redline Equipment in Bowling Green. Members, Wade Parrish, and John Goebel compete in the Ag Power contest.

These two worked together as a team to diagnose and repair issues on agricultural equipment.

Down the hall, the agricultural sales team composed of Emma Howard, Blake Baker, Jarrett Trausch, and Skylar Osborn competed in individual and team selling scenarios for the chosen product of industrial portable heaters.

February proved to be a busy month with many activities to be involved with the Edon FFA Chapter.

The online Greenhand Quiz CDE’s purpose is to assess knowledge of FFA and provide students with another incentive to participate in a competency-based activity.

The team placed 56th with members Reese Hand placing individually 32nd, Ella Osborn, Elijah Trausch, and Addyson Fritch.

FFA Week was held February 18th-25th and kicked off with the annual FFA Community Breakfast free to the community as a way to interact and thank for the continued support of the chapter while promoting agriculture.

Other highlights from FFA Week include FFA spirit dress-up days, incubating

FLORICULTURE … Front Row (L to R): Lydia Tracey, Addyson Fritch, Madison Baker, Anne Hug, Reese Hand. Back Row: Ella Osborn, Makayla Anspaugh, Madison Ogden, Amanda Schwartz, Danielle Juhasz.

GRAIN MERCHANDISING FINALS … (L to R): Jarrett Trausch, Wade Parrish, Skylar Osborn, Peyton Trausch.

OFFICERS … (L to R): Allyson Derck, John Goebel, Skylar Osborn, Ella Osborn, Grace Reitzel, Anne Hug, Addyson Fritch, Blake Baker, Reese Hand, Jarrett Trausch chickens with second graders, the annual school-wide petting zoo, Ag Olympics games, inviting junior high students to meeting activities, and Coins for Cancer.

To round off the week, officers held their Teacher and Staff appreciation breakfast before classes on Friday to say thank you for all that they do in our school.

At the beginning of March, the Edon Chapter participated in a variety of CDEs. On March 2nd, our FFA members participated in the District Spring contest.

Wildlife Management member Gauge Nester placed 87th overall and the livestock team members Kendall Sheline, John Goebel, Grace Reitzel, Skylar Osborn, Jarrett Trausch, and Elijah Trausch placed 31st.

On April 4th, the top four test scores for the Grain Merchandising Online CDE exam traveled to Wilmington, OH to compete in the team activity fi-

nals. These members were challenged with a real-life scenario of making market choices over a simulated number of days using skills and knowledge similar to what grain marketers do in their profession.

Leading the team activity, Edon advanced two spots securing their 7th in the state standing. Individually Peyton Trausch 27th, Skylar Osborn 31st, Jarrett Trausch 31st and Wade Parrish placed 1st in the state.

On April 29th, the Edon FFA Chapter held its 84th Annual FFA Banquet at Edon Northwest High School. Members and guests were provided with a meal, FFA themed dessert bar, and refreshments for social time before the banquet.

After the social time, the banquet began with a welcome from Emma Howard, Edon FFA Chapter president, as the program formally began.

Mr. Stevens, Edon Northwest Local School su-

perintendent, gave opening remarks on behalf of the administration before the introduction of guests present.

The following donors were then recognized for their support of the chapter through donations and works, Hicksville Bank, Trausch Brothers Farms, Kenn-Feld Group, Williams County Dairy Association, and Edon FFA Alumni.

The Greenhand Ceremony began with 44 Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource students receiving their Greenhand FFA degrees. The awards ceremony continued with the installation of 13 Chapter FFA degrees.

Continuing the program, an honorary Chapter Degree was bestowed upon Mr. Larry Long and Mrs. Jennifer Stantz for their dedication to the chapter that was above and beyond.

The distinguished service award went to Mr. Joe Radabaugh for his continued work in supporting our chapter and coaching the

Grain Merchandising team.

State degree recipients of the past State FFA Convention were recognized: Emma Howard, Madison Gearig, and Kendal Sheline. Students who were going to receive their degree at May’s state convention were also recognized: Grace Reitzel, Wade Parrish, John Goebel, and Skylar Osborn.

Students who participated in numerous FFA events that took place outside the classroom were recognized for their involvement. Members were also recognized for their participation in Career Development Events (CDEs) throughout the 2022-2023 school year.

Next in the banquet program was recognizing chapter proficiency awards. The Ag Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Placement Proficiency was awarded to Skylar Osborn. The Sheep Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award was given to Joseph Boyer.

The Beef Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency

was awarded to John Goebel and Jarret Trausch. The Small Animal Production and Care Proficiency was awarded to Anne Hug. The Swine Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency was awarded to Maddison Gearig and Kendall Sheline. The Vegetable Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency the winners were Marley Moyer and Addyson Fritch.

In the area of Beef Production – Placement, the award was given to Blake Baker. In the area of Goat Production – Entrepreneurship, the award was given to Georgia Howard. In the area of Swine Production – Placement, the award was given to Wade Parrish. In the area of Service-Learning – Entrepreneurship/ Placement, the winners were Grace Reitzel and Reese Hand.

The Food Science and Service Placement Proficiency award went to Josyln Horne. In the area of Grain Production- Entrepreneurship and Placement, the award went to Peyton Trausch.

In the area of Wildlife Production and ManagementEntrepreneurship and Placement, the winners were Allyson Derck and Colton Willis.

Time was then taken to recognize those members who were the top 5 fundraisers from our 2022 cheese and sausage.

In 5th Place, was Rowan Snyder with $503.50, in 4th Place was Marley Moyer with $581.50, in 3rd Place Emma and Georgia Howard with $673.50.

2nd Place was Jarrett Trausch with $726 and 1st Place was Max Radabaugh with $1381.50.

Scholarship awards were given to students who excel in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and service. Awards were given to Freshmen - Ella Osborn, Sophomore - Blake Baker, Junior - Christopher Joice, and Senior - Caden Nester.

The next set of individuals who demonstrated this were recognized for their dedication and received the Leadership Award: Elijah Trausch, Anne Hug, Peyton Trausch, and Caden Nester.

Senior Awards were given

CONTINUED ON C9

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

2023 CHAPTER PICTURE … Row 1: (left to right) Miss Maryellen Bliss, Reese Hand, Addyson Fritch, Ella Osborn, Anne Hug, Allyson Derck, Grace Reitzel, Skylar Osborn, John Goebel, Jarrett Trausch, Skylar Osborn. Row 2: Amanda Schwatrz, Madison Ogden, Genna Ripke, Adison Briner, Grace Ripke, Natalie Wofford, Georgia Howard, Emma Trent. Row 3: Lila Oberlin, Stormlin Osborn, Lydia Mountz, Autumn Owens, Natalie Lopez, Alexis Kemper, Makayla Anspaugh, Lydia Tracey, Danielle Juhasz, Madison Baker. Row 4: Izaijah Allen, Logan Dulle, Zoe Favourite, Justin Horne, Gauge Nester, Elijah Trausch, Joseph Sparks, Devin Hoffman. Row 5: Matthew Towers, Aricin Rodriguez, Corbin Chrisman, Trevor Shafer, Eli Dickmann, Briggs Gallehue, Kendol Brigle, Collan Vollmar.

WILLIAMS COUNTY FAIR … FFA Fair Display Board at the Williams County Fair.

MEMBERS AT CONVENTION … (L to R): Georgia Howard, Anne Hug, Emma Trent, Allyson Derck.

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C8 - "The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News)

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

Edon FFA (Continued) to the graduating seniors for their participation and the impact they have left on the Edon FFA Chapter.

The Living to Serve Awards were awarded to Gauge Nester, Alexis Dulle, John Goebel, and Wade Parrish as they have shown that they are dedicated to servant leadership over the past year. Miss Maryellen Bliss gave remarks for the evening recapping the successful year of the chapter.

To complete the evening, the 2023-2024 FFA Officer Team of: Grace Reitzel (President), Allyson Derck (Vice President), Anne Hug (Secretary), Skylar Osborn (Treasurer), Ella Osborn (Reporter), Addyson Fritch (Student Advisor), Jarrett Trausch (Sentinel) and Reese Hand (Parliamentarian), John Goebel (Historian), Blake Baker (Chaplin) were installed.

The month of May provided opportunities for students to travel to Columbus for the Ohio FFA State Convention to listen to keynote speakers, take agricultural tours, and be recognized on stage for degrees and awards.

Then at the 4th General Session, two of the members were honored on the stage. Madison Gearig was recognized for her Gold Rated Reporter book, and Wade Parrish was recognized for his first-place award in the Grain Merchandising CDE. The Degree Ceremony at the 5th General Session the State Degree Session began and the group celebrated with Grace Reitzel, Wade Parrish, John Goebel, and Skylar Osborn as they received the coveted State FFA Degree!

Edon FFA held the tradition of Tractor Drive-in Day on May 13th where students drove farm equipment, held safety demon-

strations for younger students allowing them the opportunity to climb up in the tractors, and had a tractor parade around the school building.

The summer months allowed students to grow outside the classroom. In June, there were visits to evaluate the progress of students supervised agricultural experiences through home visits or visits to their placements.

In August before the school year started, the Edon FFA chapter officers met at the Edon Ag room for their annual training.

The officers participated in team-building activities, personality tests, and planned the Program of Activities for the next school year.

Officers planned to bring many activities to the table to find ways to provide exceptional experiences for an engaged membership.

The first program of the school year was the Edon FFA Lunch Cookout.

To start the month of September, the Edon FFA Chapter was well represented at the 2023 Williams County Fair.

Saturday, September 10th marked the first day of the Williams County Fair and the Edon FFA Chapter already had some winners! Students submitted their still projects that were made in the previous school year to be evaluated against other Williams County students.

At the Williams County royalty competition, members of the Edon Chapter represented their chapter and community through the process of submitting an application, interviews, and the onstage portion that took place during the fair.

Skylar Osborn was

STATE DEGREES … (L to R): John Goebel, Grace Reitzel, Wade Parrish, Skylar Osborn, Miss Maryellen Bliss crowned the 2023 Williams County Fair King, Reese Hand was crowned the 2023 Williams County Fair Queen Attendant, and Autumn Owen was crowned a Fair Princess Attendant!

Congratulations to all of the members who participated in numerous livestock shows and sales, representing the Edon FFA Chapter and showing the dedication they put into these projects with others.

On Monday, September 27th Landen Reitzel, Gunner Aldrich, Braedyn Wehrle, Adison Briner, Addyson Fritch, Madison Baker, Lydia Tracey, Ella Osborn, Nevaeh Smith, Matthew Towers, Gauge Nester, Elijah Trausch, and Skylar Osborn competed in the District 1 Soil Judging CDE. They judged three soil pits and selected the best management practices for each pit, took a general knowledge test, and completed a soil survey for

Wood County. The rural soils team placed 18th and the urban soils team placed 14th.

Later in September members, Ella Osborn, Lydia Tracey, Addyson Fritch, Madison Odgen, Makayla Anspaugh, Amanda Schwartz, Danielle Juhasz, Anne Hug, and Reese Hand put their knowledge and practical skills in the floriculture industry to the test in the District One Floriculture Competition.

To start off the activities for the month of October, the Dairy Cattle Evaluation Team, which consisted of Elijah Trausch, Landen Reitzel, Adison Briner, Makayla Anspaugh, Gunner Aldrich, Skylar Osborn, Braedyn Wehrle, Lydia Tracey, Matthew Towers, and Nevaeh Smith traveled to the District 1 competition.

They evaluated two classes of Holstein cows, and two classes of Holstein heifers, completed a written

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To round out October, Anne Hug, Reese Hand, and Autumn Owens competed in the sub-districts Job Interview CDE which is designed for FFA members to practice and demonstrate the skills needed in seeking employment in all areas of agriculture.

Those three members advanced to compete in the district contest that was held on November 6th at Edon High School.

On November 2nd, 17 of the chapter members, Jarrett Trausch, John Goebel, Ella Osborn, Emma Trent, Allyson Derck, Grace Reitzel, Christopher Joice, Skylar Osborn, Reese Hand, Adison Briner, Anne Hug, Amanda Schwartz, Addyson Fritch, Elijah Trausch, Skylar Osborn, Madi Ogden, Nevaeh Smith, and Georgia Howard went to the National Convention along with Miss Bliss and chaperones Mrs. Jenny Stantz and Mr. Dion Bliss.

During this trip, students spent the day in Indianapolis attending general sessions in Lucas Oil Stadium, exploring the career and expo exhibits, and had time to do a little shopping at the many booths too. On the return home, members stopped at Rose City Bowl for chapter bonding and

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In November, the Parliamentary Procedure subdistrict conference was held at Northwest Community State Community College.

Students compete to demonstrate their knowledge of Robert’s Rules of Order.

The Advanced Parli team members include Gauge Nester, Addyson Fritch, Allyson Derck, Ella Osborn, Anne Hug, and Eljiah Trausch. The novice competing team was Lydia Mountz, Madison Baker, Stormlin Osborn, Lila Oberlin, Danielle Juhasz, Autumn Owens, Lila Oberlin, and Bailey Harding.

To wrap up 2023, in December Edon FFA held a Holiday Door Decorating contest amongst the high school Academic Assists that meet at the end of each day.

There were nine entries in this new activity this year. It was a successful event that got FFA members and non-FFA members involved in creating holiday cheer in the high school wing.

The judges had a hard time deciding but Mrs. Danielle Wolfe’s class won the top prize with their door featuring a fireplace with individual stockings for each student in the class.

The year 2023 was a successful year and we look forward to the adventures in 2024!

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Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

"The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News) - C9

Edgerton FFA Edgerton FFA Year In Review The school year seems to be flying by in the Edgerton FFA. We have had many successes so far in the year.

At the start of the school year, we took on many community service activities as our way to show this is our year to give back!

We have built Free Little Libraries to be put up across the community, baked cookies for the Never Let Go Car Cruise-In, packed 40 snack bags for our Thank-a-Farmer give back, held a pop can drive to donate money to our school bulldog bag program, greeted elementary students on our Spirit Fridays, and we are helping to pack takehome lunch bags for students to have meals over the weekend.

We have enjoyed all the time and effort put into giving back to our community. The chapter receives so much support from our community, and we love any chance we can get to give back. We wanted to share the amazing things we do.

We have also had many student successes at the contests we have been to.

We are few but mighty this 2023-2024 school year.

To support our Bulldog bags, the Edgerton FFA hosted a pop can drive that was open to the community.

A trailer was parked in the student parking lot for anyone to drop off cans to go towards this project.

After a week of collecting, the trailer was filled with thousands of cans. A total of $144.32 was raised. This was a great opportunity for our members to take part in a community service event as well as have the satisfactory feeling of knowing that the chapter did something that would benefit others.

We donated $500 to our school's Bulldog Bag Program, where they pack meals for students over the weekend. We also have the opportunity to continue to be involved with the Bulldog Bag program where we have members pack over 20 bags for students every week.

In August, Plant and Animal Science class members drafted plans for three different little libraries. The Edgerton Elementary students got to vote on their favorite plan among three choices for the Free Little Library Projects.

These libraries are for community members to come, read, and share their passions for literary works.

We are excited to unveil these to the community. The students worked hard to create these!

Students also are volunteering their time to get involved in food! We started with baking over 40 dozen cookies to donate to the Never Let Go Cruise-In. We are grateful to have a local or-

NATIONAL FFA CONVENTION … This year we took 9 members down to Indianapolis to experience the 2023 National FFA Convention. We were also able to witness two of our members walk across the big stage to be part of less than 1% of all FFA Members to receive their American FFA Degree. Shaun Murphy, Kyli Hazelton, Giselle Romero, Ava Herman, Audrey Schroeder, Grace Schroeder, Clara Gerschutz, Alyssa Landis, Grace Herman, Gretchen Keppeler, and Bryce Schroeder.

FRUIT SALES … This year we sold over $20,000 worth of fruit, nuts, jerky and BBQ sauce. In this picture our members are sorting, packing, and preparing orders to go out to customers. Thank you to community members and students for their support of our program. Pictured you will see Avrie, Gretchen, Cole, Jalen, Bret and Ava.

LEADERSHIP NIGHT … This year students took a road trip to leadership. The students worked on personal development and chapter improvement. The following students were able to participate in the event. Ava M. Herman, Dez Goebel, Grace Herman, Brianna Shankster, Daniel Novak, Ava L. Herman, Payton Werhi, Kyli Hazelton.

Edgerton FFA Officers Bring Home The Hardware Late January three of the Edgerton FFA Officers submitted their Officer Books to the District Evaluation. They had worked many hours on their books making them organized, accurate and filled with the information from the year.

Our reporter book completed by Giselle Romero was absolutely amazing, filled with images and captions from our events of 2023. She shared all of our social media posts and news information.

She created our 2023 scrapbook and carried a silver award away from our evaluation! We are so proud of the hard work she put in!

Come out to our Pancake Breakfast on February 24 from 7 AM until 11 AM to see her beautiful scrap book, eat a nice breakfast, and check out all of the silent auction items.

PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

2023 FFA OFFICER TEAM … This year our team is made up of Parliamentarian Kyli Hazelton, Secretary, Alyssa Landis, Treasurer Gretchen Keppeler, President Clara Gerschutz, Vice President Ava Herman, Reporter Giselle Romero, Sentinel Bryce Schroeder, Student Advisor Grace Herman, and not pictured Historian Brianna Shankster.

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

2023 EDGERTON FFA CHAPTER … Back Row: Avery Perez, Noah Grandey, Daniel Novak, Cole Payton, Chris Lockwood, Corbin Wilson, Derek Bowers, and Shaun Murphy. 2nd Row from the back: Ava M. Herman, Raven Wagner, Dez Goebel, Payton Werhi, Joel Stiver, Ross Dockery, Jacob Steffes, Brantley Shankster 3rd row back: Cole Gary, Sam Dockery, Ana Gineman, Bret Payton, Jalen Fort, Abby Fry, Everette Werhi, Avrie Herman Front Row: Kyli Hazelton, Alyssa Landis, Gretchen Keppeler, Clara Gerschutz, Ava Herman, Giselle Romero, Bryce Schroeder, Grace Herman. ganization support students and many people who need a hand.

We continued our giving with food through our Thank-a-Farmer snack bags. We packed 30 snack bags for many of the local Edgerton farmers. We truly have enjoyed the giving and volunteering opportunities.

As for the FFA contests we have done well trying our hand at many contests. We started the year with Soils and Forestry. The Soils event was filled with new students doing their very first contest.

We traveled to Pemberville, Ohio where the students did great as this was the first time for many at an FFA contest. We then prepared for our Dairy Cattle

Judging contest.

Thirteen students participated with a handful of junior high students competing. We are always proud of the hard work and results we get from this contest.

Job interviews offered students an opportunity to interview as we do in realworld situations. The students did great, and a few were offered the chance to move to districts.

Students went to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, the State Legislative Leadership Conference in Columbus, and a State Leadership night here in Northwest Ohio.

We've been able to be involved in the community with our student service

projects, participating in state events and witnessing amazing things at the National Convention. We are proud of what we have done and look forward to what we will do!

We are excited to share student success with the community at our annual Free-Will Donation Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction on February 24 from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at Edgerton High School.

Edgerton FFA is excited to continue to support our community, students and school as we give back through community service, educate the future through contests and promote agriculture through our community events.

GOOD LUCK THIS YEAR!

Edgerton FFA Makes Donation To Williams County Relay For Life

PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

PULL FOR A CURE … Pictured is Giselle Romero and Bert Bowers as she is given the $500 check for Relay for Life of Williams County.

During the evening of February 3, 2024 the Old School Garden Tractor Pullers hosted an appreciation dinner in Farmer, Ohio for all tractor pullers and FFA members that assisted in their summer event.

While at the dinner, eight Local FFA Chapters were given $500 donations to be used as a generous way to give as well as a way we can support our local communities.

The Edgerton FFA Chapter will be donating $500 to the Williams County Relay for Life.

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The money given to each chapter was raised at the 2023 “Pull for a Cure” the Old School Garden Tractor Pullers hosted.

We are excited to see what can be raised at the 2024 “Pull for a Cure. We hope everyone can make the time on October 12, 2024 in Farmer, Ohio for the “Pull for a Cure”.

We are so thankful for the community members and for the pullers that raised the money and for allowing us, the Edgerton FFA, to donate $500 to the Williams County Relay for Life.

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Gretchen Keppeler worked hours to complete her treasurer's book for the district evaluation.

She was required to collect all receipts, create, and copy all purchase orders and requisitions. She was graded off organization accuracy and having all information. Gretchen was able to secure a silver award.

Finally, our Vice President Ava Herman was able to put together our secretary’s book. She was to collect agendas, minutes, correspondence, and chapter information together in her book. She was able to secure a gold rating for her record book.

We are so proud of each of the officers in their individual hard work. The Edgerton FFA succeeds because of the leads we have and the students that want to put in extra work to earn high standards.

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C10 - "The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News)

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

Evergreen FFA

Evergreen FFA Review Of 2023 Report & Plans For 2024 National FFA Week

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

GREENHANDS … In November, the Evergreen FFA inducted 48 new Greenhand members into the chapter. This is one of the largest groups of first-year members to be inducted into the chapter in one year.

By: Avah Vaculik Evergreen FFA Reporter The Evergreen FFA Chapter is celebrating its 56th year with 86 FFA members dedicated to developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success.

At the end of the 20222023 school year, the FFA chapter held its annual Spring Banquet, where 12 graduating FFA seniors were recognized for their dedication to the FFA program.

At the annual banquet, the chapter also inducted its ten new officers for the 20232024 school year.

This year’s president is Meegan Gleckler (gr. 11); Vice President Taylor Johnson (gr. 11); Secretary is Carson Wyse (gr. 11); Treasurer is Andrew Bettinger (gr. 10); Reporter is Avah Vaculik (gr.

10); Student Advisor is Jessica Campbell (gr. 12); Sentinel is Rebekah VanWormer (gr. 12); Parliamentarian is Riley Studenka (gr. 10); Historian is Addison Natter (gr.

12); and Chaplain is Bryce Bettinger (gr. 10).

In July, the officers held their FFA officer training at Camp Palmer near Fayette, Ohio. The three-day event began at Truland Equipment’s John Deere Kids event in Archbold where the officers helped more than 100 children create tractor crafts.

Following the John Deere Kids Day, the officers traveled to Camp Palmer to continue with their training. While at camp, the officers prepared for their year of service to the Evergreen FFA through team building, leadership training, and planning the 2023-2024 FFA calendar.

Over the summer, FFA members conducted a Kiddie Tractor Pedal Pull for the community of Lyons during their Chicken BBQ Festival.

The event was sponsored by the Evergreen FFA Alumni.

There were four age groups and more than 20 children participated. Four FFA members also traveled to the Ohio State Fair to volunteer their time at the Little Farmers booth.

While operating the booth, members explained the importance of agriculture and its products to the Fairgoers.

Since the start of the 2023-2024 school year, the chapter has been actively involved in contests, leadership events, and community service projects.

This year, the chapter has had an enormous number of first-year members who received their Greenhand Degree. In December, the chapter inducted 48 new members into the program.

In order to obtain a Greenhand Degree, students must be enrolled in an agricultural education course, recite the FFA motto, learn the FFA history, and complete nine other requirements.

Early in the 2023-2024 school year, the Evergreen FFA Chapter participated in the Fulton County Fair.

Members had 100 projects displayed throughout the fair via poster, welding,

electrical and woodworking projects.

Members did a great job by receiving an A or B ribbon on their projects. Senior member, Jessica Campbell, received first place for her Animal By-Product Project in a very competitive Agricultural Communications division.

Several of the Evergreen FFA members also had livestock projects ranging from dairy cattle to rabbits and poultry. Overall, the chapter had a great week displaying their livestock and still projects at the fair.

Members also took time out of their busy fair schedules to volunteer at the Fulton County Pork Producers stand on Junior Fair Day. Working the Pork Producers stand is a twelve-hour day for members.

This event would not be possible without the support of the Lytton Fox Hunters, Evergreen administrators and bus drivers, Evergreen FFA Alumni, and other community supporters.

Following the Fulton County Fair, the FFA members competed in a variety of Career Development Events (CDE).

These contests included: Soils Judging, Milk Quality & Products, Dairy Cattle Judging, Job Interview, Parliamentary Procedure, Public Speaking Contests, Agricultural Communications, Agricultural Biotechnology, and Agricultural Sales.

The chapter also competed in the Fulton County Trap Shoot Contest. Since the beginning of the school year, over 60% of Evergreen’s members have competed in a CDE. Within these competitions, members are able to learn a variety of skills such as interviewing, news writing, and soil evaluation based on urban and rural practices.

The Urban Soils team placed second at the District One contest where they qualified for the district competition.

The team members who competed at the state competition in October were freshmen, Sydney Bull, Jackson Huffman, and Alex Paulson along with sophomore member Riley Studenka.

The team placed 29th at the state contest. The Milk Quality and Products team competed at their District One competition in early October, where the team placed second.

The team members will compete at the state competition in March. The team included freshmen, Alex Paulson, Callie Wyse, and Kate Wyse along with sophomore Joseph Okos.

In mid- October, the Evergreen Trap Shoot team competed at the Fulton County Contest held at the Fulton County Sportsmen’s Club. The team placed third at the contest under the direction of this year’s new coach Jeff Herr.

In late October, the chapter had four members compete at the Fulton County Job Interview contest held at Fayette.

Competing In division one was (freshmen only), Alex Paulson and Molly

Elvey and in division three (juniors only), was Taylor Johnson and Carson Wyse.

Alex and Molly placed first and second, respectively, in their division. Taylor and Carson placed first and sixth in their division.

Alex, Molly, and Taylor qualified to move on to the district competition in early November. At the district competition, Alex placed first and moved on to the state semifinal round. Molly placed ninth in her division while Taylor placed 6th in her division. Alex finished in eighth place at the state semifinal competition.

In early November, the Novice Parliamentary Procedure team competed at the Fulton County contest held at Northwest State Community College.

The team consisted of freshmen Molly Elvey, Nate Emmons, Austin Gillen, Jackson Huffman, Lanae Manz, Alex Paulson, Callie Wyse, and Kate Wyse.

The team placed first in their division and moved on to the District One competition. The team competed against five other schools in the area, where they placed first in the district competition.

They advanced to the state competition which has not been done at Evergreen for at least two decades.

They finished their competition with a top 20th place at state and third in the state preliminary contest.

Outside of Career Development Events, the FFA has been quite involved in various conventions, camps, and conferences.

In September, two members attended the Ohio Legislative Leadership Conference at the Ohio Capitol Building in Columbus, Ohio.

Junior, Alex Fritsch and sophomore, Riley Studenka attended and were able to learn about policy and advocating for agriculture. They were also able to tour the Capitol building and learn about its history.

The chapter also attended Farm Science Review in London, Ohio. Evergreen’s 30 members attended the trip where they were able to see the newest agricultural technology related to the crop and animal sciences industry.

The members were also able to network with other agricultural and conservation organizations who hosted displays and presentations.

Later that month, the chapter sent five first-year members to Greenhand FFA Camp in Muskingum, Ohio.

The members that went to camp were Megan Clancy, Molly Elvey, Nate Emmons, Kate Wyse, and Ethan Ziviski. These members attended camp with other members from across the state and the Ohio FFA State Officer Team.

The members had the opportunity to engage in leadership training, FFA history and education while participating in various camp activities, such as fishing, hiking, canoeing, and archery.

In late October, 15 FFA members attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. This was the first time for many of the members to attend this event. While at the convention, members were able to listen to keynote speakers and tour a variety of agribusinesses and industryrelated facilities.

Throughout the months of October and November, the FFA Chapter participated in the traditional FFA Fundraiser - Fruit Sales. The chapter sold fruit, peanuts,

GROUP PHOTO … The Evergreen FFA has 86 members as a part of the chapter this year. Members range from freshmen to seniors. The chapter will have nine graduating seniors this year. tree nuts, BBQ sauces, honey, maple syrup, cheeses, meat sticks, and candles.

When complete, the chapter sold over $17,000 of products. To encourage the members to sell and reach the chapter goal of $15,000 of products sold, members earned their FFA jacket with $400 of sales.

This year, 14 FFA members reached this goal and received their jackets. Fruit was delivered in early December.

Thank you to everyone who supported the fundraising efforts of the FFA members. Alongside the 14 members who received their jackets through the fruit sale fundraiser, four other first-year FFA members were fortunate enough to receive their FFA jackets through the Ohio FFA Jacket Grant program.

All first-year members submitted an application to apply for the grant. The Ohio FFA was fortunate enough to receive donations for over 300 jackets in total.

One of the requirements for Evergreen FFA members is to complete a community service project throughout the school year.

Since the start of the school year, over 70% of the members have completed at least one service project. The chapter actively helps with the Fulton County Christmas Cheer Program. The Friday before Thanksgiving, members assisted with the Christmas Cheer Toy Drive Kickoff at Ace Hardware in Wauseon, Ohio.

A unique community service project to Evergreen FFA is the collection and distribution of Thanksgiving dinners to families in need through a food and monetary donation drive.

This year, the chapter received an Ohio FFA Foundation Grant for this Thanksgiving project, which significantly impacted the number of meals the chapter was able to donate.

In addition, the chapter partnered with the Evergreen High School cafeteria and Evergreen Elementary to receive donations.

The dinners were distributed directly to Evergreen families. Through the donations, the chapter was able to assemble 15 family-size Thanksgiving Dinners for local Evergreen families.

Any extra donations were given to the Fulton County Christmas Cheer Program.

In December, the chapter sent an additional group of members to assist with the distribution of the toys to families at the Fulton County Fairgrounds.

The final chapter event of the Christmas Season was assisting with the Fulton County Christmas in the Cabin event hosted by Fulton County Ohio Means

NATIONAL CONVENTION … Picture #3 - In early November, 15 Evergreen FFA members traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana to attend the National FFA Convention. The convention is an annual event and this year there were over 70,000 FFA members from across the country in attendance.

WORKSHOP … In October, Fulton County hosted its first-year Greenhand Workshop. First-year members from across the county attended a day event at 4-H Camp Palmer. The officers from the various chapters conducted activities to the first-year members explaining the value and opportunities within FFA. Evergreen had over 40 members attend this event.

EVERGREEN FFA OFFICER TEAM … The 2023-2024 Evergreen FFA Officer Team includes (left to right) Chaplain, Bryce Bettinger; Historian, Addison Natter; Parliamentarian, Riley Studenka; Sentinel, Rebekah VanWormer; Student Advisor, Jessica Campbell; Reporter, Avah Vaculik; Treasurer, Andrew Bettinger; Secretary, Carson Wyse; Vice President, Taylor Johnson; and President, Meegan Gleckler.

Job Agency. The FFA helped by parking cars and making popcorn.

The new year kicked off a new group of FFA contests.

Members participated in the Agricultural Communications, Agricultural Sales, Agricultural Biotechnology, Public Speaking, Grain Merchandising, Greenhand FFA Quiz, and Environmental Management contests. Members enjoyed learning about the various opportunities within FFA. National FFA Week is something that the Evergreen Chapter is looking forward to celebrating. This year, the chapter has decided to host several new activities for the school and community, including a themed Spirit Week.

The chapter is also coordinating an Agricultural Olympics event for all high school students. The members hope to conduct an Ag Ball Tournament for FFA members along with a staff luncheon.

Following FFA Week, two FFA members will be traveling to Dallas, Texas for the National FFA Next Generation Conference in Agricul-

tural Communications.

Back in October, Jessica Campbell and Taylor Johnson completed a vigorous application process to be selected as one of 100 national FFA members to attend this conference.

In December, Jessica and Taylor received the exciting news that they were selected to attend the conference. The trip is in early March.

They will be able to participate with other FFA members from across the country to learn more about the agricultural communications industry through roundtable discussions, industry tours, and general sessions at the conference. The girls are quite excited to receive such a high honor and be able to attend this conference.

The Evergreen FFA has announced its annual spring banquet date of Saturday, April 20th, 2024. The chapter has done an excellent job this year and is looking forward to celebrating their achievements at the banquet in April with family, friends, and community supporters.

As for now, the chapter will continue its success through the growth of its members.

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Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

"The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News) - C11

Fayette FFA

Fayette FFA 2023 Year In Review

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER 8TH & 9TH GRADE GREENHAND MEMBERS … Left to Right- Will Maginn, Hunter Blackmer, Liam Cassady, Addalee Cook, Brandan Woenker, Peyton Curry, Opie Leininger, Reilly Bailey, Andi Warner, Yami Rivera-Cortez, Gavin Dombrowski, Kasen Saunder, Dawson Schang, Julian Rodreguiz, Caleb Lerma, Ethan Sperling, Landyn Burns, Kruez Lichtenwald, Cru Lavinder, Wyatt Bieber, Garrett Costin, Zander Johnston, Angel Brown, Maycee Beers, Kennedy Kunkle, Monroe Simon, Madelynn Whetro, Aspen Brehm, Hawk Brehm, Ellie Williams, Hannah Hall, Brynleigh Savage, Bailey Jennings, Demi Storrs, Kaylee Harrington, Zoie Brown, Lilly Eberly, Evan Beauregard, Willow Mitchell, Emersyn Sinks, Erika Fetterman, Makayla Felder.

By: Evan Beauregard The Fayette FFA chapter has been busy this past year with events and competitions. They started out the year with a trip to Columbus for the Ohio State FFA Convention.

Eighteen members on the trip attended two leadership and team-building events led by Zoe Kent and one of the National FFA officers.

They also went to the trade show at the Ohio State fairgrounds where the students were able to mingle with colleges, various Ag businesses, and other FFA members from all over Ohio. Lastly, the Fayette FFA toured the Price Farms Organics where they learned about composting.

Even when the school year ends, the Fayette FFA chapter stays active throughout the summer.

Seven members attended the third session of FFA Camp Muskingum where they stayed for five days and participated in various team building and other camp activities.

At Fayette’s annual Bullthistle Festival, the Fayette FFA rode in an FFA float in the parade and hosted the Kiddie Tractor Pulls.

In September, their members engaged in a multitude of activities at the Fulton County Fair, such as working the pork stand, competing in the straw stacking contest, and entering projects, like animals and woodworking pieces, to compete against other chapters.

The Fayette FFA Trap Shoot team competed in the Fulton County Trap Contest and placed second, losing to Delta by three points. They also competed in the District Ag and Urban Soils contest where the students judged three pits.

Three students placed in the top 10 in the Ag

Contest, Evan Beauregard in 2nd, Hannah Hall in 4th, and Hawk Brehm in 5th.

These three high placements help the Fayette soils team place 1st. Hannah, Hawk, and CJ Szabo moved on and competed at the State Contest.

Other contests that have been participated in this year along with district placings include: Animal Management 5th, Floriculture 4th, Dairy Cattle 6th, Dairy Foods with Hannah Hall placing 4th and Zoie Brown 5th individually, Advanced Parliamentary Procedure at County Level, Novice Parliamentary Procedure advancing to Districts and placing 4th, and we had 8 students participate in the County Job Interview Contest.

Nine FFA officers of this chapter attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN. On the trip there, the team stopped at a local hog farm and learned about the different components of a farrow to finish operation.

At the convention, they attended one of the seven sessions offered, and each session had at least 60,000 FFA members in attendance.

Other activities from the year that members have had the opportunity to participate in include helping conduct a Small Animal session at the Fulton County 3rd Grade Ag Fest in September and organizing a new event here in Fulton County for a Greenhand Conference.

This conference was for first-year members to learn all about different aspects of FFA ranging from CDEs (contests), SAE opportunities, team building, and lastly working with State FFA Officers.

We had a chapter fun night taking 40 members

AG SOILS TEAM … (Left to Right- Top) Evan Beauregard, Shane Maginn, Hawk Brehm, CJ Szabo, (Left to Right- Bottom) Hannah Hall, Leslie Burrow, Alexus McClain, Erika Fetterman.

GROUP … Left to Right (Top Row)- Addalee Cook, Madelynn Whetro, Gavin Dombrowski, Brendan Woenker, Will Maginn, Dawson Schang, Kasen Saunders, Opie Leininger, Makayla Felder, Andi Warner, Zander Johnston, Kruez Lichtenwald, Wyatt Bieber, Julian Rodriguez. (Next Row)- Angel Brown, Brynleigh Savage, Maycee Beers, Monroe Simon, Aspen Brehm, Kennedy Kunkle, Ellie Williams, Ean McIntosh, Andre Alvarez, Ethan Sperling, Jose Blanco, Braden Morgan, Dylan New. (2ND Row)- Hunter Blackmer, Garrett Costin, Kaylee Harrington, Alyna Ross, Jada Adkins, Sophia McClain, Keiler Sliwinski, Shane Maginn, Leslie Burrow, Caden Leininger, Carter Lavinder, Keagan Patterson, Zach Oehlers. (3rd Row)Liam Cassady, Landyn Burns, Kelsie Storrs, Addison Schang, Mesa Gorsuch, Aysha Shade, Alexus McClain, Kenadie Ramay, Xander Goble, Braxton Jacob, Zack Reed, Wyatt Kruger. (Bottom Row) 2023-2024 Officers- Willow Mitchell, Zoie Brown, Lilly Eberly, Erika Fetterman, Demi Storrs, Hannah Hall, Evan Beauregard, Emersyn Sinks, Hawk Brehm. to Scream Acres at Leader Farms in Napoleon. Officers help with the Fulton County Christmas Cheer drive held at ACE Hardware in Wauseon.

Members attended an Ohio Leadership Night held at Fairview where State Officers led a leadership session where members also got to mingle with other FFA members from the area.

As you can see, Fayette FFA has a lot of fun in the multitude of activities they participate in. That is only the first half of the year!

We have potential State and American Degree applicants, along with Proficiency applicants to submit, FFA Week activities, multiple spring contests, our annual FFA Banquet, and wrapping up the year with another State FFA Convention.

From helping their community and representing the National FFA Organization, the Fayette FFA Chapter has had an amazing year

STATE CONVENTION MEMBERS …

Left to Right (Top Row)- CJ Szabo, Hawk Brehm, Skylar Lester, Caden Leininger, Andre Alvarez. (2nd Row) Addison Schang, Demi Storrs, Hannah Hall. (3rd Row) Reilly Bailey, Nevaeh Powers. (4th Row) Sophea Eller, Zoie Brown. (Bottom Row) Erika Fetterman, Emersyn Sinks.

(Bottom Row) Rebecca Stevenson, Hannah Kovar, Lilly Eberly, Mesa Gorsuch.

FFA OFFICERS STATE CONVENTION … (Left to Right) Evan Beauregard, Reilly Bailey, Lilly Eberly, Zoie Brown, Erika Fetterman, Emersyn Sinks, Hannah Hall, Demi Storrs, Hawk Brehm.

FAYETTE FFA CHAPTER ACTIVITY … (Left to Right)- Advisor Kalley Schaefer, Gavin Dombrowski, Landyn Burns, Andi Warner, Makayla Felder, Hunter Blackmer, Addalee Cook, Zach Oehlers, Brendan Woenker, Jose Blanco, Zack Reed, Kasen Saunders, Wyatt Kruger, Cru Lavinder, Ethan Sperling, Jada Adkins, Sophia McClain, Zoie Brown, Mesa Gorsuch, Carter Lavinder, Maycee Beers, Hannah Hall, Opie Leininger, Kennedy Ramay, Willow Mitchell, Hawk Brehm, Keagan Patterson, Alexus McClain, Evan Beauregard, Lilly Eberly, Caden Leininger, Aysha Shade, Erika Fetterman, Shane Maginn, CJ Szabo, Leslie Burrow, Keiler Sliwinski, Advisor Maggie Pollard.

FFA MEMBERS CAMP MUSKINGUM … (Left to right) Reilly Bailey, Maycee Beers, Erika Fetterman, CJ Szabo, Wyatt Bieber, Zander Johnston, Evan Beauregard.

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C12 - "The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News)

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

Millcreek-West Unity FFA

Millcreek-West Unity FFA Enjoys Successful Year

By: Shealyn Brown

Millcreek-West Unity FFA Reporter The Millcreek-West Unity FFA Chapter had a very successful and active 2023.

In January, four students applied for their State FFA Degrees: Sam Cox, Josceyln Layman, Julia Schuurman, and Alora Siegel.

All four receive their State FFA Degrees at the State FFA Convention in May. Also, Hunter Leupp applied for his American FFA Degree and received it at National the FFA Convention in November.

Two officer books, the Treasurer, Brooke Moreland, and Reporter, Shealyn Brown, were submitted to District Evaluation at the same time, and both received Gold Ratings. These were honored at State FFA Convention in May as well.

In February, the chapter sold strawberries, hosted a burger and sausage lunch, honored local agribusinesses, and attended several Career Development Events: Ag Power Diagnostics and Greenhand Quiz.

March also was eventful, where students competed in Agronomy, Agriscience Fair, Equine Management, General Livestock, Floriculture, Outdoor Power Equipment, Poultry, Wildlife, and Vet Science.

In April, the chapter held its 87th Annual FFA Banquet where the chapter honored its members and celebrated with guests and supporters of the program.

Also, FFA members participated in the State Wildlife CDE and State Floriculture CDE. Sam Cox was honored with a 2nd place individual score at the State Wildlife CDE. In addition, the four members who applied for State Agriscience Fair had their top four virtual interviews.

At the beginning of May, chapter members attended the State FFA Convention, where they went on agricultural tours and watched fellow chapter members participate in the State FFA Band and Choir.

They also cheered as chapter members received their State FFA Degrees and were honored for their Gold Rated Officer Books.

The Agriscience Fair Participants also found out their

final placings: Ingrid Hoffman placed 1st in Division 5 Food Systems, Joscelyn Layman placed 1st in Division 5 Animal Systems, Aaden Judy placed 2nd in Division 1 Environmental Systems, and Olivia Rossman placed 3rd in Division 5 Environmental Systems.

Upon return from the convention, the chapter celebrated FFA Week by hosting a Staff Burger Bash, an Ag Awareness Day, an Ag Olympics Day, and an FFA Bucks Auction.

Several members also attended the District 1 Officer Training and Banquet where they attended sessions on leadership and represented the chapter in getting the District Awards.

During the summer months, the chapter stayed busy by volunteering for the United Way Free Meals Program and at the Ohio State Fair Cattleman’s Association Beef Stand.

The chapter officers also traveled to Hocking Hills for Officer Training and four members attended FFA Camp.

At the start of the school year, many members were involved in the Williams County Fair and received recognition for their projects.

Carson Crossgrove was Grand Champion Dairy Steer, Sophia Crossgrove was Reserve Champion Dairy Steer, Myah Higgins was Reserve Champion Market Goat, and Lindee Lammon exhibited the Reserve Champion Pair of Pigs.

In the FFA Still Project Division Ingrid Hoffman was 1st place in Agriscience Research, Floral, and Soybeans, Lindee Lammon was 1st place in SAE Posters, and Jordan Schaffner was 1st place in Corn.

The chapter also volunteered at the Williams County Dairy Association Stand and the Williams County Beef Stand. Members also contributed to the Barnyard Friends exhibit with informational posters and livestock. During fair week, a few members traveled to The Big E conference in Maryland to compete.

Ingrid Hoffman’s Agriscience Fair project was invited to compete at this event and she placed 6th overall.

At the end of September, many of our members com-

STATE DEGREES … Sam Cox, Julia Schuurman, Joscelyn Layman, and Alora Siegel receive their State FFA Degrees.

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

FFA GROUP PHOTO … 1st Row - Olivia Rossman, Carson Crossgrove, Lakota Siegel, Jordan Schaffner, Brooke Moreland, Ingrid Hoffman, Shealyn Brown, Levi Cox, and Libbie Baker. 2nd Row - Hailey Smith, Grace Serrano, Devin Dempsey, Brian Guillen, Cameron Schlosser, Drew Bailey, Anthony Jiannuzzi, Conner Sanders, Myah Higgins, Kennedy Bailey, Sophia Crossgrove, and Maggie Altman. 3rd Row - Leland Tarkington, Aliegha Sieradzki, Evan Siegel, Jon Stephens, Brennan Dempsey, Bryson Kesler, Colton Wood, Aaliyah McCauley, Nate Wieland, Scott Bowers. 4th Row - Addi Smith, Peyton Stocklin, Leeym Schlegel, Ayden Bennett, Nate Waue, Terry Rebeck, Cameron Shimp, Zakk Cammack, Maddox Rienbolt, Frederick Rienbolt. 5th Row - Rachel Dickinson, Ashtyn Sanders, Gracelyn Weisz, Lindee Lammon, Sam Cox, Hope Potts, Austin Ankney, Aaden Judy, Bryce Peters, Malaki Comer. Missing: Joscelyn Layman

AMERICAN FFA DEGREE … Hunter Leupp. peted in the District 1 Ag Soils CDE, Animal Management CDE, and Floriculture CDE, as well as the State Forestry CDE, where Sam Cox placed 4th overall individually in the state.

October began with fruit sales and ended with participation in the Dairy Cattle Evaluation CDE and the Job Interview LDE. To round out October and begin November the chapter traveled to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN, but first went to Moline, Ill, and Dubuque, IA to tour the John Deere factories and Pavilion.

During their time in Indy, members toured ag-related businesses and attended convention session led by the National FFA Officer Team.

They also cheered on Joscelyn Layman as she received 5th place in Division 5 Animal Systems, and Ingrid Hoffman as she placed 6th in Division 5 Food Systems. To complete the trip, they celebrated with Hunter Leupp as he received his American FFA Degree.

Upon their return, members participated in District 1 and State Level Job Interview LDE, with Lakota Siegel placing 10th in the state in

AGRISCIENCE FAIR …

Joscelyn Layman 5th place National Agriscience Fair Division 5 Animal Systems.

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AGRISCIENCE … Ingrid Hoffman 6th place National Agriscience Fair Division 5 Food Systems.

Division 2 – Sophomores.

Members also participated in the Novice and Advanced Parliamentary Procedure LDE, with both teams placing first in the county.

To round out 2023, the chapter delivered its fruit sale items to customers, which was a record high for the chapter, and held a school-wide canned food drive to restock the Hilltop Food Pantry.

Hilltop students donated over 3,000 items! The chapter is excited to begin this new year of competitions, community service, and awards!

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"The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News) - C13

Wauseon FFA Wauseon FFA Reflects On 2023 By: Hannah Pilch Chapter Reporter Once again, the Wauseon FFA had another busy year that led the chapter to many awards and accomplishments.

During the months of January and February of 2023, FFA members worked diligently by filling out award applications for American and State Degrees, officer books, and individualized proficiency awards.

FFA members also took time to recognize the community, parents, and school administration for their support for another year during the annual FFA banquet that was held in April.

During the banquet, the chapter elected 10 members to serve on the 2023-2024 Wauseon FFA Officer Team. The Officer Team consists of Garrett Leininger– President; Addison Tester– Vice-President, Alivia Moser– Treasurer; Lolly Santillanes– Secretary; Hannah Pilch– Reporter; Richard Noonan IV– Sentinel; Matthew Siler– Student Advisor and Dakotah Yeary; Madison Lane & Claire Nisely Serving as Assistant Officers.

The chapter also elected the following to Chapter Honorary Degree Status: Jenny Tester, Trenton Sauber, Trevor & Jennifer Leininger, and Layton’s Produce.

The annual State FFA Convention was held in Columbus, Ohio at the Ohio Expo Center in May. This year, we were excited to see four FFA members receive their State FFA Degrees.

Those members included: Zeph Siefker, Ali Moser, Kassidy Zientek, and Garrett Leininger.

Additionally, Zorah Siefker, Ali Moser, and Addie Tester were announced as Gold Rated officers for their work serving as the Secretary, Treasurer, and Reporter for their year of service for the Wauseon FFA Chapter. The Chapter was also ranked as a silver FFA Chapter in the state out of over 320 FFA Chapters.

The annual FFA Day of Service took place before school was let out for the summer. The

large community service project involved nearly 80 FFA Members partnering with 24 Wauseon Businesses completing approximately 240 hours of community service in one morning.

This annual project allows for a joint partnership between the Wauseon FFA and the Wauseon Chamber of Commerce.

In the summer months, FFA members worked again to continue to develop their SAEs and their work skills.

This year, the Animal Science Facility next to the school was utilized to house market hogs and turkeys that were shown at the Fulton County Fair.

Students also worked to keep the school farm functioning and worked on their projects at home.

Many students exhibited their projects at the fair and enjoyed the time they spent showcasing them.

The chapter also managed the Baby Animal Barn during the week of the fair providing Fulton County Fairgoers the opportunity to see 14-day-old chicks, puppies, kittens, dairy calf, and goats.

Also, during the summer, the newly elected officers completed a twoday officer retreat to plan and set goals for the upcoming year.

The officers met at the High School and conducted all their business

WAUSEON FFA 2023-2024 OFFICER TEAM and planning items from the building. The team also tested their physical and mental strengths on the high ropes and zipline course at Camp Palmer in Fayette, Ohio.

Wauseon FFA Officers were excited to plan for a new year and help grow the members of the chapter's leadership and personal growth skills.

Once the school year started back up, FFA Members competed in the chapter, and district and then advanced to the state Agriculture and Urban Soils Competition.

During the fall, the Livestock Selection Classes completed their broiler feed trials and ended the trial by processing the chickens at the school with the help of several Wauseon FFA Alumni/Booster Members. The National FFA Convention was held from November 1st through

the 4th in Indianapolis, Indiana. Wauseon FFA sent several representatives to experience the convention and ended the week watching Amber Rufenacht and Madison Strauss walk across the stage to receive their American FFA Degrees.

FFA Members continued participating in fall Career Development Events (CDEs) or contests.

The Chapter was excited to have Kassidy Zientek, Lolly Santillanes, Matthew Siler, Ellie Griser, Levi Rabe and Zorah Siefker participate in the County-Level Job Interview Contest, with Zientek advancing all the way to the State SemiFinals.

Also, the Chapter had a good run participating in the Parliamentary Procedure Contest and then advancing to the state level for competition.

Members of the Parli

Pro Team were: Garrett Leininger, Harlie Hensley, Zorah Siefker, Aiden Goings, Addie Tester and Logan Poorman. The team placed 4th in their room.

The Chapter also decided to try something new and tried a new contest, Food Science and Technology. Members of that team were: Isobel Issa, Lolly Santillanes, and Ashlyn Ledyard. The team competed at the District Level.

The chapter continued to do a variety of community service activities and pursued the goal of being active in each of the different grade levels of the Wauseon School District.

The 5th Grade Ag Day was also held in the fall to allow Wauseon 5th graders to explore all realms of agricultural science.

The chapter created 12 stations and led over 100 5th graders through each station.

The Citizenship Committee also created Veteran Appreciation Gift Bags that were distributed during the annual Wauseon Schools Veterans Day Parade.

Thirty-eight bags were distributed to veterans during the parade, and additional bags were taken to Fulton Manor for those veterans who were unable to make it to the parade.

The Citizenship Committee also created approximately 25 Farmer Appreciation Bags that were taken to the local

elevators for distribution during the busy harvest season. Both gift bags were designed as a way to show our support!

With the help of the Wauseon FFA Alumni & Boosters Club, the Wauseon FFA Chapter continued the tradition of hosting the Haunted Woods by the Elementary and Middle Schools.

To continue to provide community outreach, the Haunted Woods was opened to the Wauseon Public with a canned good being taken as admission.

The event collected over 55 pounds of food donated to the Wauseon High School Caring Closet or the WEVS Food Pantry.

To close out 2023, Wauseon FFA Members conducted their annual fruit sale to raise funds for the chapter and harvested the fields before Thanksgiving. The chapter also held its annual Chapter Leadership Night led by the Wauseon FFA Officer Team.

The team led FFA members through three different stations to learn about effective communication, decision-making, and teamwork.

The Wauseon FFA looks forward to planning another great year of continued success in 2024! Thank you to our community members, alumni, and booster supporters who have helped us again have a successful year!

Fulton Soil & Water Conservation District 419-337-9217 8770 St. Rt. 108 Suite B Wauseon Ohio, 43567

Pettisville FFA Pettisville FFA 2023 Year In Review By: Sophie Sterken Pettisville FFA Reporter Pettisville FFA has had a very active and successful year, filled with many contests, community events, service projects, and opportunities for leadership growth. Here is a month-by-month overview of what our FFA Chapter has accomplished.

In February 2023, Pettisville FFA celebrated

National FFA Week. They held their annual FFA Week Breakfast, which was open to students, staff, and FFA alumni members.

They also held the Greenhand and Chapter Degree Ceremonies, in which first and second-year members were awarded their degrees.

Seven teams competed in Career Development Events (CDEs) in March.

In these events, mem-

bers were tested on their knowledge and skills in different career areas.

Teams and individual members represented Pettisville in the following contests: Ag Mechanic Skills, Outdoor Power, Vet Science, Floriculture, Agronomy, General Livestock, and Wildlife Management. The Agronomy and Ag Mechanic Skills teams both placed second CONTINUED ON C15

SOILS TEAM … Thirty FFA members competed at the Fulton County Soils Career Development Event. The top 8 Pettisville FFA members moved on to compete in the district competition.

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C14 - "The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News)

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

Pettisville FFA (Continued) in the district.

Additionally, Pettisville held its annual Animal Day in March. This event educates Pettisville Elementary students about different farm animals, how to care for them, and provides an opportunity for interacting with livestock.

At the end of the month, Pettisville FFA held its annual FFA banquet. This event honors many students for their accomplishments throughout the year. The new 2023-2024 officer team was installed at the annual banquet.

In April, Pettisville FFA celebrated Arbor Day by helping the Fulton County Soil and Water District pack tree seedlings to be given to first graders in the area. They packed over 700 trees.

In May, Pettisville FFA traveled to Columbus for the FFA State Convention. Sixteen members attended, and they attended leadership workshops, tours, and convention sessions with keynote speakers.

Karter Zachrich received his State Degree.

To wrap up the school year, six FFA members attended the District 1 FFA Banquet, where area schools were recognized for their various awards and CDE success.

After school was out, the new 2023-2024 FFA officers spent a day together for Pettisville FFA Chapter Officer Training, where they discussed plans and goals for the upcoming school year.

May also marked the retirement of Mr. John Poulson as the Agriculture Educator and FFA Advisor at Pettisville.

During the summer, Pettisville FFA members helped serve the community at several events.

In June, they volunteered at the Pettisville Friendship Days. Members ran the cornhole tournament and pedal pull and were in charge of the trash and recycling for the community event.

SERVING LUNCH … Aiden Paxson, Kaleb Wyse, and Lily Wiemken served lunch to industry professionals from across the country at a corn genetics event, put on by Rob-See-Co. PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

OFFICERS … The 2023-2024 Pettisville FFA Officers. Back row from left: Mina Wesche-Vice President, Lily Wiemken-President, Olivia Miller-Treasurer, Karter Zachrich-2nd Vice President, Courtney Wiemken Assistant Treasurer, Creighton Aeschliman-Sentinel. Front row from left: Ella Richer-Secretary, Sophie SterkenReporter, Ava Genter-Student Advisor, Morgan Blosser-Assistant Reporter.

In July, four FFA members helped at Kenn-Feld Kids Day. August saw the start of the new school year, and with it, many changes. Pettisville welcomed two new agriculture educators and FFA advisors, Mrs. Whitney Short and Ms. Megan Drake. The chapter also opened up FFA membership to 7th and 8th-grade students.

In September, Pettisville FFA members competed in the county and district Rural Soils and Floriculture CDEs. The Floriculture team placed second and the Soils team placed fourth in the district.

Four FFA members traveled to Columbus for the Ohio Legislative Leadership Conference, where they learned about lobbying and policymaking.

Six members volunteered at the Fulton County 3rd Grade Ag Fest and helped run the small animal station.

Many FFA members participated in the Fulton County Fair by showing an animal or still project, volunteering at food stands, and participating in contests.

Finally, the ag business class planned and served lunch to seed

company representatives from across the country at the Rob-See-Co Corn Genetics Day. In October, first-year high school FFA members and officers from across Fulton County gathered at Camp Palmer for Greenhand Day. Pettisville’s 19 new members got to learn about different CDEs, heard from a State FFA Officer and saw examples of Supervised Agricultural Experiences from students around the county.

One of Pettisville’s biggest community events was also held in October, which is the Pumpkin Fest. Pumpkin Fest is put on by the FFA Alumni and Friends, and many FFA members volunteered to serve food, run kids' games, and work at the live and silent auctions.

Finally, Natalia Alencastro competed in the Job Interview CDE and won first place in Fulton County and second place in District 1.

To start November, 13 FFA members traveled to Indianapolis for the 96th National FFA Convention and Expo. The trip was filled with educational experiences and leadership growth opportunities.

Two Pettisville FFA members, Clara Damman and Karsen Pursel, received their American Degrees at the Convention. The Parliamentary Procedure CDE was also held in November.

Pettisville placed first at the county level and fourth at the district level. Members also volunteered at Fulton County Toys for Cheer, which is a free-will donation fundraiser to help families in need.

In December, FFA members delivered all fall sales products that they had sold in the previous two months. The fall sale was managed by the Ag Business class, and the chapter had a recordbreaking fundraiser.

To finish off the year, officers worked to complete their officer books, and three members submitted State FFA Degree applications.

In January 2024, 3 FFA members applied for their State FFA Degrees.

Two FFA members competed in the Fulton County Public Speaking CDE. 2023 was a year full of change and success for Pettisville FFA. The chapter is looking forward to what the rest of 2024 has to offer.

AMERICAN DEGREE … Clara Damman (left) and Karsen Pursel (right) were awarded the prestigious American FFA Degree at the National FFA Convention in November.

TOYS FOR CHEER HELPERS … From left: Olivia Miller, Karter Zachrich, Noelle Fox, Courtney Wiemken, Natalia Alencastro, and Sophie Wilke help collect toys for the Toys For Cheer program that collects toys to give to children in the community.

We Love Our Blackbirds!

GROUP PHOTO … Pettisville FFA 2023.

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"The Village Reporter” / Weekly Northwest Ohio (Williams & Fulton County News) - C15

Stryker FFA Stryker FFA 2023 Year In Review

FFA CONVENTION … The Stryker FFA Officer Team at the National FFA Convention.

By: Zoe Wood Stryker FFA Reporter During the past year, the Stryker FFA has actively contributed to both the local community and the academic environment.

Our FFA Week was marked by fun activities that involved the entire student body with tractor pulls, inviting the community to a petting zoo, strong man competition and Ag Olympics (complete with a straw bale toss and cotton candy booth).

In May, a select group of Stryker FFA students had the opportunity to attend several sessions and the Expo at the Ohio State FFA Convention in Columbus.

They also visited Columbus Zoo and OSU Waterman Dairy to learn about dairy production and field corn diseases while they were at the State Convention.

The last Friday of May the Stryker FFA hosted an open house to showcase our students' impressive projects completed throughout the year.

Stryker FFA appreciates all of the 110 companies and local businesses that support our program in a variety of ways from crop donations to materials, supplies, and discounted prices, to allowing us to work with your farms. Thanks to everyone who has supported the Stryker FFA. Officers enjoyed their officer retreat with Mr. Arnos in June and took some of their Ag Olympics games to the KFG Kids’ Day of Play in July.

FFA Members and officers participated in the local Stryker Summer Fest Parade in August.

Some of the highlights from the 2023 Williams County Fair is Natalie Bowers, Stryker FFA Vice President, won Best of Show Wood CNC for a dollhouse and Best of Show Large Wood for an outdoor memorabilia bench.

Ethan Walters won Best of Show CNC metal project for a LED Mathers Trucking sign. We would like to thank everyone that came out to support us, and we hope the Stryker FFA phone holders are appreciated.

Students also spent the whole first day of the

fair enjoying working in the milkshake stand for Williams County Dairy Association making milkshakes for fairgoers.

In September, our FFA members attended the Farm Science Review, where they were afforded the opportunity to engage with diverse agricultural enterprises, livestock, insects, emerging farming technologies, and a multitude of other offerings.

Science & Technology of Food students picked and processed tomatoes, apples, pumpkins and researched how many food miles a typical Thanksgiving dinner travels from the farm to the table this fall. Also, the class created meals for 40 students once a month for our FFA meetings.

The students in the Plant and Animal Science class hatched chicks, bred mini rex rabbits, and raised the bunnies that were born.

They also have been busy in their greenhouse adding another grow chamber and working on both aquaponics and hydroponics for the grow towers. The students will have a fish fry at the end of the year with the fish that they use for the aquaponics.

In October several students researched various farm animals to be able to knowledgeably help give farm tours at Timber Family Farms for five preschool classes from several local schools.

In November, Stryker FFA had a harvest party where three hogs were processed; students learned how to split and cut a side of pork into various cuts of meat which were then evenly distributed to those that helped with processing and some meat was reserved for FFA meetings throughout the year.

The Mechanical Principles students have been designing and creating their own projects with a variety of materials including wood, metal, and plastics, as well as a multitude of various projects for the annual fruit and project sale that wrapped up recently with the largest amount of student projects ever made and sold for Stryker FFA. Students appreciate using the latest technology including a CNC

wood router, CNC plasma cutter, a GlowForge laser, a HAAS endmill, a HAAS lathe, powder coating oven, tig welder, mig welder, a 3D printer, and collecting agricultural data with a drone.

These tools allow students to be able to create projects quickly and efficiently and be ready to enter the workforce with knowledge and experience for industry.

Senior Capstone students have created a great assortment of projects including an arcade game, a pool table, a claw toy machine, and a deer blind to name just a few.

The 2023-2024 officers include President Austin Batterson, Vice President Natalie Bowers, Second Vice President Bridget St. John, Treasurer Michael Donovan, Secretary Brooke Collins, Reporter Zoe Wood, Sentinel Jacob Froelich, and Student Advisor Alex Johnson.

In November, the officers went to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis to attend sessions, student workshops, and the Expo; while in Indianapolis they toured Hunter’s Honey Farm, Cowpokes, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

During the month of November, the officers held a Staff Appreciation breakfast bar that included students’ homemade bread and homemade apple butter, yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit.

In December, the students have the annual FFA Christmas party and Secret Santa gift exchange. Our students recently participated in the Archbold Parade of Lights, where the Stryker FFA won first place with a tractor decorated with decorative lights and a snow machine; students distributed handmade wooden tractors and cell phone holders that the students created during class this semester throughout the parade.

Stryker FFA students enjoy giving back to the

LEARNING HOW TO PROCESS HOG … Harvest Party and hog processing with Stryker FFA.

STRYKER FFA MEMBERS … Front Row: (Left to Right) Michael Donovan (Treasurer), Austin Batterson (President), Bridget St. John (Vice President II), Natalie Bowers (Vice President), Brooke Collins (Secretary), Zoe Wood (Reporter), Jacob Froelich (Sentinel), Alex Johnson (Not Pictured (Student Advisor). Second Row: (Left to Right) Adysen Andres, Jacob Cadwell, Lennon Capps, Miles Lucas, Daniel Donovan, Jacob Myers, Andrew Batterson. Third Row: (Left to Right) Elizabeth Stark, Madison Cherry, Mackynzie Drewes, Laura Leupp, Emma LaBo, Madisen Cargle, Kayla Fultz, Shawn Buehrer. Fourth Row: (Left to Right) Landen Dotson, Ethan Walters, Stryker FFA Member, Owen Zachrich, Nathan Gonyer, Braxton John. Not Pictured: Ariana Beltran, Jadance Bustamante, Emmalee Fulk, Carl Glenn, Geordie Gonzalez, Devin Montague, Rustin Nafziger, Adelina Patterson, Sully Stantz-Moats, Daniel Steck III, Zachary Thomas, Sarah Wood.

PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER

MAKING BREAKFAST … Stryker FFA Officers hosting a Staff Appreciation Breakfast in November. community and graciously made wooden Christmas lanterns filled with Christmas goodies the Science & Technology of Food students made and delivered to the Stryker Senior Center before Christmas break. Thanks to everyone who has supported and continues to support the Stryker FFA.

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