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On Feb. 1-2, Snowflake High School (SHS) FFA hosted the annual FFA Northern District Spring Conference.
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Jack Babb, volunteer assistant advisor, said for the last few years Round Valley had hosted the event, but Heather Scott, chapter advisor and agriculture science teacher at SHS, requested that Snowflake host the event.
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“We had a good turnout, with approximately 120 student members from eight area chapters participating, as well as volunteers, alumni and chapter advisors,” said Babb.
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Students came from the high schools of Snowflake, Winslow, Round Valley, Ganado, Young, Payson, Monument Valley and Fredonia, to participate in 14 contests that included: Veterinary Science, Horse Evaluation, Livestock Evaluation, Meat Evaluation, Ag Mechanics, Aquaculture, Forestry, Agronomy, Entomology, Parliamentary Procedures, Conduct of Meeting, Prepared Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking and Agriscience Fair.
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There was individual participation as well as team participation. Each individual or team that gained a first or second placing from this conference will continue on to the Arizona FFA State events, which will occur throughout the spring.
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Every event highlighted a career path that chapter members can explore and grow in to continue the FFA mission to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population, while realizing that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting; it is also about science, business, art and politics.
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In Veterinary Science, which required a computerized test as well as demonstration of skills, SHS student Sarah Fisher took third place with the SHS team placing first.
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In Horse Evaluation, which explored equine science as well as judging on conformation, SHS Student Anna Greenwood took first place with the SHS team placing first as well.
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In Ag Mechanics, which consisted of demonstrating knowledge and skill in the areas of electrical, plumbing, woodwork and welding, SHS students Cooper Hancock took first place, Tyler White took second place and Jayden Hill took third place, with the first place team being SHS.
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In Forestry, where students demonstrated their skills in diagnosing forest disorders as well as managing forests and forest inventory, SHS team placed first.
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In Meat Evaluation, which consisted of judging the carcass and cuts of meat for fat content, quality of meat as well as calculation of temperature for spoilage, SHS students Cody Rowell took first place and Josalynn McIntyre placed second. Winslow High School (WHS) Student Jackson Leonard placed third, with the SHS team placing first and the WHS team placing second.
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In Livestock Evaluation, in which the students evaluated cattle, sheep, goats and pigs for conformation, symmetry and marketability, SHS students Jessalynn Isaacs placed first and Connor Scott placed second, with the SHS team placing first.
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In Agronomy, where teams showed their understanding of the many ways that science and technology collaborate to deal with weeds, seeds, soils and crops, the SHS team took first place.
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In Conduct of Chapter Meetings, where students demonstrated their skills in parliamentary procedures and running effective meetings, SHS team placed first.
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In Parliamentary Procedure, teams demonstrated their knowledge of basic parliamentary law with the correct use of Robert’s Rules of Order, with SHS team placing first.
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In Prepared Public Speaking, students presented a speech on an agriculture-related topic and then were questioned by the judges to assure they understood their topic, SHS students Cody Rowell took first place and Kristen Newby took second place.
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In Extemporaneous Public Speaking, where students were given a topic on agriculture and 30 minutes to prepare a three-minute speech, SHS student Shayley Paz took second place.
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The FFA is open to all high school students who want to learn about leadership, growth and career success through agriculture. Members are encouraged to live the motto: Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live and Living to Serve.
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