FFA WEEK 2020 Sunday, February 16, 2020 | globegazette.com | SECTION C
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Alec Eggers, Olivia Orchard, Olivia Brcka and Maycee Wilkie pose at the Clear Lake and Ventura Food Bank after delivering the holiday meal boxes.
Clear Lake’s ag program is booming With 78 students, new program is exceeding expectations GRACE ZAPLATYNSKY
grace.zaplatynsky@globegazette.com
The new agriculture and FFA program at Clear Lake High School is only halfway through its first year and already has seen some huge growth. There are now 78 students in the program in the second semester, a growth from the first semester’s 50 members, and each student in the FFA program has to take an agriculture class as well, according to agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Elisa Russ. Though the rapid growth can be a challenge, Russ said it keeps the program exciting, and having her students show energy and interest in agriculture and FFA by filling the classrooms and FFA meetings keeps her going. “I always remind myself that the opportunities I am helping provide these students are ones they didn’t have before the program was started, so that helps keep me grounded,” she said. Agriculture is a relevant and unique area for students to learn more about with a lot of diversity within the industry, so there’s always something to interest students, Russ said. “When students can see the importance and the ‘why’ behind what they’re learning, it keeps them engaged and excited about the content,” she said. Russ said she will offer more agriculture classes in high school next year, adding a plant science and animal science class in addition to her agriculture leadership and introduction to agriculture, food and natural resources classes.
“I am also hoping to get our middle-schoolers more involved in FFA,” she said.Working with students completely new to the agriculture world has been one of the biggest challenges Russ said, especially since she has been “surrounded by agriculture and FFA since I was born.” “Trying to teach something that is like second nature to me can be difficult, but it’s incredibly rewarding for them to learn about FFA and show excitement for what they’re doing,” she said. Sophomore Macee Wilkie, the Clear Lake FFA chapter sentinel, said she joined in August 2019 because she grew up on a small hobby farm, where she “got the feel of what agriculture was,” and she loved that aspect of it. “The whole world is like agriculture – what you eat, it has to do with ag – and even just leadership involves ag, too,” Wilkie said. Interacting with students who also love to learn about agriculture is her favorite part of the program, and she’ll definitely stay in the program next year, Wilkie said.With the launch of the new program, Wilkie said she feels like the students are more united, especially because students can learn about what they love and pursue a career in ag if they want to. “Since we’ve had ag, I’ve found my clique in what I really like to do,” she said. “I get more excited to come to school because I get my favorite class in the day.” Senior Julia Merfeld said she joined the program when it started because her dad and brother both work in the agriculture industry. Merfeld owed all the success to Russ, saying she gave the students all the available opportunities in the program. “She’s so excited about it, it
From left, back: Mason Murphy, Kjersten Ouverson, Easton DeVries, Alec Eggers and Meagan Paine. Front: Emma Pingel, Jessica Theobald, Olivia Orchard and Maycee Wilkie. These students attended the Iowa FFA Ignite and Amplify Leadership conferences. They attended a day-long leadership conference to learn more about FFA opportunities, the agriculture industry and how to serve as a better leader for their FFA chapter. just makes other people excited about it,” she said.Though in the beginning many people didn’t take the program very seriously, FFA is seen differently among the students now, Merfeld said. “I think a lot more people arguing it now, and they just don’t think of it as like, oh just like farm kids do it,” she said. “Everybody’s realizing that a lot goes into it, and there’s a lot of ways that you can get involved and be successful.” Merfeld said she somewhat wished she could stay next year and “just watch it grow.” “I think Clear Lake’s going to be a successful chapter and do a lot,” she said.Students who are active FFA members participate in community service projects, monthly meetings, leadership conferences and a variety of From left: Olivia Brcka, Alec Eggers, Allexa Whitehouse, Julia Merfeld, Riley Cooney, Sara Faber, Jessica Theobald and adviser Elisa Russ stand in Please see CLEAR LAKE, Page C5 the Iowa State Capitol for the 35th Iowa FFA Legislative Symposium.
GHV Iowa River FFA: Growing, marketing its own grain Chapter ranked second in state for breeding gilts GARNER-HAYFIELD-VENTURA
The GHV FFA has had another great year. The FFA has been involved in numerous activities this year. We helped with the Hancock County Fair and various activities for our community. The officer team helped grill burgers at the Garner Chamber Community Night in the Park, helped set up for both the Reliance Bank annual picnic, and Ag Awareness for third-grade students in Hancock County. There were 43 GHV FFA mem00 1 bers showing at the Hancock
County Fair this year, winning many purple and blue ribbons. This year we had 23 members showing at the Iowa State Fair. The Iowa River FFA Chapter was ranked second in the state for breeding gilts and fifth in the state for market swine at the Iowa State Fair Swine Show. Chapter members that participated in the Iowa State Fair were Ryan Darg, Joe Pringnitz, Caleb Turek, Zach Eichman, Erik Goll, Dakota Burress, Dakota Markla, Matt Barickman, Brielle Smeby, Jamie Hejlik, Jared Shaw, Zach Feld, and Emma Frohling. The GHV FFA has an annual test plot that has proven to be a great learning experience for the stu-
dents. The FFA members planted the test plot and continuously looked after it. The grain we grow is harvested and marketed by the Junior Ag marketing class and other FFA members. The test plot is an excellent opportunity for students to learn many different things. It teaches lessons about marketing, machinery operation, and agronomy. The FFA would like to thank Nutrien for the land and Dan Goll, Dan Boehnke, Legge Custom and Agvantage FS for chemicals, seed and equipment. SUBMITTED The FFA chapter had 7 memFirst row: Brody Boehnke, treasurer; Jayden Frank, vice president; Caleb bers; Jared Shaw, Sam Umbarger, Turek, president; Joe Pringnitz, secretary. Second row: Isaac Knutson, Please see GHV, Page C3 historian; Joseph Prohaska, reporter; Jared Shaw, sentinel.