FFA/4H SPOTLIGHT

POWERED BY

Moore FFA Cooks Up a December Treat

Scroggins Animal Hospital

1259 S Eastern, Moore (405) 895-6638 scrogginsanimalhospital.com

As 2022 winds down and Moore Public Schools turn the corner at the halfway point in the school year, the Moore FFA turned the heat up with their annual Chili Cook-Off. Mind you, the fun didn’t stop with some tasty, homemade chili recipes. There was also a Tacky Sweater Contest, cookie decorating, and Karaoke. Agricultural Education advisor and FFA sponsor Jessica Dunlap says the event is one of the FFA traditions everyone looks forward to.

“I’ve been at Moore High School for eight years now, and they were doing it before I got here,” said Dunlap. “It’s a great time at Christmas when we can get together, not only with our students but also with our families, and have fellowship with each other.”

Dunlap says that while the cookoff and other fun events are the centerpieces of the evening, it’s also a chance for parents and other family members to see their kids really shine.

“We run a formal meeting using Robert’s Rules of order, and they all have a speaking part,” said Dunlap. “That’s something a lot of adults don’t know how to do. For us, it’s a great way to highlight and showcase our great kids in FFA and let folks see all they’ve accomplished.”

Those accomplishments include doing well at the various FFA competitions during the school year and volunteering at the Myriad Gardens Pumpkin Village, running a canned food drive, and gathering toy donations for families adopted by the FFA for Christmas.”

Junior Collin Adamo says those are the things that initially attracted him to FFA and are a big reason why he’s become more deeply involved in the organization. an ag course,” said Adamo. “I was kind of expecting it just to be a class, but I ended up meeting some of the best friends I’ve ever had, who became like family to me.”

Adamo says it’s the people who make FFA so unique, with relationships and bonding happening as they work late into the night and in the early mornings for shows.

“These are friendships we’ve built that we’ll carry with us for the rest of our lives,” said Adamo.

There’s also the practical side of agriculture education which Adamo says is really helping him as he charts a course for the future.

“I’m in shop class, animal science, and ag communications,” said Adamo. “Learning animal science has been great for me because I want to attend a large vet school. And then everything I’ve learned from Mr. Saunders in shop has given me the knowledge and skill to make repairs when I own a farm.”

The Chili Cookoff is an excellent time for Adamo and his classmates to relax and have fellowship with each other and their families. It’s also a time when they can wind down 2022 and catch their breaths as they gear up for a busy 2023.

“We’ll have all sorts of competitions come spring,” said Adamo. “Everything from floriculture and Quiz Bowl. We’ll compete with chapters all over the state, going from border to border of Oklahoma. There’ll be livestock shows starting in January and running into March, and we’ll do some really fun things with the Special Olympics. So, yeah…a really busy semester is ahead.”

Adamo says he would encourage anyone to get involved in ag education and FFA because it’s about more than just agriculture and animals.

“Like I said, the biggest thing is the sense of family you find here,” said Adamo. “But there’s also a ton of practical knowledge you can pick up, whether it’s taking care of plants, welding, or communication skills.”