FFA Members Use Convention to ‘Go Beyond the Blue’

Kathy Zimmerman
Reporter

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The FFA Mid-Winter Convention was held on Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. in the large arena during the Pennsylvania Farm Show. During the convention, the state officers conducting the convention continued to use their year as state officers to live out their theme by going “Beyond the Blue.”

Brittany Wilmer, eastern region vice president, said she saw many ways members can follow the state theme through FFA activities and their supervised agricultural experience programs (SAE). “Reading the biographies of the state stars helped me to understand some of the ways members go beyond the blue. It was really exciting to see,” said Wilmer. “There is so much diversity in agriculture where members can go beyond traditional agriculture.”

One of the highlights of the convention was the awarding of the state star awards. Star awards are given in four categories, agribusiness, agriculture production, agriculture placement and agriscience.

Winning the agribusiness star was Karlie Hoy from the Waynesburg FFA. For Hoy’s SAE she purchase a Hampshire gilt and raised its eight piglets, which she sold to earn back the money she invested. She also raised two crossbred market lambs to show in her county fair. To assist in offsetting the expenses of her animals she worked at the Greene County Extension office during the summer. She plans to attend the University of Rochester majoring in chemistry.

Ryan Martin from the Wilmington FFA was named the state star in agriculture production. Martin raises, shows and sells breeding sows and gilts. He began showing in 2005. In the next few years, he expanded his business to ten furrowing crates and multiple nursery pens. He plans to attend Penn State majoring in agribusiness.

In the agriculture place category, the state star was award to Joe Herr of the Manor FFA. Herr began working on local farms while a sophomore, most recently working on Metzler Farms in Lancaster County. There he worked with crops such as hay, tomatoes, pumpkins and corn. He also learned about proper irrigation techniques and how to service farm machinery.

The agriscience star went to Stephanie Dull from the Derry FFA. Dull has used her interest in plants and horticulture to conduct experiments using food waste from her school’s cafeteria to fertilize moon plants. Over a six-week period, she used coffee grinds, egg shells, oats, barbecue sauce, pickle juice and water to assist in the growth of six moon plants. During this time, she measured the plants’ height, pH and color. She plans to attend Penn State focusing on plant design and genetics.

The main part of the convention saw more than 145 FFA members receive their Keystone Degrees, the highest award the state association can give their members.

Before the awarding of the Keystone Degrees, the Pennsylvania FFA chartered its 148th chapter. The Sugar Valley Rural Charter School FFA, represented by its officer team including President Kyle Seyler, Vice President Corey Weaver, Secretary Mikaela Heggenstaller, Treasurer Phyleshia Sipe, Reporter Elliot Heggenstaller and Sentinel Cody Tomb, was presented with their charter by Chris Weller, FFA adviser from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and Russell Redding, Pennsylvania secretary of agriculture.

Also, more than 165 FFA members received FFA jackets during the convention.

Sponsored by the Pennsylvania FFA Alumni, the FFA jacket campaign provides first-year members with jackets purchased with funds donated from county farm bureaus and other alumni supporters. Alumni President Sherisa Nailor told the jacket recipients to “be inspired by the feeling you get when you first zipped up the jacket.”

The convention also included greetings from Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. Redding, referring back to his time in FFA, spoke about how the words “I believe” in the FFA creed are the cornerstone of the FFA. He also encouraged members to show their neighbors how important agriculture is in their communities by living out the part of the FFA motto, “Living to Serve.”

Also visiting the convention was Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) Casey commended the Keystone Degree recipients on their hard work and commitment to excellence.