HOWARD — The East Knox FFA recently competed in the State FFA Forestry Career Development Event held at Hocking College on August 25 where they placed second out of a field of teams from across Ohio.
(The results of the event have just become official so they are just now being released.) Eight members of the East Knox FFA competed in this event with the top four scores counting as the team score.
The top four scorers were Dylan Springer – 5th, Andrew Poff – 7th, Hailey Frazee – 9th, and Nic Steinwender – 15th out of 124 individuals. Other members were Ryan Hubbell – 21st, Colvin Guthrie 33rd, Hayden Baker – 55th, and Nate Cunningham – 111th. The team will receive a banner for its top five state finish and the top ten individuals will each receive a plaque at the annual Ohio FFA Convention next May in Columbus.
The Forestry Career Development Event is an activity designed to demonstrate students’ skills in the area of Forestry Management. Students complete a 45 question online test over the forestry Industry, identify tree species, identify forestry tools, complete a timber cruise to determine the volume and value of saw logs in a woods, perform a timber stand improvement practicum, complete a chainsaw part identification and trouble-shooting exercise, and conduct a forest diseases and disorders identification practicum.
The team will represent Ohio next September at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
This year’s second place finish in the State FFA Forestry Career Development Event marks the 30th year in a row (dating back to 1993) that East Knox FFA has placed in the top 10 teams in the state contest and the 21st time finishing in the top five in Ohio. They won the State in 2020, 2013, and 1999 and have finished fourth more than any other placing at nine times.
East Knox FFA 4th in state AG Soils CDE, advances to nationals
The East Knox FFA Agricultural Soils Career Development Event team placed fourth in the state event held on October 9 in Delaware County at the Delaware State Wildlife Area. The team will now represent Ohio in the National FFA Land Evaluation Contest next May in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The team members were Alexandria Magers, Andrew Poff, Hailey Frazee, and Nic Steinwender. Magers finished as the seventh highest individual in the state with Poff finishing 13th, Frazee placing 53rd, and Steinwender placing 90th out of 179 competitors from across Ohio.
East Knox earned a berth in the state agricultural soils contest after placing second out of 13 teams in the district 7 contest conducted earlier in Knox County on the Grassydell Farms. Alexandria Magers was the top placing individual in the district with Poff placing fifth, Frazee finishing sixth, and Steinwender placing 18th out of 59 individuals.
The state is divided into ten FFA districts, and the top five teams in each district advance to the state-level competition making a field of 50 teams. The 50 teams at the state contest came from nearly 200 teams that entered district-level competition from across Ohio. District 7 is a six County area consisting of Knox, Licking, Franklin, Fairfield, Pickaway, and Ross counties with 30 schools that have FFA.
Prior to the district contest East Knox FFA placed second in the county event held at Advantage Ag in Mt. Vernon and sponsored by the Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District. Individually in the county, Andrew Poff was fifth highest individual, The top finishing individuals will receive an award from the Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District at their annual banquet in December.
In the agricultural land evaluation event members determine soil slope, landform, surface soil texture, subsoil texture, structure in the topsoil, depth of topsoil, drainage class, depth to restrictive features, compaction, infiltration and number of living organisms in the soil. This information is used to make recommendations for soil degradation based on soil erosion, soil compaction, water quality, and overall soil health. Best management practices are selected for each of these soil degradation problems. A soil fertility portion of the competition is also completed. Teams also take a written test over soils and find soil information from the web soil survey.
The team will receive a banner at the State FFA Convention in May for placing fifth in the state and Magers will receive a plaque for finishing in the top-ten individuals.
This is the 28th time in the past 33 years that an East Knox FFA soils career development event team has represented Ohio in the national contest (the most of any FFA in Ohio). East Knox FFA has also had a soil team place in the top 10 in the state 36 out of the past 39 years.
East Knox FFA 16th in state urban soils CDE
The East Knox FFA Urban Soils Career Development Event team placed sixteenth out of a field of 50 teams from across Ohio in the state event held on October 9 in Delaware County at the Delaware State Wildlife Area. Urban team members were Miale Hurlow, Blake Elliott, and Hayden Baker. Hurlow finished 34th individual in the state with Elliott placing 56th, and Baker placing 59th out of 165 competitors from across Ohio.
East Knox earned a berth in the state urban contest after placing third out of 12 teams in the district 7 contest conducted earlier in Knox County at Grassydell Farms near Howard. Individually in the district event, Miale Hurlow placed sixth, Hayden Baker finished ninth, and Blake Elliott placed 26th out of 53 competitors.
Prior to the district contest East Knox FFA placed third in the county event sponsored by the Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District. Individually in the county, Miale Hurlow placed fifth.
In the urban land evaluation event, members determine soil slope, landform, flooding hazard, stability, texture at three different levels, structure in the subsoil, drainage class, depth to restrictive features, and depth to bedrock. This information is used to make recommendations to use the site for houses with basements; sewage treatment systems; driveways and roads; and lawns, gardens, and landscaping. Teams also take a written test over soils and find soil information from the web soil survey.
