FREDERICKTOWN — Recently the Fredericktown FFA participated in the Knox County Envirothon Training at Ariel Foundation Park in Mt Vernon.
This training was provided in cooperation with the Knox County Soil & Water Conservation District, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, ODNR-Division of Wildlife, and ODNR-Division of Forestry. This is the only team contest that we will be involved in to where all team members work together to complete a test in each of the following areas: Soils, Aquatics, Wildlife, Forestry, and Environmental Issues. One team of five students will be competing in the Area 3 Envirothon competition at the end of April.
Recently, the Fredericktown FFA chapter competed in the State Nature Interpretation Career Development Event at Hocking College. This competition is designed to help stimulate an interest in nature interpretation and allow FFA members to demonstrate their skills, knowledge, and competencies of natural resources. Participants do so by taking a general knowledge test. They also have to identify 75 specimens of a variety of mammals, birds, and other wildlife in a variety of ways from the live specimen, skin, skull, track, actual mounts, or other acceptable evidence such as scat or signs.
They also complete practicum’s that could include any of the following: identifying animal calls and equipment, reading nature signs, determining water quality, and controlling problem plants and animals. The purpose of these activities to give members the opportunity to show their understanding of the natural resource.
The team did very well, taking 11th place in the state overall, just barely missing the top 10. Those team members of the Nature Interpretation team were: Lauren Neighbarger, Mason Flack, Ryver Hauger, and Isaac Craig.
Recently the Fredericktown FFA Chapter participated in the State Dairy Cattle Judging Contest held at the Ohio Expo Center. The members joined a team based on their interest and their knowledge on the subject they were judging. The Dairy Cattle CDE is an educational activity designed as a practical method of teaching students to select quality dairy cattle. Students will be challenged with pedigree evaluation, sire selection, linear evaluation, a written test, placing classes and written class reasons.
The Dairy Cattle Judging Team judges five placing classes consisting of four animals. There is also a pedigree evaluation class, a sire selection Class, and a Holstein class using the Linear Evaluation form. The Dairy Cattle Judging Team placed 64th place.
The Fredericktown FFA took part in the state contest for the General Livestock Career Development Event. The general livestock contest is designed to help members recognize quality production livestock animals and their traits. Participants place several animals in classes according to their appearance, movement, and other characteristics. They may also consider records and data. The animal’s classes can be any species of livestock, including swine, cattle, and sheep. Members may also be asked to evaluate animal classes based on their market qualities. Competitors also determine which animal to keep and which should be sold in the keep or cull classes. The participants also answered questions about the classes, each member scored based on how well they answer them and how they did with the rest of the contest. The skills students learn in evaluating general livestock should make them better livestock producers and consumers by providing hands-on, practical experience in identifying and understanding characteristics that affect production and quality. Our team this year took 152nd place in Ohio. Those team members were Austin Frazier, Lane Dugan, Lauren Neighbarger.
Fredericktown FFA Advisor is Debra Burden.
