The East Knox FFA teams have been busy competing in career development events all over the state. Here are the latest results:
EAST KNOX FFA ELEVENTH IN STATE AG SOILS CDE
Recently, the East Knox FFA Agricultural Soils Career Development Event team placed eleventh in the state event held on October 8 in Franklin County at Three Creeks Metro Park.
The team members were Jon Cisco, Chase Temple, Angel Simmons, and Braylon Evans. Cisco finished as the 25th highest individual in the state with Temple finishing 40th, Simmons placing 66th, and Evans placing 70th out of 164 competitors from across Ohio.
Urban team members were Hailey Frazee, Molly Totten, Brianna Goodman, and Briana Steinwender. Frazee finished as the 34th individual in the state with Totten placing 35th, Goodman placing 37th, and Steinwender finishing 70th out of 165 competitors from across Ohio.
East Knox earned a berth in the state agricultural contest after placing fourth out of 15 teams in the district 7 contest conducted earlier in Licking County at Felumlee Farms southeast of Newark. Chase Temple was the sixth placing individual in the district with Cisco placing thirteenth, and Evans finishing 21st out of 73 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.
Individually in the district event, Hailey Frazee placed ninth, Molly Totten finished tenth, Brianna Goodman placed 14th, and Briana Steinwender finished 24th out of 63 competitors.
Prior to the district contest East Knox FFA placed first in the county event held at Annetts’s Farm south of Martinsburg and sponsored by the Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Individually in the county, Dylan Springer placed fifth.
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.
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.
The top five teams in the State Soils Career Development Events represent Ohio each May at the National Contest in Oklahoma.
Even though they did not qualify this year, East Knox FFA has been in the National Contest 28 times in the past 34 years (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 40 years.
EAST KNOX FFA COMPETES IN DISTRICT FOOD SCIENCE CDE
Five members of the East Knox FFA competed in the District 7 FFA Food Science Career Development Event held at Licking Valley High School in Licking County on November 2 where they finished seventh place out of 12 teams. Team members were Hailey Frazee, Dylan Springer, Hayden Baker, Molly Totten, and Angel Simmons.
The top four individual scores from each FFA make up the team score and the top two teams in the District advance to the state competition on December 3 at The Ohio State University. District 7, which consists of Knox, Licking, Franklin, Fairfield, Pickaway and Ross counties has 30 schools with FFA chapters.
In the contest, team members complete an online test on the basic principles of food science and technology, find correct responses to customer problems, identify food safety and sanitation problems by finding violations to good manufacturing practices (GMPs), identify equipment used in food processing, complete math practicum problems, and complete sensory evaluations by doing taste tests and aroma identifications.
The purpose of the Food Science Career Development Event is to stimulate learning activities in food science and technology related to the food industry and to assist students in developing a good working knowledge of sound principles used in a team decision-making process.
EAST KNOX FFA COMPETES IN DISTRICT JOB INTERVIEW CDE
East Knox FFA members Hailey Frazee and Ariel Atkinson competed in the District 7 FFA Job Interview Career Development Event at Licking Valley High School on November 2. Each sub district may have their first and second place students compete in each grade-level category as well as a first year junior or senior FFA member division. Each division is conducted as an individual contest. East Knox FFA had competitors in two of the five categories. Freshman Ariel Atkinson finished eighth in Division 1 and senior Hailey Frazee finished seventh in Division 4. The first place competitor in each division advances to the State Preliminary contest on Zoom on November 19 with the winners going to the State Finals on December 3 at The Ohio State University.
In the contest, each participant completes a resume and cover letter, fills out a job application, goes through a mock interview from one of ten specific jobs, and writes a follow-up letter. All of these items are scored to come up with the final placing.
Atkinson applied for the position of “animal shelter volunteer” from the animal science pathway and Frazee interviewed for the job of an “ after school tutor” from the agricultural business pathway.
The Job Interview Career Development Event was developed as a practical method for students to demonstrate competency in the skills necessary for obtaining a job.
