Category Archives: FFA

This past week the Hay Springs FFA Chapter celebrated National FFA week. Throughout the week, students dressed up, played games, and learned about FFA. This is a great chance for the younger kids to learn about FFA and the opportunities it provides. On Tuesday, students dressed up in their Hawaiian gear, on Wednesday students wore their blue and gold clothes and the high schoolers drove anything but their normal vehicles to school and finally on Thursday students wore the color that corresponded with their favorite truck(Ford-Red, Chevy-Blue, Dodge-Black) and the elementary got to participate in an agricultural Kahoot. During the week the elementary held a coloring contest and the winners will be announced next week and earn a king size candy bar. This was a great week for all the students to learn more about agriculture and see the opportunities provided.

On January 10th, Hay Springs Public Schools took 17 members to a district competition at WNCC in Scottsbluff. Events our members competed in are: Floriculture, Ag Sales, Livestock Management (Poultry Evaluation separate test), and Welding.

Floriculture:
BLUE—Abby Nelson
WHITE—Alexa Tonjes

Poultry Evaluation:
RED—Jordyn Anderson
WHITE—Abbey Russell

Livestock Management Team—STATE QUALIFYING CHAMPION PURPLE:
Jordyn Anderson, Talan Smith, Abbey Russell, Ava McKillip, Josie Kelly
2nd PURPLE—Beef
RED—Dairy
2nd PURPLE—Horse
CHAMPION PURPLE—Sheep
RED—Poultry

The places won in the different divisions of the livestock management team (beef, dairy, horse, poultry, sheep) were won by the TEAM. They took the tests as a team. The poultry evaluation was a separate test they took as individuals in addition to the poultry part they did as a team.

On March 29-31, 2023 Hay Springs FFA Members traveled to Lincoln to compete in the 95th annual Nebraska State FFA Convention. Thirty-eight students competed in twelve various team contests and six different individual contests. It was a successful year overall at the State Convention. Braydon Binger won 1st in the Diversified Livestock Proficiency Award area and received 2nd in both the Diversified Ag area and Diversified Crop area. Colter Meeks won 1st in the Equine Science Entrepreneurship Award area. Emily Nelson was selected to sing in the State Choir and did exceptionally well. Braydon and Ava were recognized for their participation in the Nebraska FFA Foundation student testimonials. Braydon was also a Star Finalist in the Ag Placement area. Braydon Binger, Colter Meeks, Gus Scott, James Scherbarth, and Jett Rasmussen received their State FFA Degrees, which is the highest degree in FFA that one can get while in High School. Hay Springs FFA came home with the 7th place teams in the state in Farm Business Management and Agronomy too. Julia Russell and the Conduct of Chapter Meetings team which consisted of Evan Smith, Eli Scott, Kya Binger, Aubry Anderson, Reese Varvel, and Tailyn Starke received a Silver Medal. Many other teams and students ribboned as well. Not just the Chapter or the school but the community should be very proud as Braydon was selected as one of the 2023-2024 Vice Presidents for the Nebraska State Officer team.

For the students of Hay Springs Schools, the FFA Officers planned out a dress up day contest for this week. This contest will include the whole school, but the elementary and middle/high school will be judged separately. On the following Monday, the 27th, the winning class will be named and a prize will be given to each member of that class.

The dress up days consist of:
Monday – ‘Merica Day

Tuesday – Official Dress/Blue and Gold Day

Unfortunately, due to a winter storm, the last two dress-up days didn’t take place.

Wednesday – Denim Day
Thursday – Dress to Un-impress