Category Archives: FFA

State FFA Convention and Agricultural Science Leadership & Career Development Events Competition

The Hay Springs FFA members have had a very successful second year and are preparing to compete in three of the Leadership Skills Development Events. Abigail Russell will be competing in the State Creed Speaking Contest after winning the District XII contest, and RyLee Wolken will be competing in the Senior Public Speaking Contest. Our Freshman Chapter Conduct of Meeting Team also won the District XII competition and will be competing at State. Members of this team include: Abigail Russell, Alexa Tonjes, Abigail Nelson, Ava McKillip, Noah Kelly, Jarhett Anderson, Jordyn Anderson, Taden Tobiasson and alternates Adrianna Haffner and Hayden Boles. This contest will all be held virtually so the educational opportunity to travel to Lincoln and compete in person experience will not be part of this state competition.

Several members will also be competing in the state Career Development Events after qualifying in district competition. Team and individual competitions from earlier in the year is as follows:

Agricultural Sales Team: Hannah Hoos, Logan DeCoste, Jett Rasmussen, and Abigail Russell

Food Science Team: Hally Johnson, Laney Smith, Breely Smith and Alexa Tonjes

Farm and Agribusiness Management Team: Hannah Hoos, Logan DeCoste, Jett Rasmussen, Braydon Binger, Colter Meeks and Abigail Russell

March 3rd, Hay Springs FFA Chapter members competed in individual and six different team contests in Kimball, Nebraska. The six contests were Agricultural Science, Senior Livestock Evaluation, Junior Livestock Evaluation, Meat Evaluation, Nursery and Landscape, and Agronomy.

The Senior Livestock team placed 5th and qualified for state. These individuals judged 7 classes of beef, swine and sheep and gave reasons on two classes: the sim-angus bulls and the breeding gilt classes. The team consisted of Jett Rasmussen(placed 20th), Colter Meeks(placed 23rd), Jaiden Anderson(placed 25th), Logan DeCoste(placed 33rd), and Augustus Scott(placed 44th).

The Junior Livestock team included Abigail Russell(placed 1st), Mia Skinner(placed 15th), Molly Spicer(placed 17th). Breely Smith(played 31st), and Hally Johnson(placed 42nd). The team placed 4th and is a state qualifier.

The Nursery and Landscape team had to identify equipment, parasites, plants and flowers, took a general knowledge test and had to design a landscape activity as a team. Overall the team placed 3rd and qualified for state. The team members were: Bailey Scherbarth(placed 6th), Abigail Nelson(placed 7th), Alexa Tonjes(placed 11th), Laney Smith(placed 12th), and Sissy Reina.

The Ag Science team placed 1st and qualified for state. The contest was the completion a 50 question test about the agricultural industry including agribusiness, ag processing, animals, plants and dissection of a flower while identifying the parts of a flower. The first team included Ava McKillip(placed 1st), Abigail Russell(placed 2nd), Alexa Tonjes(placed 3rd) and Abigail Nelson(placed 5th). The second Hay Springs ag science team placed third and consisted of Noah Kelly, Jordyn Anderson, Jarhett Anderson, Adriana Haffner. Alternate team members were Taden Tobiasson and Hayden Boles.

The Meats team competed well and will also be competing at state. The teams were scored based on a meat evaluation test, the placing of 4 classes of wholesale and retail cuts including: T-Bone steaks, short loin, pork chops, and rib chops. They also had to identify 30 retail cuts via slideshow. The Meats team consisted of Braydon Binger, Toby Scherbarth, and RyLee Wolken.

The Agronomy team had to do some math questions about fertilizer and acres, and identify crops, insects, weeds, crop diseases, and equipment. Team members also completed a test about crops, soils and water conservation, and fertilizer etc. The Agronomy team consisted of Noah Kelly, Jordyn Anderson, Jarhett Anderson and Taden Tobiason. Our Agronomy team will also be competing at state.

District XII Schools include: (Alliance, Bayard, Bridgeport, Banner County, Chadron, Crawford, Creek Valley, Garden County, Gordon-Rushville, Gering, Hay Springs, Hemingford, Kimball, Leyton, Minatare, Morrill-Mitchell, Potter-Dix, Sioux County, Scottsbluff, Sidney)

On Wednesday December 9th the District XII Leadership Skills Events were held virtually as Chadron State College was unable to host the event as in the past do to COVID. In the individual events Hay Springs had two individuals qualify for state competition. Abigail Russell received first Purple and was a State Qualifier in the Creed Speaking contest and RyLee Wolken received second purple in Senior Public Speaking and qualified to compete at state in April. Other individual award winners were Jaiden Anderson finishing in third place and receiving the 1st Blue award and is the alternate to State in Cooperative Speaking. Hannah Hoos received fifth place and a Blue award in the Employment Skills job interview competition and Adrianna Haffner received a red award in the Creed Speaking competition.

In the Team Events the Hay Springs 9th grade “Chapter Conduct of Meetings Team” placed first and will be competing at state. Team members included Abigail Russell, Abigail Nelson, Noah Kelly, Alexa Tonjes, Jordyn Anderson, and Jarhett Anderson and Taden Tobiasson. Alternates to this team were Ava McKillip, Adrianna Haffner, Hayden Boles. The 8th grade “Chapter Conduct of Meetings Team” were close behind finishing 4th place and receiving a blue award. Eighth grade team members included Lillian Dorshorst, Kaylee Kaiser, Jaelyn Rasmussen, Dylan Raymer, Dylan Young, Zahaven Henry, Cutter Scott, and Talan Smith was the 8th grade alternate team member.

In the “Senior Parliamentary Law Team” competition our sophomore team finished with a Blue Award. team members were Braydon Binger, Molly Spicer, Jett Rasmussen, Colter Meeks, Breely Smith, and Hally Johnson. Team alternates ere Mia Skinner & Augustus Scott. Our Junior and Senior “Parliamentary Law Team” received a Red Award and consisted of Jaiden Anderson, Bailey Scherbarth, Laney Smith, Logan DeCoste, Jazlyn Smith, and Elissa Reina.
Congratulations to all of these students the to the very positive way they represented our school and community in these District Leadership Skills Events.
We would also like to thank Mr. Hagge for supporting our FFA Chapter by volunteering his time to serve as a judge for the day’s events and huge thank you to Mr. Larel Reimann for assisting with the technology and set up of these events.

On November 17th the Hay Springs FFA Chapter conducted our Greenhand ceremonies for our 2019-20 members and our new 2020-21 FFA members. We also conducted Chapter Degree ceremonies for the 2019-20 members who were to receive their Greenhand degree last spring when we had planned our first annual banquet which was COVID canceled. Our ceremonies only included members of the FFA member’s immediate families and was live streamed by our great technology coordinator, Larel Reimann.

The evening began with the formal opening ceremonies conducted by the 2019-20 officers who include Seniors, president Hannah H, treasurer Jaiden A, parliamentarian RyLee W, Juniors, secretary Laney S, chaplain Jazlyn S, sentenal Logan D and historian Elissa R, and Sophomores, vice-president Braydon B, reporter Jett R. Following the opening ceremonies Ms. RyLee Wolken presented a welcome followed by an invocation by Jazlyn Smith.
The formal Greenhand Degree ceremonies were conducted by 2019-20 officers and Mr. Lechtenberg. As part of these ceremonies Abigail Nelson, Adrianna Haffner and Abigail Russell each presented the FFA Creed, which outlines the basic belief of all FFA members. Greenhand Certificates and pins will be presented during Ag class in the near future. Students receiving the Greenhand degrees were: Jaiden A, Hannah H, Bailey S, RyLee W, Logan D, Elissa R, Laney S, Jazlyn S, Braydon B, Colter M, Jett R, Toby S, Augustus S, Hally J, Mia S, Breely S, Molly S, Jarhett A, Jordyn A, Adrianna H, Noah K, Ava M, Abigail N, Abigail R, Taden T, Alexa T

Following the Greenhand ceremonies Mr. Lechtenberg acknowledged members who successfully participated in District XII and State Leadership Skills Events and the Career Development Events. Those members receiving individual awards during the 2019-20 were; Hannah H, Jaiden A, RyLee W, Bailey S, Laney S, Jazlyn S, Braydon B, Colter M, Jett R, Toby S, and Augustus S. Individual Leadership Skills events areas where our students received awards included Senior and Junior Public speaking, Cooperative Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, Creed speaking and Employment Job Skills Interview competition.
Hay Springs chapter members also received Leadership Skills Event team awards in Senior Parliamentary Procedure where we had two teams competing and receive a blue and red awards.

In the District and State Career Development Events competition students received individual and team recognition in the following areas of competition; Agri-Science, Floriculture, Livestock Management, Livestock Selection, Meats, Agronomy and Farm Business Management competition.

Mr. Lechtenberg also recognized and thanked those businesses and individuals who have supported our chapter in its first year of reinstatement as a member of the Nebraska FFA Association and the National FFA Organization.

The 2019-20 officer team then conducted the ceremonies for those individuals that have met the requirements for the FFA Chapter Degree. Those members receiving the Chapter Degree included; Jaiden A, Hannah H, Bailey S, RyLee W, Logan D, Elissa R, Laney S, Jazlyn S, Braydon B, Colter M, Jett R, Toby S, Augustus S, Molly S. These students will also receive their Chapter Degree medals and certificates during class in the near future. These students have developed Supervised Agricultural Experience programs and are well on their way to receiving their State FFA degree in their senior year. Congratulations to these students on their accomplishments in FFA and we encourage them to continue to growth through their involvement and participation in our FFA activities.

The final event of the evening was the installation of the 2020-21 by the 2019-20 officer team. Our 2020-21 officers were selected after five members of our committee served as a nominating committee to review the applications of fourteen very qualified students to select the individual students to serve as members of the Hay Springs FFA Chapter Officer team for 2020-21. This group of officers will serve our chapter until May when hopefully we can conduct are first annual banquet honoring the achievements of 2020-21 competitions and installing officers for the 2021-22 year. Our 2020-21 officer team includes President-Hannah Hoos, Vice-President-Jaiden Anderson, Secretary-RyLee Wolken, Treasurer-Molly Spicer, Reporter-Bailey Scherbarth, Parliamentarian-Logan DeCoste, Sentential-Jett Rasmussen, Jr. Adviser-Braydon Binger, Historian-Breely Smith, and Chaplain-Mia Skinner. Congratulations to our new officers as we look forward to a very successful year.
The evening concluded with the closing ceremonies and the pledge to our flag.

Other FFA Events
On November 4th the new Hay Springs FFA jackets arrived so that all of our members now have jackets and are ready to represent our chapter with pride wherever we travel for events and competition. Our first competitive event will be held virtually as our members will compete in the District XII Leadership Skills Events on December 9th. Students will be competing individually in Senior Public Speaking, Cooperative Speaking and Creed Speaking and in the Parliamentary Procedure and the Chapter Conduct of Meetings team events. We want to wish these students the best of luck as they attempt to advance to state level competition.