FFA: food, fun and awards at Farm Show

This year was the 93rd annual mid-winter Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention at the Harrisburg Farm Show Complex. Each year, many FFA students get to travel to Farm Show and explore the complex center. The Farm Show is a way to portray agriculture in different ways and to help inform people who come to visit. It shows different parts of the industry and how it goes “from field to plate.” They have equipment exhibits, animals, and businesses as well. Many types of farm animals are shown there like cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, goats, and rabbits. The majority of the food served at the Farm Show is produced by Pennsylvania Farmers. The food is a big hit, like creamy milkshakes and delicious French fries, but also things like lamb or fried cheese cubes, and a variety of mushroom dishes. While the students were there, many members visited the butter sculpture, which is made completely out of butter. The theme of the butter sculpture was “Harvesting More Together.”

The Oley Valley FFA chapter entered two displays for the Farm Show. One was a landscape exhibit that a few members put together. The theme was “Down on the Farm” and it received third place. The chapter also entered a window display board informing people about wildfires. It was titled “Burning Up Over Wildfires” and the board received fifth place.

Lastly, the FFA MidWinter Convention started at 2:00 p.m. and this year’s state officers performed the FFA’s opening ceremony and then PA Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding welcomed everyone. This year Oley Valley had nine members receive their jackets: Eleana Arrowsmith, Tate Yerger, Wesley Hoffman, Robert Kowalski, Natalie Baum, Bailey Hornig, Leah Walters, John Allmendinger and Nigel Patches. The students earned their jackets from the PA FFA Alumni Association by writing an essay about what the jacket means to them. We also had three members receive their Keystones Degrees. The Keystone Degree is the highest FFA degree that a member can receive from the Pennsylvania FFA Association. It is based on leadership, chapter involvement, academic achievement, community service and completion of a Supervised Agricultural Experience with $1,000 earned or invested or has a minimum of 300 hours completed. Addison Arrowsmith, Sarah Berger and Kendall Rohrbach earned their Keystone Degrees and received their keystone chains to wear with their FFA official dress.