FFA Students Continue to Thrive By Linda Competillo
June 07, 2023
Tompkins Weekly Article: https://www.tompkinsweekly.com...
The New York State Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention 2023 took place May 18 to 20 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in Buffalo, New York – welcoming over 2,000 FFA members, advisors and honored guests from across the state – and among them were 10 FFA members from Groton Jr./Sr. High School (GHS).
Elijah Brehm, Emily Cargian, Addie Clore, Stella Holl, Rachel Houston, De’Anna Mackey, Erica Miranda, Josie Ross, Noble Snyder and Jillian Zigenfus all attended, as well as Chelsey Mahany, FFA advisor and agriculture educator at GHS.
This annual convention is an amazing event for the students, who hear from inspiring speakers, peers and agricultural professionals. The event offers them the opportunity to expand their knowledge during workshops and tours by exploring different fields in the agriculture industry and networking with agricultural business professionals and colleges during the Career Engagement Expo.
Mahany said that her students studied hard and made their way to the convention ready to learn and compete.
“The Junior Tool Identification team did their best, and the Senior Quiz Bowl team was on a roll moving through the bracket,” Mahany said. “We were finalists! Members participated in multiple days of service at various parks and venues, went on tours of Upstate Niagara, New York Power Authority and more. They were also provided with the opportunity to venture through the amazing Expo and try everything from learning about turf to using a virtual welder, and our FFA members also participated in various workshops and sessions.”
Clore and Zigenfus both received Dairy Breeds awards and Brehm was presented with his official blue corduroy FFA jacket from the New York State FFA.
“It was truly a wonderful experience to see all of these kids in their elements,” Mahany said. “They made me super proud with all their hard work, and they represented Groton well. We had two teams in two different competitions and balanced our downtime with tours and a day of service activities. The convention as a whole was successful and proved to be a fantastic experience for everyone involved.”
Clore is one of the Groton FFA charter members since it was brought back to life in August 2019 after its hiatus since 1972. Shecurrently serves as vice president for the chapter. Clore offered her own take on the convention experience, which truly brings it to life!
“Any time spent at the New York State FFA convention is time well spent,” Clore said. “At the event, you are surrounded by thousands of people who think and support many of the same ideas you do. Overall, it is a relaxing experience once you get past the running between workshops and helping some younger members. At the convention, members go through a series of workshops that pertain to a life skill, the convention’s theme or something totally random and fun. There are large sessions led by the state officers where everyone gets together. In these sessions, we laugh, dance, listen, receive awards and go over super-important business. At the business session, a chapter is given a delegate, and this year that was me. As a delegate, I vote on specific amendments and new rules being proposed to the state FFA. After the combined business session, the delegates were broken back down into their districts. As individual districts, we will vote on our new district president – my favorite part of the process. FFA members also received awards that they worked all year for. This year, Jillian and I were awarded the Dairy Breeds award and Elijah Brehm was given his very first FFA jacket. The entire experience is wonderful, and I cannot wait for next year!”
Mahany also spoke about how proud she is, in general, of the accomplishments and experiences FFA members have had this academic year and said they “have grown as a team of blue corduroy.”
On the classroom side of things, Mahany has been busy teaching Botany and Intro to Ag in the STEAM Learning Center. She explained some of the things the agriculture (Ag) students have been up to.
The Botany class held a very successful plant sale during the district budget vote on May 16. The students also designed and planted the door prizes for the Cortland Chamber of Commerce event that was held in the STEAM center. They also made centerpieces for prom and have been actively learning about the marketing and business side of how the floral business works, while also designing community service projects that involve horticulture. Students have also worked on getting hydroponic towers up and going, and their spinach is thriving!
The Intro to Ag students have earned their CPR/First Aid certificates through the American Heart Association, thanks to Flo Allen. They have also been working on plant parts and what they do and learning about sustainable agriculture, food systems, farmed seafood, how animals and crops are raised, case studies, how workers in Ag sectors are treated and how making choices about where our food and fiber come from makes a difference, both locally and on a global scale.
The FFA chapter hopes to attend the national convention this fall in Indiana, and Mahany said that anyone is welcome to sponsor a student. She is available via email at cmahany@grotoncs.org for this or for any questions about the ag program or FFA at GHS.
Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at 607-227-4922.