Thomas County Central High School Future Farmers of America competition teams are off to a solid start this season.
Teams recently competed in two separate events, one mainly for practice and the other as a qualifier to move on to state competition through Career Development Events, or CDEs. These events were held at the Albany State Fair and at Irwin County High School's CASE Farm.
Robbie Harrison, FFA Advisor and TCCHS Animal Science teacher, said CDEs are sponsored by the National FFA Organization.
“Career Development Events allow our students the opportunity to develop their passion and career choice, while teaching them essential communication skills, team work, sportsmanship, and industry specific knowledge,” she said. “They provide students the opportunity to apply hands on skills and knowledge to specialty agriculture industry areas, working in both team and individual events.”
The event in Irwin County was held on Nov. 17. It was the competition for the regional Livestock Evaluation and Environmental Natural Resources, or ENR, CDEs.
The TCCHS FFA Livestock Evaluation Team placed second out of 17 teams and will advance to state competition in early 2016. The team consisted of Tori Stringer (placed fifth individually), J Ben Smith (ninth individually), Riley Stringer (11th individually), and Blake Huffmaster (23rd individually). Individual rankings are based on the 230 students who participated.
"I am extremely proud of these young people,” Harrison said. “They are both passionate about the livestock industry and dedicated to the time it takes to prepare for this particular contest. Going in, I knew this team had the potential to earn their way to state, and now that they have we still have a lot of work to do, but they have the ability and the stamina to be successful at the state level. These students remind me of all of the reasons I fell in love with teaching, and I could not be more proud of each one of them.”
Sophomore and senior livestock evaluation team member Tori Stringer, 15, enjoys CDEs.
“It just allows you to explore different areas of agriculture such as livestock judging and dairy judging and wildlife management,” Stringer said. “It tests your skills and I enjoy that.”
She chose to compete in livestock judging because of past experience in the area: she grew up on a hog farm. Her competition consisted of ranking six different species (goats, lambs, hogs, heifers, etc.) into different classes based on qualities, taking a written exam (she placed highest out of all takers) and explaining some of her classifications and reasoning behind them to judges.
“Last year I got sixth so I advanced this year,” she said. “I was proud of myself. I plan to have a career in some area of livestock or in the medical field. Participation in FFA will help me in finding what I want to do. I’ve shown hogs for seven years, so livestock judging is pursuing my passion for showing animals. You have to work at it.”
Also, Stringer was “surprised” but “happy” at the team’s second place finish.
“We’re a pretty young team and there were a lot of teams there,” she said. “We’ve worked really hard for it so it was well-deserved.”
Sophomore Brentley Odom, 15, is currently serving as the FFA Area Five president. He’s been involved with FFA for four years and said it is a part of his life he can’t imagine living without.
In his branch of competition, ENR, the team had to complete a 50 question test, then a GPS coordinate test where the group had to find its way to four specific spots in 30 minutes, and finally general ID, where they had to identify various species and equipment in both their scientific and common names.
“I chose the ENR because I’ve already been learning species in class so it came easily for me to learn more,” Odom said. “I feel like our teams (junior and senior) did really outstanding during competition.”
The TCCHS FFA Junior ENR Team, advised by agriculture teacher Jerry Stone, placed first in its area and will advance to the state level of competition, to be held at Abraham-Baldwin Agricultural College on Dec. 5.
Team members and their individual rankings are: Carson Odom (ranked third), Lane Quick (11th), Collin Milam (14th), and Ethan Mims (seventh). This junior team consisted of all freshmen.
The Albany Fair, held Nov. 6 at the Albany Exchange Club Fairgrounds, was mainly a chance for teams and individuals to practice for upcoming CDE qualifiers. However, there was one event that was a qualifier for state competition.
Kolby Phillips placed first in tractor driving and will advance to the state contest at ABAC on Dec. 5.
Promoting agriculture’s significance in today’s world, as well as its numerous areas, is important to the members of TCCHS FFA.
“We’re carrying on the tradition and keeping agriculture alive in our area and in the hearts of people everywhere,” Stringer said.
And working together on teams can create close, lasting friendships.
“Being part of a team helps us get closer,” Odom said. “We spend hours trying to learn the same thing so we begin bonding. You realize you have similar interests and you get to be friends. As FFA grows, you grow.”
Harrison said the livestock evaluation team will compete at state in March 2016 at the University of Georgia. And, there’s plenty of work to be done between now and then.
“The state contest that will be held in Athens will require them to deliver two additional sets of reasons, participate in a team keep cull class, and evaluate breeding animals using Expected Progeny Differences and performance data of specific livestock species in addition to seven placing classes, and an industry exam,” she explained.
Odom is rooting for his FFA teammates as they prepare for upcoming state competition.
“I’m very proud of the livestock judging senior team for getting second at area and going on to state,” he said. “I hope they do an awesome job and blow everyone out of the water.”