Twin Valley FFA Members
Excel At Contests
Members of the Twin Valley
FFA recently competed <n south
eastern Pennsylvania FFA con
tests and came home as big
winners.
In the dairy foods contest,
freshmen Brandt Barndt and
Jamie Powell tied for first place
with Julie Peterson placing sec
ond, Angie Lynam third, and
Katie Coffey fourth.
The team finished in first place.
Dairy foods contestants had to
take written tests on milk produc
tion and marketing, identify off
flavors in milk, and give each
sample a numerical score, identify
problems with milker parts and
give each set a numerical score,
perform California Mastitis Tests
and differentiate between real and
artificial dairy products.
In the agricultural sales contest,
senior Amanda Test captured first
place with Andy Teter second and
Keely Demarco fourth. The team
captured first place. Sales contes
tants take a written test on sales
information, give a sales presenta
tion on a product of their choice,
and perform a practicum skill.
This year’s skill was to develop
a newspaper advertisement for
Pennsylvania agricultural pro
ducts. Sales presentations include
developing a product display,
developing a written sales packet,
and doing a sales presentation to a
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Members of the Grassland FFA
Chapter attended the 68th National FFA Convention here
recently where they received special recognition for their
achievements in the National FFA Building Our American
Communities (BOAC) Award Program.
The chapter was one of 207 National BOAC Award win
ners that received special recognition for their achieve
ments in community development activities. Pictured Is
chapter member Jon Beaver, left, and FFA adviser, Robert
B. Lauffer.
The award program Is sponsored by RJR Nabisco
Foundation, Inc. of Washington, D.C. Is a special project of
the National FFA Foundation.
The BOAC award program recognizes FFA chapters on
the local, state and national levels for a wide variety of
community development activities including preserving
community history, organizing local fanners markets,
building feed testing facilities, and many other Improve
ment projects. BOAC projects provide citizenship and
leadership development opportunities to students by giv
ing them i chance to work with community leaders and
organizations.
The BOAC program has been endorsed by the National
Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association, the Fanners
Home Administration, USDA, and the U.S. Department of
Education.
panel of judges.
Wildlife competition also fea
ture a first place Twin Valley
team. Seniors Melissa Makris and
Tara Plewa placed first and sec
ond, and sophomore Josh Lawrey
placing 9th. Wildlife contestants
take a written test on knowledge
of wildlife species, identify birds
and mammals from mounts and
furs, identify bird calls, identify
wildlife foods and various wildlife
signs, and identify tracks. Finally
they identify wildlife that would
be found on a given habitat and
then tell what could be done to
manage this habitat to improve it
for specific wildlife.
Other Twin Valley wildlife
contestants were Aaron Teter,
Matt Perini, Jessica Harwell, Scott
. Ferrell, Rebecca Gardner, Aman
da Amoros. Jill DeGazelle, Kristin
Leisey, David Lutz, Megan Bina
siewicz, Alyssa Taylor, Ryan
Smathers, Christy Moyer, Irene
Thomas and John Shaffer.
In agricultural mechanics com
petition, Don Wolf placed 6th,
Todd Terry 9th, and Lee Millisock
10th. Mechanics contestants also
started with a written test and then
performed various mechanics
skills, including wiring and weld
ing skills.
In pleasure horse judging, Lura
Blosenski placed 3rd among
Berks County contestants. Horse
contestants identified items of
tack, took a written test on know-
ledge of horses and horse manage
ment, and placed classes of
horses. Other Twin Valley contes
tants were Desiree Reesey, Erica
Ullman, Chuck Beam, Melissa
Miller, and Megan Charron.
Finally students competed in
dairy cattle judging. Contestants
had to take a written test and place
classes of cattle as well as classes
of dairy pedigrees. Placing best
among the Twin Valley contes
tants was Kate Coliman. Other
Twin Valley contestants were
Kristy Baker, Tcran Moore,
Rachael Powers, and Sandy Mast.
Contests conducted by the FFA
were to measure skills developed
in agriculture classes as well as to
enrich some areas of our curricu
lum. All Twin Valley contestants
are agriculture students of either
Mr. Harold Dietrich or Ronald
Frederick.
Twin Valley FFA Receives
National Awards
The Twin Valley FFA was
among 350 FFA chapters from
across the United States which
were honored by the national FFA
at their annual convention in Kan
sas City, Mo.
- The Twin Valley chapter
received a bronze award in nation
al chapter ranking and a silver
award in community service rec
ognition. Each of the more than
8,000 FFA chapters across the
United States is eligible for recog
nition in these award areas.
National chapter awards are
based upon the overall activities
conducted by the chapter as well
as the involvement of chapter
members in these activities. Com
munity service awards ate based
on the chapter’s invplvement in
community service activities.
Twin Valley has been a leader
in presenting educational prog
rams to 3rd grade students in each
of the district’s elementary
schools. At the end of the school
year, all 3rd grade students are
brought to the high school for a
tour of the agriculture facilities
and lessons at eight different
teaching stations.
Members also are very active in
a pet therapy program with the
Tel-Hai Retirement community.
Working with the Pennsylvania
Game Commission, chapter mem
bers cut mote than two acres of
brush for habitat improvement and
planted tree seedlings on several
thousand feet of streambank to
prevent erosion.
Members also collect Christ
mas trees for recycling after the
holidays. These trees were used
for brush piles for wildlife habitat
and to prevent erosion in a gully.
To encourage more member
participation, upperclassmen con
ducted an “adopt a freshman” pro
ject last fall. Members partici
pated in stale FFA activities such
as the Made for Excellence Con
ference and the State Legislative
Leadership Conference. Mem
bers also attended the county FFA
Leadership Conference and the
Penn State Collegiate FFA Lead
ership Conference. They con
ducted a wildlifp and plant survey
with the Browning Ferris Cones
toga Landfill.
Numerous FFA members parti
cipated in county and southeastern
Pennsylvania FFA contests and
activities. Members showed their
expertise in such diverse areas as
record keeping, interview skills,
forestry, wildlife, pleasure horse
judging, and nursery landscape.
Overall, 95 percent of the in
school students in agriculture clas
ses became involved in FFA activ
ities. FFA activities are used to
supplement classroom instruction
as well as to enrich the curriculum
at Twin Valley. Members enjoy
career development activities as
well as those; which enrich their
personal lives.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 9,1995-819
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Members of the Pennsylvania state
FFA agricultural mechanics was one of 43 teams partici
pating In the National FFA Agricultural Mechanics Career
Development Event at the 68th National FFA Convention In
Kansas City.
Members of the team, from left, are John Berry, Matt
Commero, and Shawn Breneman. The team was accom
panied by their adviser/coach, Stephen Smith of Lampeter,
Pa.
The National FFA Agricultural Mechanics Career Deve
lopment Event is sponsored by Firestone Agricultural Tire
Division In conjunction with the Brldgestone/Flrestone
Trust Fund, a charitable trust established by Bridgestone/
Firestone Incorporated of Nashville, Tenn., as a special
project of the National FFA Foundation. The event Is held at
Ford Osage Vocational-Technical School, Independence,
Mo.
Maryland FFA
Land Judging
Contest
The Linganore FFA Chapter
won the first place banner in the
land judging contest held recently
in Frederick County, Maryland.
The contest is sponsored by the
Maryland Association of Soil
Conservation Districts as a special
project of the Maryland FFA
Foundation, Inc.
The high scoring individual for
the land judging contest was
David O’Hara, member of the
Linganore FFA. The Walkersville
High School FFA Chapter took
the second place banner in the
contest.
According to Contest Superin
tendent, Carl E. Robinette, soil
scientist with the United States
Department of Agriculture’s Soil
Conservation Service, 10 teams
were registered with 44 members
participating.
Luzerne County
Awards 1995 .
Outstanding 4-H’ers
Melissa Tomascik and Jill Har
rison recently received the
Luzerne County Outstanding
4-H’er of the Year Award given
by Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion of Luzerne County at the
Annual 4-H Achievement Presen
tation held at the Courthouse
Rotunda.
These outstanding 4-H’ers were
recognized for their leadership
ability; involvement in county,
regional and state 4-H activities;
and overall development accom
plishments. The outstanding
4-H’er is the highest county 4-H
awafd.
Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion of Luzerne County also hon
ored several other 4-H’ers and
volunteers for their achievements
and commitment to the 4-H
program.
Contestants were asked to eva
luate soils at three sites fen: the
capability and their limiting fac
tors. The members were then to
recommend the best management
practices for agricultural and
nonagricultural land uses at each
site.
Jim Brewer and Phil King of the
Natural Resource Conservation
Service supervised the contest
The winning teams in the land
judging contest from first through
third were Linganore High
School, Walkersville High
School, and Frederick High
School.
The top scoring individuals
receiving gold medals were: 1.
David O’Hara, Linganore FFA; 2.
Kevin Saylor, Walkersville FFA.
Receiving a silver medal was: 3.
William Higgins, Linganore FFA.
For information, contact Ike
Williams, State FFA executive
secretary, (410) 767-0189.
•I Dare You Award: Shannon
Cooney and Amber Frace.
•WDLS Public Relation
Award: Ist place—White Haven
River Rats; 2nd place—Hobbic
Community 4-H; and 3rd place—
Tall in the Saddle.
• Secretary Book Award:
senior—Kelly Jesse, junior—
Amber Frace.
•Club Achievement Awards;
Small Club—lst—Tall in the
Saddle; 2nd—Winning Colors;
and 3rd—The Winner's Circle.
Medium Club—lst—The Hum
mingbirds; and Large Club—
-Ist—Hobbie Community 4-H;
and 2nd—White Haven River
Rats.
•Teen Leader Award: Maurice
Christine, Christina Demellier,
Sara Donovan, Amy Fairchild,
Melinda Frace, Jill Harrison, Jac
queline Heller) Heather Hoffman,
Loni Hunts, Matt Sechevich. and
Heather Wildrick,