Annual UpdateFFA 2014

Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve May 2014

State Proficiency Winners Celebrate SuccessBy Alexis Lyons

Take A StepAs we reflect on the past year, it is important that we celebrate the steps our members and supporters have taken toward success. While each step we take is important, the hardest step to take is the first step. Whether it is the first step as an infant or the first step into a new job, it takes courage to take the first step into something new. The accomplishments made over the past year, were made possible because of the cour-age our members had to try something new. When looking back at the steps we each have taken, you see a legacy that is being left behind. The legacy that members of the Webberville FFA have left over the past year is astounding. This newspaper celebrates all the steps the FFA members and supporters have taken over the past year, leaving a legacy.

FFABy the

Numbers

87

10500

127

8

Members that attended contests

897

Total Members in FFA

Items of Food Donated

Attendees at FFA Banquet

Grant Money Received

Outstanding Juniors

Plants in the Greenhouse20000+

Scholarship Money Awarded5000

Financial Footprint in Webberville area

13 Academic Excellence

12241

201

1

7

Regional Officer

State Degrees

This year, there were numerous state proficiency winners representing the Webberville FFA. At state convention, five students re-ceived proficiency awards in four different skill areas. Students worked hard to finish their proficiency applications by January. Along with filling out the basic information and expenses of their Supervised Agricultural Experience, the students were required to answer many essay questions regarding their SAE and proficiency area. “This was an outstanding year for our senior class who exhibited tremendous skills and competency in their SAE’s,” said advisor Col-leen Scott Keiser. After applications were submitted, they were judged on their quality of skills, goals, hours and income received from the SAE. The judges then awarded the students silver, bronze, gold or the state winner proficiency in each skill area. “It was fulfilling to see all of my hard work and determination that I put into my application finally pay off. It was an honor to receive a gold award in Ag. Communications and I am proud of my accomplishments this year,” said Sasha Glover. At state convention, the Webberville FFA was proud to have five members recognized on the stage. The proficiency winners were Lo-gan Schneider, Kyle Reed, Caleb Eaton, Sasha Glover and Emily House. Schneider received a silver award in swine proficiency. Reed and Eaton both received a bronze state proficiency award in Ag. Mechanics. Glover received a gold state proficiency in Ag. Communi-cations. . House was awarded the state winner for her proficiency in Ag. Mechanics, Design and Fabrication. “It was a great honor to be the state winner, especially since it was in a proficiency area that is a tradition in my family. I am the fourth generation to work at Moore’s Farm Repair and this award highlighted the achievements I have received working there,” said Emily House. House will compete nationally in the fall at the National FFA Convention. This year’s proficiency winners were very successful in their skills and Supervised Agricultural Experiences. The Webberville FFA is honored to have had so many proficiency award recipients and feel that this year’s winners have inspired others for next year.

2

The Webberville FFA was recognized as the number one Food for America program in the state of Michigan. On Friday April 25th, the Webberville FFA opened its doors to the agricultural facilities for its annual event, AGstravaganza. The Webberville FFA completed the application for the Food for America program and received first placed based on the event. “I am very pleased with the leadership exhibited by our committee; they were very focused with their approach and becoming a state winner was very rewarding,” said advisor Colleen Scott Keiser. At AGstravaganza, the Webberville FFA invites elementary, middle, high school students and community members to learn about food and fiber sources. This year, there were fourteen different stations including, pig, chicken, goat, beef, dairy, face painting, cow to cone, greenhouse, tractor, hayride, environmental, horses, FFA and sheep. At each station, students and community members are given a presentation on facts about each topic and how they contribute as food and fiber sources. El-ementary students are given either a pig, cow, chicken or sheep passport to ensure they stop at each station. “It is great to see our chapter’s members take initiative to make creative and edu-cational presentations that can teach many different age groups. I look forward to seeing what next year’s event will bring,” said chapter Vice President of Community Development, Sasha Glover. The Webberville FFA chapter was recognized as having the number one Food for America program throughout Michigan. The application process included essay responses to various questions based on our program, planning of the event, chapter participation and the goals that are accomplished. Additionally, the chapter chose pictures and captions that showcased AGstravaganza. At the FFA State Convention in March, Webberville was announced as number one. “The application process was long and rigorous but the end result was well worth it. It has been an honor to be chosen to receive this award and is exciting for our pro-gram to be recognized at the state level,” said chapter President, Emily House. AGstravaganza was very successful this year as there were additional stations, more member involvement and new presentations. The Webberville FFA would like to thank the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee (MSPC) for their financial sup-port and contributions. The MSPC awarded $1,000 to the Webberville FFA chapter this year after members submitted the Ag Education Day grant.

AGstravaganzaBy Alexis Lyons

FUN DAY: A group of elementary students pose for their picture to be taken after the final station, face painting. The students had a great day of learning about Agriculture and food and fiber sources even with having a rainy day.

#1 #1

1

State Officer

1

Ag Proficiency Awards5

National Chapter Gold Award

1 State Star Semi-Finalist

This financial support allowed the FFA to order signage, educational materials and provide soybeans for students. “This grant was a great opportunity to expand AGstravaganza and make the event have a greater impact on the students. I am grateful that the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee awarded the chapter with the grant, it was very helpful,” said chapter Vice President of Student Development, Jenna Kingsley. The Webberville FFA is very proud of its members, as they have upheld tra-dition and worked hard to make AGstravaganza the number one Food for America program in Michigan. The Webberville FFA would like to thank the community, members, school and alumni for their endless support. Come grow with us!

31

Michigan’s #1 Food for America Program

1. GOING FOR THE GOLD: Pictured Emily House and Sasha Glover. House was awarded the state winner for her proficiency in Ag. Mechanics, Design and Fabrication. Sasha Glover received a gold state proficiency in Ag. Communications.2. FFA MECHANICS: Kyle Reed and Caleb Eaton. They both received a bronze state proficiency award in Ag. Mechanics.3. SUCCESS IN SWINE: Logan Schneider received a silver award in swine production.

Emily House has always dreamed of becom-ing a Michigan FFA state officer. House has an endless passion for FFA and has shown her dedication to the Michigan organization through many contests. Since the eighth grade, House has been an active member in the Webberville FFA. Throughout high school, House has received many honors and recogni-tion in leadership contests, skills contests, National and State Conventions, showing at the Ingham County Fair, AGstravaganza, the chicken BBQ and the State Broiler Contest. Additionally, House has served the Webber-ville FFA by being selected for officer posi-tions. Sophomore year, House was nominated as treasurer and Vice President her junior year. This year, House was selected as the 2013-2014 Webberville FFA president. “Being president of my chapter has pre-pared me for becoming a state officer. I want to be able to inspire other students and con-nect with as many members as possible,” said House. Beginning in January, House began the long process toward being slated for a position as a state officer. To be in the running for a state office, House had to dedicate endless hours of studying FFA facts and filling out applica-tions. Next, she prepared for her regional level interviews which would determine whether she moved onto state level interviews. After moving onto the state level, House traveled to Michigan State University for a weekend filled with individual and group interviews, group bonding activities and evaluation of personal conduct in various settings.

“I have gained so many new experiences and lessons by running for a state office. I have made fifteen new best friends and I am really looking forward to this year. I have learned to work hard and to never give up on your dreams,” said House. At the Michigan FFA State Convention in March, House was slated at secretary. The following morning, she delivered a speech followed by two questions for the state del-egates. House was selected as the Region IV Vice President for 2014-2015. “I am very impressed with Emily’s drive and willingness to take on the challenge of running for state office,” said Colleen Scott Keiser, FFA Advisor. “She is a driven, highly competitive candidate at the state level who will represent the State Association and the Webberville community with great integrity and pride.” The Webberville FFA is proud of House’s accomplishments and look forward to seeing her serve the Michigan FFA.

2 News and EventsPaige Wilson Serves as Region IV V.P.Future leader

Emily House to Serve as State OfficerState Officer ElectBy Alexis Lyons

Star in AgribusinessState Candidate, Sasha GloverBy Emily House

FFAAnnual Update2014

By Jenna Kingsley

The State Star of Agricul-ture Placement Award is among Michigan FFA’s top and most prestigious awards. Webberville FFA member and chapter vice president, Sasha Glover was among six candi-dates state-wide considered for the State Star of Agricul-ture Placement this year. There are many different aspects that go into becom-ing the State Star of Agricul-ture Placement that can be found in the lengthy applica-tion Glover completed. Any senior who has completed four years of records for their FFA SAE project can apply to be the State Star. “The application process is lengthy but when you look at it all completed it is definitely a wow factor on how much you have done and is definite-ly worth it,” said Glover Becoming the State Star of Agriculture Placement isn’t just about how much money the candidate has or has made in the past; the State Star application pro-cess takes into account all aspects of the candidate’s life, SAE projects, involve-ment in the FFA, leadership development, participation in agriculture, and the amount of hours the candidate puts in every year. “Sasha is very dedicated in everything he does in FFA. He is always working hard to

further his abilities and help further others. He has made great strides in his future by diligently working to improve his Supervised Agricultural Experience and has become skilled in business manage-ment,” shared Jenna Kings-ley, Webberville FFA chapter vice-president. Glover could be found around Northfork Farms since the age of 8. He started out as a student taking rec-reational riding lessons. He then started volunteering his time to work the public open-ings. By the age of 14, Glover was a paid employee. His duties started out as giving lessons under the direction of Northfork owner, Christie Showerman, and have ex-panded to the point that he is now in charge of scheduling lessons, acquiring state cer-tification, and has the title of Assistant Director to Christie Showerman. “If you need something done, just tell Sasha,” noted North-fork owner, Showerman. When filling out the appli-cation and undergoing the process to become the State Star of Agriculture Place-ment, Glover learned skills that will help him later on in life such as, learning to set goals, the importance of keeping accurate records, and learning how to success-fully interview. Becoming the

State Star is a great honor. The Star is an individual that has been selected and recog-nized for the amount of time and effort that they have put into their career goal. “Sasha is an outstanding and very deserving candidate who will represent the Web-berville Community, Chapter and school with great pride at the state level,” said Col-leen Scott Keiser, FFA Advis-er. “I am confident that he is a very worthy candidate who will be extremely competitive and am proud to work with him to achieve his goals. Glover was selected to be in the top 6 in the State for Star in Agriculture Place-ment. After an interview with a member of the Star selec-tion committee on December 16, Glover was assessed. At State Convention Glover was recognized as being a top six finalist. From this experience, Glover has grown greatly and forever remember his accom-plishments in the FFA.

At the beginning of the month, the Webberville FFA Officer Team attended Region IV Officer Camp in Fenton, Michigan. Prior to attending, junior Paige Wilson went through many interviews for regional office. She was slated Vice President against Byron’s Josephine Forbush. At the end of the camp, elections rolled around. All slated officer can-didates had to prepare a 2 minute speech to deliver to the rest of camp. After speeches, the members voted and votes were counted. Results were given during the next session, and Wil-son was elected 2014-2015 Region IV Vice President. Right before officer camp, Wilson was elected 2014-2015 Webberville FFA Chapter President. She is excited to serve the members of the chapter. “I am excited to not only serve my chapter, but my region as well,” said newly elected Paige Wilson. “Being elected as Region IV Vice President, gives me the opportunity to better my-self as a leader and to help prepare for state office next year. I am ready for a fun-filled year of impacting my region.” Wilson has been a very active mem-ber of the Webberville FFA since her 7th grade year. In 8th grade she was the Middle School secretary and has held many other Chapter offices such as Secretary and Vice President. She has competed in various FFA Competi-

tions at all district, regional, and state levels such as Broiler Contest, Leader-ship Contests, and Skills contest. Her highest achievement prior to regional office would be receiving silver at State Convention in the Demonstration Contest. She will work with her Regional Offi-cer team to coordinate events such as Regional Recreation nights and attend the State Leadership Conference for Regional Officers (SLCRO). She follows in the footsteps of senior member, Sasha Glover who served as the 2013-2014 Region IV Secretary. “Paige is a refined young lady who has honored her leadership skills in FFA and sets goals which continue to challenge her to seek ways to develop her potential as a leader in all the activities in which she participates in,” says Mr. William Wheeler.

State Winning Broiler Teams Every year many FFA chapters meet at Munsell’s Poultry Processing Plant south of Fowlerville for the Chicken Broiler Contest. 405 teams of chick-ens were processed during the 3 day period of this contest. Members raise chickens and keep accurate records of their feed intake and try to raise the best birds. There is more that goes into the contest then raising the birds by feeding and water-ing them. The contest requires mem-bers to keep records of the pounds of feed that have been consumed by each chicken and as a whole. Graphs and pictures are also a part of the report. “The broiler contest has taught me about the poultry industry and it has also taught me how you to take care of the chickens in order to produce healthier meat,” said eighth grade member, Maci Kubiak. At the processing plant, students partake in all aspects of properly pro-cessing the birds. They must answer oral questions from the judge about their birds and how they were raised. After the questions, students had to

weigh their birds and then package the birds in vacuum seal bags. The birds were judged on the reports students filled out and the quality and selection of the birds. They were based on of a point scale system that placed each team of birds. The Webberville FFA took 6 high school teams and a middle school team to the contest. There were 131 teams that day in the contest; the Webberville FFA had 3 of our 6 teams finish in the top 20, receiving gold awards. One of these teams was in the top 10 also. Two of the other teams received a silver award, while the last team received a bronze. Our middle school team finished 2nd in the state out of the 25 teams on that day, also receiving a gold award. “I had a very successful pen of broil-ers this year. My team and I received a silver award for our hard work of rais-ing the birds. It was a great experience because I learned a lot about chickens and the industry,” said Senior Sasha Glover of the Webberville Spartan Team One.

By Jenna KingsleyTop in the State

Stationed by the Plow: Paige Wilson smiles for a pic-ture after being elected Region IV V.P.

Continuing to support the Webberville FFA!

ADM Grain Company Phone: 517-521 34002700 N. M-52 Fax: 517-521-4074Webberville, Mi 48892 Toll Free: 800-289-4521www.adm.com/webberville

A Division of Archer Daniels Midland Company

FFA STAR: Sasha Glover at the FFA state convention winning numerous awards.

Upholding Tradition: Emily House and Nick Webster pose for a picture after she is announced as Region IV Vice President.

Broiler Time: KT Wylie, Michaela Chambers, and Leslie Shull received gold and were 6th in the state.

Winners: Middle school team members Lauren Ross, Branden McGowen, and Jacob Thomson finished 2nd in the state.

FFA SENIORS.. 3 FFAAnnual Update2014

Earning to Live, Living to Serve

By: Alexis Lyons

Learning to Do, Doing to Learn,

State Degree, State Academic Excel-lence- Gold, 2014-2015 Region IV

Vice President, State Courtesy Corp., Prepared Public speaking Competi-

tion: District- Gold, Regional- Gold Al-ternate to States, 2013-2014 Chapter President, State Broiler Contest- Sil-

ver, Local Academic Excellence, State Ag Mechanics Design & Fabrication Proficiency State Winner, Graduation

Honors

State Degree, State Academic Excel-lence- Gold, 2013-2014 Region IV Sec-retary, Job Interview Competition- Dis-trict- Gold, Regional- Gold, State- Gold, Chapter Vice President of Community

Development, State Star in Agribusiness semifinalist, State Broiler Contest- Silver,

Local Academic Excellence, State Ag Communications Proficiency Gold, Gradu-

ation Honors

Senior Member, State Academic Excel-lence- Gold, Local Academic Excellence

Senior Member, State Academic Excel-lence- Gold, Local Academic Excel-

lence, Graduation Honors

Senior Member

Senior Member,Local Academic Excellence

Greenhand Degree, Chapter Degree, Job Interview Competition: District Silver, Local Academic Excellence, State Broiler Contest- Silver, State

Swine Production Proficiency, Gradua-tion Honors

State Degree, State FFA Band, Prepared Public Speaking Competition: District

Silver, Broiler Contest participant, Local Academic Excellence, Graduation

Senior Member

State Degree, State Academic Excellence- Gold, State Courtesy Corp., Demonstration Competition: District- Gold, Regional- Gold, State- Silver, 2013-2014 Chapter Historian,

Broiler Contests participant, Local Academic Excellence, Graduation Honors

State Degree, State Delegate, Local Aca-demic Excellence, Graduation Honors

State Degree, State Academic Excel-lence- Gold, State delegate, Job Interview

Competition: District Silver, Local Academic Excellence, Graduation Honors

Greenhand Degree, Chapter Degree, Broiler Contest participant, Local Academic Excel-

lence, State Ag Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Proficiency Bronze, Gradua-

tion Honors

State Degree, State Academic Excel-lence- Gold, Local Academic Excel-

lence, Graduation Honors

We Are Spartan FFA

Senior Member

Greenhand Degree, Chapter Degree, Broil-er Contest participant, Local Academic Excellence, State Ag Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Proficiency Bronze,

Graduation Honors

Senior Member, Local Academic Excellence

Lillian SessionsKatelyn Wylie

Aaron Eberly Megen O’Connor Kyle Oesterle

Logan Schneider

Brooke Scifers

Jimmy Albin

Kara Kulaga

Samantha Driver

Caleb Eaton Kyle Reed

Emily House Sasha Glover Alexis Lyons Jackie Bishop

Bernadette Dengel

2014 FFA Seniors

“FFA has shown me that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to”

-Sasha Glover

“At first I just thought of FFA as a club, but once getting more involved I started to see the great

things I was getting out of it”-Lillian Sessions

“FFA has taught me to go outside of my comfort zone and has given me skills that I will be able

to use in my future ”-Alexis Lyons

4 FFAAnnual Update2014 High School Officer Team

Meet and Greet your new FFA Officers!

Vice President Jenna KingsleyFavorite Food: Sloppy JoesFavorite Song: “Cop Car”Favorite Movie: DivergentFavorite FFA Event: Leadership Contest“FFA has taught me to become a better leader and to be a role model for other members.”

President Paige Wilson Favorite Food: Mac n’ CheeseFavorite Song: “Whatever She’s Got”Favorite Movie: Sweet Home AlabamaFavorite FFA Event: National Convention“FFA has shaped me into the person I am today by leader-ship.”

Vice President Jesse O’ConnorFavorite Food: BBQ Steak, me-dium rareFavorite Song: “Far From Home”Favorite Movie: AnchormanFavorite FFA Event: AGstrava-ganza“To succeed in life you need to know what hard work is. FFA teaches you those life skills.”

Vice President Chelsea StanleyFavorite Food: Mashed PotatoesFavorite Song: “Lettin’ The Night Role”Favorite Movie: DivergentFavorite FFA Event: National Convention“FFA has taught me a lot about agriculture and with-out FFA I wouldn’t be the person I am.”

Secretary Autumn StoweFavorite Food: SteakFavorite Song: “Runnin out of Moonlight”Favorite Movie: DivergentFavorite FFA Event: Regional Officer Camp“FFA has taught me to go outside of my comfort zone and to try new things.”

Treasurer Michaela ChambersFavorite Food: Fried PicklesFavorite Song: “This Is How We Roll”Favorite Movie: Dreamer Favorite FFA Event: AG-stravaganza “I’ve learned many new leadership skills that will help me in my future career.”

Reporter Hayley WagnerFavorite Food: Crab Ran-goonFavorite Song: “Alone With You”Favorite Movie: Stuck In LoveFavorite FFA Event: Na-tional Convention “FFA has taught me to never be afraid of who you are, FFA brings together many different types of people.”

Sentinel Zack O’ConnorFavorite Food: VenisonFavorite Song: “What Does The Fox Say”Favorite Movie: Anchor-man

Favorite FFA Event: AG-stravaganza“The more you learn in FFA, the smarter you are in the real world.”

Parliamentarian Parker TennantFavorite Food: Mac n’ Cheese with tomatoesFavorite Song: “It’s Friday”Favorite Movie: Division III FootballFavorite FFA Event: AG-stravaganza“Keep FFA in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.”

Historian Calvin ScofieldFavorite Food: SushiFavorite Song: “Call to Arms”Favorite Movie: Red DawnFavorite FFA Event: Skills Contest“FFA has taught me the true meaning behind a faith born of deedsand to live by the words of the FFA Creed.”

Chaplin Hunter OlrichFavorite Food: Venison Back-strapsFavorite Song: “Country Boy”Favorite Movie: Lone SurvivorFavorite FFA Event: AG-stravaganza“FFA is a garden, dig it.”

Junior Officer Team

PresidentMaci Kubiak

Favorite Food: Garlic Par-mesan Chicken WingsFavorite Song: Bottoms UpFavorite FFA Event: AG-stravaganza“The creed taught me how to believe and achieve in the future of agriculture.”

Co-Vice President Lauren Ross

Favorite Food: SpaghettiFavorite Song: 17Favorite FFA Event: Lead-ership Contest“FFA has taught me to stand up, be a leader, and have confidence.”

Co-Vice PresidentTyler Rozema

Favorite Food: PizzaFavorite Song: All I Do Is WinFavorite FFA Event: Chick-en Broiler Contest“FFA has taught me skills and how to achieve goals in life.”

TreasurerGrace Hull

Favorite Food: PotatoesFavorite Song: HeadlightsFavorite FFA Event: AG-stravaganza“If you put your mind to something, you can get it done.”

ReporterSavannah Tennant

Favorite Food: Steak and Mashed PotatoesFavorite Song: Fall Into MeFavorite FFA Event: AG-stravaganza“It has taught me how to care for animals and agri-culture.”

SentinelEthan Stiffler

Favorite Food: SteakFavorite Song: Big Green TractorFavorite FFA Event: AG-stravaganza“FFA has taught me responsibility and leader-ship.”

SecretaryCassey Landphar

Favorite Food: Chicken/Ranch SaladFavorite Song: Blue Foun-dationFavorite FFA Event: AG-stravaganza“It has taught me that we are not only who we made ourselves, but how we af-fect others.”

Leadership

2014-2015

Teamwork

Teamwork: The new 2014-15 officer team takes a moment to snap a quick picture.

Future Leaders: The new 2014-15 junior officer team steps forward as they are installed into their positions.

5 FFAAnnual Update2014

Annual Chicken BBQ Sells Out Annual Plant Sale Raises Funds for Conventions

The smell of charcoal filled the air around 8:00 a.m. at the fire hall September 29th. The Webberville community was very familiar with what this smell meant, it was the day of the 55th annual Webberville FFA chicken BBQ. When asked about the dinner, middle school member Jeffrey Michalski said, “I love the chicken dinner, and it has always been good. “ Each year members and alumni work together to put on the chicken BBQ as a fund raiser in order to support the chapter’s program of events though out the year. Each dinner includes a half chicken (BBQ or plain), chips, coleslaw or apple sauce, a drink, and a cookie. Some of the events the money goes towards are national con-vention and contests. “National convention was a very exciting and eye opening trip that made me excited to lead the chapter towards new goals. I am thankful for the communities’s support of the chicken BBQ which made the trip possible,” said officer, Jenna Kings-ley. We are happy to announce that we sold all of our dinners this year and would like to thank the community for the support. We hope to see you next year.

By Emily House By Alexis Lyons The annual Webberville FFA plant sale was back! The sale took place in the greenhouse next to Webberville High School from May 8-12. There were over 20,000 annuals and vegetables this year. There were also over 750 perennials. FFA members plant, water, and care for various flowers, herbs, and vegetables that are available in the greenhouse. The revenue from the sale goes towards the $2,000 scholarships the alumni grants to graduating seniors. The money also goes towards the expenses of send-ing an FFA member to the National FFA Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. Last year’s sale raised enough money to grant three scholarships to mem-bers of the class of 2014. Chapter members as well as alumni have always enjoyed the plant sale. It is a great way to serve the Webberville community and show the hard work that mem-bers dedicate to the plants for the sale. The Webberville FFA would also like to thank the community for their support and hope that it will continue in the future.

FFA Receives Grants Continue to Support Chapter

Feeding the world, one community at a time, is the focus of the Syngenta “Grow More Communities” Grant Program. For 2014, four FFA chapters in Michi-gan, including the Webberville FFA, were selected to receive a $1000 grant to grow a community garden and donate at least 50% of the produce from that garden to a local food bank. According to Ramey Lunceford, Director of the Michigan FFA Foundation, “Ru-ral communities in Michigan are in need of fresh produce to feed families who struggle to afford and acquire the fresh vegetables required to raise healthy families.” “Syngenta has the passion for feeding the world and recognizes that the best solution begins locally, in grass-roots efforts, to create sustainable communities.” “We, as the Michigan FFA Foundation, are excited to partner with Syngenta to provide resources for gardens to four Michigan communities in 2014.” The FFA chapters selected for this grant agree to grow a 0.25 – 0.50 acre of actual garden crops where 50% of the grown crop will be harvested and donated to the Michigan food bank of the chapter’s choice. The remaining 50% of the grown crop can be marketed locally by the members of the FFA chapter to sup-port additional FFA activities, be used as a chapter community service project, or managed as individual student Supervised Agriculture Experience projects. The FFA chapter also agrees to do at least 2 outreach/ educational programs throughout the growing season to help teach community members about grow-ing their own food. “Syngenta, as part of our good Growth Program, are excited to bring FFA youth and their local communities closer together for the purpose of feeding the world” said Charles Scovill, Agronomic Service Manager for Syn-genta. In support of this program, Syngenta will provide the selected FFA Chapters a $500 donation to set up the garden and over 10,00 seeds of various vegetable crops, all from Syngenta genetics. An additional $500 will be donated to the chapter upon final delivery of grown produce to the local food bank of their choice. Syngenta is also donating up to $4,000 to the Michigan FFA Foundation upon the completion of the 2014 GrowMore Communities Program.

FFA Land Lab Receives Syngenta Grant Food for All & RYD Grants Net $9,000 The Webberville FFA chapter in has been awarded $2,500 as part of the FFA: Food For All program and a $6500.00 grant as a part of the Ru-ral Youth Development Grant program. The nationwide programs provide grant money to local FFA chapters to support year-long service-learning projects that address local hunger needs. The Webberville FFA is addressing hunger in their local communities by planting themed vegetable garden planters and providing these to local food banks. Moreover, vegetable flats will be distributed and broilers pro-vided. The chapter opened its doors to the school and community in May for Agstravaganza where workshops will be held on container gardening and food scarcity issues. The FFA: Food For All Grants are sponsored by RAM, Farmers Feeding the World, the Donaldson Foundation and Monsanto as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. The program provided approximately $297,000 to FFA chapters in 35 states and the Virgin Islands. In addition, the FFA: Food For All grant program is part of the National FFA Organization’s Feed-ing Our World – Starting at Home Initiative. More information about the program can be found at FFA.org/foodforall. The Rural Youth Development (RYD) program, funded by the USDA/NIFA, helps students develop leadership skills and apply them to the real world. Youth work in partnership with adults to improve their own lives and the rural communities in which they live. Funded chapters, from communities of 10,000 or smaller develop, implement and evaluate service-learning proj-ects that have long-term community impact.

Williamston Test Plot and Community Garden Proves Successful

D&G Drive Green Challenge Raises Funds for Chapter

Living to Serve

Thank you: Members take a quick picture with Syngenta representatives to show our appreciation of the grant. Hard Work: FFA members Kelly Merchant, Whitney Bedwell, and Leslie Shull show off their planter

that will be donated to members of the Webberville community and food bank.

Getting Ready: Logan Schnieder, Caleb Eaton, Zach O’Connor, Brandon Herbert, and Kyle Reed put up the Chicken BBQ sign to advertise the event

Serving: Brandon Mack and Zach Webster check the chicken to make sure that it is ready for serving.

Helping Others: Autumn Stowe helps customers get their plants from the wagons that held the perennials

Getting Ready: Hayley Wagner, Jenna Kingsley, and Em-ily House get popsicle sticks ready to identify plants.

By: Sasha Glover By: Emily House

Living to Serve: Alexis Lyons, Brandon Herbert, and Hunter Olrich take a min-ute to pose for a quick picture. These students helped D&G during their Drive Green Challenge, where D&G donated $5 to the Webberville FFA every time someone came to take a test drive. The Webberville Garden Tractor Pull was held during this weekend. Stundents also had the opportunity to advertise for the FFA Chicken BBQ the following weekend.

Feeding the World: Logan Schneider, Sasha Glover, Whitney Bedwell, Leslie Shull, Brandon Herbert, Zach O’Connor and Thomas Benjamin helped feed the world with the harvesting of the FFA’s test plot and land lab. It is an 80 acre plot where Benjamin Farms help with the harvesting each year. “I learned that some brands are better than others and sometimes you can even taste the difference with dry corn,” said freshman member Brandon Her-bert. “I also learned how to find the density of corn.” FFA members gain lots of new knowledge every year with the land lab. It helps create new Supervised Agriculture Experiences(SAE’s) to spark interest to new members. Along with the land lab, the FFA plants and harvests a community garden to donate food to the local food banks.

FFA6 FFAAnnual

Update Doing to Learn

Year in Review

Taking a step, Following tradition,Leaving a legacy.

2014

Leadership Contest

Fair

D & G Fund raiser

Chicken BBQ

Broiler Contest

National Convention

Fruit and Nut Sale &Elf on the Shelf

State Convention

Banquet

Regional Camp

Plant Sale

AGstravaganza

Presidential Update

The Webberville FFA has experienced tremendous growth and improvements this past year. Each member’s hard work and contributions shows through in all of the accomplishments the chapter has had the last few months. From the broiler contest to the skills contest, the chapter has thrived. As the 2014-2015 chapter president, I am beyond excited for this next year. My fellow officers are all great and hardworking people with a passion for this organization, and I know we have a great year ahead of us. The officers and I have come up with many goals for the chapter and ourselves. As an officer team, we decided we needed more bonding to become

closer. We are going to achieve this by having officer breakfasts where we will be able to bond and plan for upcoming events. We have also decided to start a mentoring program, in which each officer will have different students they will be mentoring. This will help open the eyes of the younger members and to show them the opportunities FFA offers. This next year a couple of our main goals is to get more members ac-tively involved, have more chapter fun nights, and reach out to the commu-nity and alumni members even more than before. This past year the chapter has achieved so much. None of the past achievements could have been pos-sible if it wasn’t for the FFA members, advisors, alumni members, school board members, and community members. Each individuals help shows through in how strong the chapter is today. Thank you to everyone who works year-long to make the Webber-ville FFA chapter better. With the amount of accomplish-ments and enthusiasm I have seen in the 2013-2014 year, I have no doubt that the 2014-2015 year will be the best yet. We have many more accom-plishments coming our way. The future of the Webberville FFA chapter is bright, and I cannot wait to see where it is headed.

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7FFAAnnual UpdateNews and Opinions

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National FFA Convention Webberville FFA sent 6 members to Louisville, Kentucky where the 2013 National FFA Convention and Expo was hosted. This was a new location for the both FFA members and the National FFA Convention and Expo, as it has been in Indianapolis, Indiana for the past four years. Members shared in many great memories along with bringing home the National Chapter Award for the second year. “Getting the chance to attend National Convention this year was a great honor. I had a lot of fun learning new leadership skills and sightseeing around Louisville,” said attendee Jenna Kingsley. “I met a lot of new people from around the nation and even met up with old ones from previous years.” The theme for the Convention was Ignite. Members attended sessions on a daily basis that allowed for them to ignite their passion and discover on how they want to grow themselves and their lives ahead. The convention and Expo was jammed packed with guest speakers, awards, and retiring ad-dresses from National Officers all that gave the tools to ignite our passion. The Webberville FFA received for its second year in a row the National Chapter Award. This award is given out to chapters that exemplify the three circle model. The three circle model includes instruction, SAE, and FFA. The application then breaks down into smaller categories to evaluate how the chapter works at the chapter, student, and community level.

By Sasha Glover

2014

By Paige Wilson

Jenna Kingsley Wins National SAE Grant

A $1,000 grant has been awarded to FFA member Jenna Kingsley of Webberville, MI, by the National FFA Foun-dation. She has taken part in both Ingham and Livingston County fairs showing cattle. Her dedication and passion for the cattle industry has helped her achieve Reserve Grand Champion and Intermediate Showmanship winner. The SAE Grant is designed to help FFA members create and enhance their supervised agricultural experience (SAE), a requirement that all FFA members must complete. An SAE requires FFA members to create and operate an agriculture related business, work at an agriculture-related business or conduct an agricultural research expe-rience. Upon completion, FFA members must submit a comprehensive report regarding their career development experience. Kingsley is a member of the Webberville FFA Chapter and was selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide. She applied for a grant in beef production and plans to start her own cattle herd. “Jenna’s drive and motivation have led her toward much success,” said FFA Advisor, Colleen Scott Keiser. “I am anxious to see what her future holds and what she will attain, as she has so much promise.”

Hard Work: Jenna Kingsley works with her steer named RJ before head-ing into the show ring at Fowlerville Family Fair where she won first place.

Pursuing Career GoalsBy Sasha Glover

Convention Memories: Calvin Scofield, Hayley Wagner, Jenna Kingsley, Paige Wilson, Emily House and Sasha Glover capture a picture in from of the house they stayed in during their trip.

Race Day: Emily House, Jenna Kinglsey, and Hayley Wagner pose for a picture while waiting for the horses to come out at Churchill grounds where the Kentucky Derby takes place.

Washington Leadership Conference

Each summer, approximately 1,800 people come together at our nation’s capital to learn more about themselves and advocate for the future of agri-culture. This conference goes on for 6 weeks and each week about 300 new students come to learn. Webberville FFA had the opportunity to send junior Paige Wilson and sophomore Jenna Kingsley to the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC). Michael Martindale generously donated scholarship to the Webberville FFA. Kingsley and Wilson got the chance to split the scholarship and were very excited to receive opportunity to travel on behalf of the chapter. Wilson and Kingsley rode down to Washington in a bus with 75 other Michi-gan FFA members from around the states. As a state, they stopped in Lexing-ton, KY for a take back in history. They had the chance to see the battlefields and also made many friends from across the state. When they arrived in Washington, they each got put into rooms with 3 other members from across the nation, of which they had never met. “It was a great experience to be chosen to attend this conference. I en-joyed meeting members from other states and learning about what they do and their culture,” said Wilson. “You realize that people around the country do things much differently than you do. Swing dancing is an example of this, only a couple people knew how to swing dance but at the end of the week almost everyone knew.” They attend large group sessions, along with smaller community group sessions. During the community group sessions they talked about advocacy in agriculture, diversity, and Living to Serve (LTS) plans. The LTS plans are is-sues in your community that you would like to fix. “Going through the process of setting an LTS plan really allows for you to realize that you can make a difference in our schools, community, and the world,” said senior and last year attendee Sasha Glover. During one of the sessions about advocacy, WLC hosted business man-agers from places like Crop Production Services (CPS), Monsanto and the National FFA advisor to give their tips to members. After the large session debate, members broke off into their community groups and went deeper into advocacy. “WLC is a very eye opening experience. You learn about leadership and how to be a leader, but it also informs you about issues around the world,” said Kingsley. “The poverty dinner is one of these things that stuck out to me. Seeing the different statistics makes you realize just how big of an issue it really is.” During this poverty dinner everyone walked in as normal, but certain people were given either a green or yellow card. These represented the upper and middle class. Everyone who didn’t get the cards was asked to sit on the floor. The upper class got an average meal for them (salad, steak, dessert) and the middle had pizza and dessert. The majority of people had to eat white rice, which there wasn’t a lot of, and sit on the floor. The leaders of the session talked about the different statistics that really stood out to many people. “Attending this conference was a great pleasure for me and my communi-ty,” said Kingsley. “The skills I gained from this conference I will always have with me and I will use the skills every day.”

Local & National Scholarships Awarded

Each year the Webberville FFA Alumni funds many scholarships to deserv-ing students. The scholarships are awarded to the students who plan to further their education. There were four recipients of the FFA Alumni Schol-arships at the 2014 FFA Banquet. Among these scholarships were two FFA Alumni, the DeKalb Outstanding Senior, and the Nicholas Wilson Pope Scholarship. Alexis Lyons and Sasha Glover were the recipients of the Alumni Scholar-ships. These scholarships are funded by the Alumni with funds from the annual Chicken BBQ, along with other fund raisers throughout the year. Emily House was the recipient of the DeKalb Outstanding Senior scholar-ship which is awarded to seniors across the nation. Logan Schneider re-ceived the Nicholas Wilson Pope Scholarship which is awarded in memory of a former member, Eric Pope’s son. In May House was awarded a $1,000 National FFA Scholarship sponsored by Tractor Supply. Lyons and Glover plan on attending LCC and then transferring. Lyons will study veterinary medicine and Glover plans to study Business management or communications. House will attend MSU to study agriculture education. Schneider will attend Michigan Career Technical Institute to study grounds maintenance. “I am very grateful for the support of the Webberville FFA Alumni. Receiv-ing this scholarship will help me further my education and become success-ful in life, “ said senior Alexis Lyons.

Skills Contestants Earn Gold

By Jenna KingsleyBuilding Future Leaders Great Honors

By Michaela Chambers

FFA GRADUATES: Emily House, Sasha Glover, Alexis Lyons and Logan Schnei-der are recognized on stage at the FFA banquet.

8 Chapter EventsFFAAnnual Update

2014

State Awards & Degrees

Proficiency AwardCaleb Eaton Ag Mechanics Repair & Maintenance- BronzeSasha Glover Ag Communications- Gold Kyle Reed Ag Mechanics Repair & Maintenance- BronzeEmily House Ag Mechanics Design & Fabrication- State WinnerLogan Schneider Swine Production- Silver

State DegreeAaron Eberly Sasha Glover Emily House Alexis Lyons Megen O’Connor Lillian Sessions KT Wylie

State and National AwardsDemonstration Jenna Kingsley, Paige Wilson, Alexis Lyons- District Gold, Regional Gold, State SilverJob Interview Sasha Glover- District Gold, Regional Gold, 4th in the StateEmily House 1st Place Proficiency in Ag Mechanics Design & FabricationSasha Glover State FFA Star in Agribusiness Semi- FinalistJenna Kingsley $1000 National FFA Foundation Grant

State FFA ChoirAutumn Stowe

Outstanding Junior Award

Whitney BedwellJared EberlyEzra Fuller

Adam HouseKellie Merchant

Leslie ShullChelsea Stanley

Paige Wilson

State Academic Excellence AwardJackie Bishop GoldAaron Eberly GoldSasha Glover GoldEmily House GoldKara Kulaga GoldAlexis Lyons GoldLillian Sessions GoldK.T. Wylie GoldJordan Burrum SilverEllecia King SilverPaige Wilson SilverJenna Kingsley BronzeAutumn Stowe Bronze

State FFA BandZach Webster

Katelyn Wylie

By: Paige Wilson When Skills Contest rolls around the whole chapter comes together to cre-ate teams and work to be competitive at the state level contest. Students choose from many different contest; they usually pick a contest that is similar to the career field they plan on going into. On April 15, Webberville FFA mem-bers put their skills to the test at Michigan State University. This year the chapter sent nine teams: one Ag Sales team, two Junior High Dairy Foods teams, one Junior High Environmental Skills team, one Floricul-ture team, three Forestry teams, and one Vet Science team. Each team repre-sented Webberville well, and had a positive experience. Skills contest was a huge success. Many students placed well overall. One of the Junior High Dairy Foods teams received silver and placed 4th in the state. This team was made up of Gracelyn Hall, Cassandra Lanphar, Maci Kubiak, Lauren Ross, and Savannah Tennant. Our Junior High Environmental Skills team placed second in the state receiving silver. This team was made up of Aaron Davis, Caleb Kubiak, Branden McGowan, and Jacob Thomson. The Ag Sales team also placed 4th in the state receiving gold. The members of this team were Emily House, Sasha Glover, Paige Wilson, and Jenna Kingsley. Overall, the 2014 Skills Contest was a huge success for each team. All FFA members that competed acquired valuable skills that they will use in their future. They also gained a positive experience to help prepare them for their futures.

Chapter Recognized at National Level

1. Bringing Home the Gold: Emily House and Sasha Glover attended the National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky and brought home the Na-tional Chapter Award, naming Web-berville FFA the number one chapter in the state of Michigan.

State Winners

2014 Recipient: At this year’s FFA banquet, Mi-chaela Chambers was awarded the WLC scholar-ship sponsored Mr. Michael Martindale.

Opportunity of a Lifetime: United States Senator Carl Levin meets with Webberville FFA members Jenna Kingsley and Paige Wilson during the Washington Leadership Conference.

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2. Winners: Presenters Emily House, Sasha Glover, and Alexis Lyons pose for a quick picture after the exciting news of being named number one chapter in the state.

National Superior Chapter Gold