Vo. 3 | Issue 2 | “Post State Iowa State Fair Edition” Published by the Iowa FFA Association | September 2014

SWEET ON YOU:THE SWEET HEART JACKET

FFA ROYALTY

LADIES & GENTLEMEN: THE AMAZINGLY AMUSING,

IOWA STATE FAIR

SUMMER SUMMARY OF ALL SIX FFA DISTRICTS

Volume 3 | Issue 2The official magazine of the Iowa FFA Association.

2014-15 Iowa FFA OfficersPresident ABRAH MEYERSecretary LEE THOMSENReporter RAY SCHMIDTSE State Vice President MIKE POGGEMILLERSC State Vice President HUNTER MOORESW State Vice President LOGAN BAUERNE State Vice President MICHAEL TUPPERNC State Vice President MACKENZIE LEWISNW State Vice President DEVAN VANDER VEEN

Iowa FFA StaffExecutive Secretary MR. SCOTT JOHNSONState Advisor MR. DALE GRUIS

Southeast District OfficersPresident MIKE POGGEMILLERNE Vice President WADE GERLACHS Vice President HUNTER HAMILTONNW Vice President MICHAEL HERSHBERGERSecretary KAYLA KAALBERGReporter SETH WEIRUPTreasurer SAVANNAH KEITZERAdvisor JOHN DANIELS

South Central District OfficersPresident HUNTER MOOREVice President ERIN HAMMONDSecretary WYATT KALDENBERGTreasurer SPENCER STOEBNERReporter KAITLYN BOYERSentinel MELISSA GARCIAAdvisor MRS. JESSICA HEBERT

Southwest District OfficersPresident LOGAN BAUERVice President ZOIE SHOOKSecretary JESSICA MESECKTreasurer DREW CHRISTENSENReporter ASHLYNN LINGLESentinel KENNEDY PLOWMANAdvisor MR. BEN BOOTH

Northeast District OfficersPresident MICHAEL TUPPERSecretary COLE MOODYReporter KAYLEIGH KOCHSW Vice President ALANA PLATTESE Vice President LIBBY FISHERNE Vice President AMANDA CROWNW Vice President TRISTAN DITTMERAdvisor MS. KRYSTAL WRIGHT

North Central District OfficersPresident MACKENZIE LEWISVice President BRANDON HANSONSecretary AMANDA ANDERSONTreasurer JUSTIN BARTLINGReporter KALA WISECUPSentinel CULLY FORSYTHAdvisor MR. KURT VELDHUIZEN

Northwest District OfficersPresident DEVAN VANDER VEENVice President COLIN BROWNSecretary MARISSA PHAMTreasurer MYSTIC HENNINGSENReporter TARI KNOCKSentinel HUNTER EASTAdvisor MS. MOLLI GRIFFIN

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Send us a picture of you and your FAVORITE mem-ory from the 86th National FFA Convention & Expo! Another way to get in here is to send a TWEET with the hashtag #iaffa14 telling the world what you’re doing & what you love about the FFA! Hopefully we’ll see YOUR face in the next Iowa FFA Today!

The Iowa FFA Today is now ONLINE! Go to

www.iowaffa.com to see all past issues of

the Iowa FFA Today!

CO

NN

EC

T!

Check out the new Iowa FFA e-Newsletter! Sign up to have your (s)TALK [super TALK] newsletter e-mailed directly to YOUR inbox to stay

‘in-the-know’ about what is happening in FFA around the state!

DIG

ITA

LM

AG

AZ

INE GOT SOMETHING

TO SAY?

E-Mail your article and picture to:

CONTENT

USHERS & STAGE ATTENDANTHunter Moore, veteran usher, briefs us

on what it means to rock the blue & gold attendant and usher t-shirts

EXHIBITING AT THE STATE FAIRLogan Bauer runs through what it’s

like to show at the state fair.

SWEET ON YOU!The legendary Sweet Heart jacket

makes its debut in the FFA Display

THE AMAZINGLY AMUSING!Michael Tupper gives us an overview

of another fantastic Iowa State Fair

DISTRICT UPDATESNorth, east, south, west, central.

District Reporters catch us up on their respective district

FFA TO COUNTY QUEENSDevan Vander Veen interviews

Mikayla Dolch and Kristen Lowe

FFA ROYALTY

Devan Vander Veen sat down with FFA member, Kristen Lowe and past District Officer, Mikayla

Dolch and asked about life in FFA and queen stardom.

What is your favorite part about being your county fair queen?

Kristen: My favorite part about being the National Cattle Congress queen is the opportunity to represent agriculture in a very positive way, especially for the younger children. I also really enjoyed the opportunity it gave me to meet inspirational queens from across the state.

Mikayla: My favorite part about being the 2014 Montgomery County Fair Queen was having the opportunity to see all of the hard work and dedication that the 4-H and FFA exhibitors had put into their static exhibit projects and livestock throughout the past year. It was definitely an honor to represent such a supportive county that places a high value on developing successful future leaders.

What impact has FFA made on you?

Kristen: Being in FFA was actually what got me to run for queen in the first place. FFA gave me the confidence and communication skills necessary to best represent the agriculture industry.

Mikayla: FFA can be accredited for teaching me how to step out of my comfort zone to address an audience, such as the FFA Creed Speaking CDE my freshman year. The National FFA Organization has

FFA Member to Fair Queen

left such an immense impact on my life by allowing me to meet a tremendous amount of individuals, several that I consider my best friends, that share the same passion for agriculture that I do.

What advice would you give young FFA members?

Kristen: My advice to young FFA members would be to get involved, stay involved, and push themselves to climb the ladders of success this organization offers. There are life-changing experiences that only this organization can offer, so take advantage of as many of them as possible!

Mikayla: My advice would be to take every positive opportunity available, to remember that what you put into something is exactly what you will get out of it, and keep in mind that everything happens for a reason. This includes every person you meet and every event in your life because every problem has a gift for you in its hands, so look for the positive in every situation.

What is your favorite FFA activity or contest? Why?

Kristen: Haha, my favorite contest would have to be the Dairy Foods and Quality contest. My team and I worked hard and ended up advancing to the National contest where we got a Silver rating. The pride I took in my dairy knowledge is what makes that my favorite contest. Although, all of the CDE’s and leadership events I’ve taken part in have really made an impact in my life. I’ve loved them all!

Mikayla: My favorite FFA contest was participating in the Creed Speaking CDE my freshman year of high school. I loved reciting the creed that states the truths about American agriculture. The hours put into practicing finally paid off when I had the humble opportunity to represent Iowa and compete at the national level the fall of my sophomore year.

What is your greatest memory in FFA?

Kristen: One of my greatest memories was bonding with my chapter as we were stuck on a bus headed to my very first National Convention in Indianapolis. The moment I first saw the sea of blue jackets will forever stay with me... I was truly humbled as I realized the impact the organization I loved had across the entire nation.

Mikayla: My favorite FFA memory was attending Spring and Fall SLCDO during my two-term district officer years. The conference gave me a chance to further relationships with the other district officers from the five other districts, as well as strengthen teamwork within my own district officer team.

Devan Vander Veen Northwest State VP

USHERS & ATTENDANTS

Wow, what an amazingly amusing Iowa State Fair! The Iowa State Fair is definitely the best in the nation. From the thousands of people to the things to do and see, it is the greatest thing to do in the summer! People from all over the world come to see our fair. Lets not forget about all of the hard work and dedication FFA members put into the fair.

Blue or gold shirts, there is a huge FFA emblem on the back. Free stage attendant or grandstand usher, both help tremendously during the Iowa State Fair. The grandstand ushers seat over 100,000 people in the grandstand during the fair. The stage attendants help set up the free stages for upcoming country artists, hypnotists, and various other activities throughout the free stages.

“No matter the color of the shirt there is a tremendous amount of work and dedication.”

Introducing...The Amazing Ushers & Stage Attendants!

Hunter Moore, South Central State VP

The free stage attendants and the grandstand ushers stay on the fairgrounds all 11 days of the fair. Ushers are assigned

gate duty in the mornings and state attendants start their day off early heading to their stage to help with whatever event

may be held there. The greatest part about this experience is the hundreds of friends made, and the skills learned.

The grandstand ushers work every night in the grandstand seating people at the concerts. This year they seated people at

concerts such as Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Jake Owen, Foreigner and Styx, and many more. The ushers help

thousands upon thousands of people needing assistance finding their seat, along with general questions about the grandstand.

“My favorite part of ushering is meeting all of the new people and my favorite part of the fair is helping with the FFA Display in the agricultural building. It was awesome

getting to talk with all of the fairgoers and hear all of the FFA stories. I loved playing the card game ERS that I learned from

the veteran ushers.” Said Caitlyn Babbitt, Moravia FFA.

The stage attendants work every day at the free stages around the fair setting up for the amazing shows that the Iowa

State Fair puts on for no charge! These blue shirts work all day setting up for the amazing acts in the evening. They

then get to enjoy the show and clean up after its done.

Its awesome to see all of the hard work and dedication that the FFA members have. The Iowa State Fair is

truly an amazing time to showcase how great FFA members are. Seating people in the grandstand or

setting up a stage, there is no better way to experience the “Amazingly Amusing” Iowa State Fair.

EXHIBITING AT THE FAIR

The Iowa State Fair is one of the biggest fairs this nation has to offer. Exhibits galore, there are always new things to see, do, learn, and maybe even eat!

The Iowa FFA is invited by the Iowa State Fair to give our over 14,000 members from across the state the opportunity to showcase exhibits at the Iowa State Fair.

With 22 different categories to choose from involving livestock, photography, horticulture, agricultural mechanics, and even agricultural demonstrations that chapters can put on to educate others about things in agriculture, the opportunities for Iowa FFA members are endless.

This wide array of events gives our members the chance to grow as young leaders and learn more about this amazing industry we are proud to represent.

I had the opportunity this year, even among my responsibilities as a state FFA officer, to exhibit my beef cattle in the Performance Beef show. This year, I brought three steers, and a Red Angus breeding heifer. My experience this year with the Performance Beef show was one to remember. I had two Grand Champions and one Reserve in the divisions of the carcass show. However, I could have never done this on my own.

Exhibiting projects at the Iowa State Fair is a family affair, and oftentimes the entire family and the community in which they live are working in support of the member showing. Without the help my mom and dad, Michael & Jennifer Bauer, and also my 10 year old brothers Collin & Carson, my steers would never have done as well as they did in the Performance Beef show.

Exhibiting projects at the Iowa State Fair is not simply a matter of bringing an animal or a project and showing it off. Having a project you are personally responsible for is just another way FFA develops members and students personally and professionally.

Rebecca VanderHeiden, a member of the Calamus-Wheatland FFA chapter, has this to say about the growth she has experienced showing at the Iowa State Fair: “This project has taught me responsibility, time management, and organization skills, all valuable leadership qualities.

It has also made me more confident, making me a better leader.”

Clara Lauritsen, a member of the Audubon FFA chapter, appreciates her time exhibiting at the Iowa State Fair because it allows her to connect with members from all over the state of Iowa. She loves exhibiting her lambs “because there is no better feeling than being in the ring with 30 other exhibitors.”

If you were to ask any member who has experienced this amazing part of the state fair, they would tell you that the friendships they have made are second to none! The reasons to get involved at the Iowa State Fair are endless!

Iowa State Fair FFA Exhibiting

Logan Bauer, Southwest State VP

SWEETHEART JACKET

The most satisfying type of clothing is that which is stitched with love. For more than 40 years, the FFA did just that with the invention of the Sweetheart Jacket—a prized item of history in our organization. Referenced from as early as 1939, this jacket added class and sass to an organization made up of only boys by naming a girl as the “Chapter Sweetheart.”

The jacket made its first appearance in the FFA Catalog in spring 1949 and, surprisingly enough, was made of rayon rather than the typical corduroy. To add to the irregularity, young women had the choice between an original national blue jacket and an unordinary white jacket.

However, that eventually changed, when in 1961, the Sweetheart Jacket’s material became similar to the original FFA jacket—made of corduroy. In 1965 and upon the allowance of girls into the FFA in 1969, the

only option available would be the notable white corduroy jacket. In all of her glory, the Chapter Sweetheart sported the trendy item around with an FFA emblem and “Chapter Sweetheart” printed along the left chest and her name and chapter along the right.

Just like in the FFA jacket, the Sweetheart Jacket has been able to identify where people are from—all across the state. A few weeks ago at the Iowa State Fair, while we flaunted one of the white jackets in the FFA Display, we ran across many conversations about the FFA Sweetheart’s history in numerous schools around Iowa. Stories started with, “I remember when...” “My wife was a Sweetheart in…” “I still have my jacket…” The list goes on, but each story shared something unique.

One past Sweetheart from West Liberty High School in the 1970’s explained that her school’s process was quite the contest. From Nail Driving to Hay Bale Tossing, the competition was great. The final decision came down to an election score, and the lady was fortunate enough to be named the West Liberty FFA Sweetheart.

Other women explained that theirs’ was a popularity contest, monetary vote, or interview process.

All were original and exclusive to their chapters. Seeing that there were never any official duties or guidelines to the contest, in 1992, delegates at the National FFA Convention would vote to discontinue the Sweetheart FFA Jacket, and it would make its last appearance in the 1992-1993 Supply Catalog.

Although the white memorable jacket became discontinued and no duties were ever declared, some chapters continue to name Sweetheart Queens each year.

Today crowns, trophies, and bouquets of flowers have replaced the jacket; but the experiences of joy, the stories of honor, and the reputation of young women live on in the FFA Sweetheart Jackets forever.

-Abrah Meyer, State President

“the experiences of joy, the stories of honor, and the reputation of young

women live on”

AMAZINGLY AMUSING

Amazingly amusing ... a fantastically simple yet elegant way to describe the two week extravaganza that is the Iowa State Fair. Growing up, the fair was always a place of excitement, of adventure, and most importantly, a place to have fun. For FFA at the Iowa State Fair, all of the same things can be said.

At the fair, FFA is everywhere. There are members running around all over the fair ensuring that their prized restored tractor gets placed in the correct class and their animals have enough to eat and drink. Through helping at livestock shows and check-ins, the other State officers and myself gained a much greater appreciation of the hard work and dedication all exhibiting FFA members put into making sure that their projects are just right. They are serious about doing things the right way, yet they never miss an opportunity to see all of the amazingly amusing moments going on around them to make sure they get a great laugh in for the day.

It is this amazingly amusing spirit that allows for extraordinary bonds not only with close friends, but also with complete strangers. One great example of this was in the FFA display this year in the Agricultural Building. The State Officer team this year decided to revamp the display this year and add some new features. One of these new features was a Chapter Sweetheart

I O W A STATE F A I R

Jacket from the Adair-Casey FFA Chapter. Within the first hour of the Agricultural Building being opened, Mackenzie Lewis had four conversations about FFA based solely off of questions and memories of the sweetheart jacket. I found it amazingly amusing that people had so much knowledge and interest about a part of FFA history that I knew so little about (I had to do research on the Sweetheart Jacket because the people passing through the booth knew more than I personally knew.) This is just another amazing thing about the Iowa State Fair. As soon as anyone steps onto the grounds, they are no longer strangers, they are just people you haven’t met yet.

I saw this as I hung out with the FFA Ushers and Stage attendants. To see all of these FFA members from all over the state of Iowa working together and laughing together with people that they might have just met like they were family was truly amazing. From the free stages to the grandstands, from the display shifts to the gate duty, these FFA members always helped me have an amazingly amusing time.

As I traversed the fairgrounds for all 11 days of the Iowa State Fair, I found it amusing how in the midst of a metropolitan area like Des Moines there was a mecca like the Iowa State Fair Grounds that is preserving the foundations of ag in Iowa.

AMAZINGLY AMUSING

To see people from around the world come through the Agricultural Building to see the Butter Cow and see what those blue jackets hanging up were all about truly defines the curiosity that people have about the now resurging generations of devoted agriculturalists. With the exception of an extreme few, every person that I was able to talk to was eager to hear the answers that FFA members had to the phrase “Why do you believe in agriculture?”

That phrase is one that I love to think about and try and find an answer to because you can find it in so many places. While at the Heritage Century Farm Ceremony, my belief in agriculture came from watching four generations of a family get on stage to accept the plaque that their family had worked 100 years or more to receive. The pride that they took in receiving that award inspired me to continue to work towards allowing agriculture to flourish for the next 100 years.

I found my belief in agriculture by watching the dedicated FFA members, advisors, and family members at the fair always working towards improving themselves for the benefit of others. Their dedication to success and commitment to community is what makes Iowa the best

place to plant your roots, both literally and metaphorically. Their hard work is what makes this state great.

The list goes on and on with how many ways the fair made me and the State Officer team believe in agriculture, from the FFA Parade of Champions, to the events that we attended with the Iowa FFA Association Partners, to attending recognition events for the next generation of Iowa’s leaders such as the IFAA scholarship luncheon. The fact is that the Iowa State Fair as a whole makes me believe that FFA was relevant, is relevant, and always will be relevant. We discovered at the fair that past memories of FFA are fond, the present feelings of FFA are excited, and the future of FFA is brighter than ever. This is why I can say with absolute certainty that I believe in the future of agriculture.

Throughout this article, I mentioned some contradictions. I think that I speak for all of the State Officers and FFA members at the State Fair when I say that the Fair is a true contradiction by its very nature. It is both relaxing and stressful, both happiness and agony, both victory and defeat. However, through all of these contradictions, one thing remains the same. At the end of the day, the Iowa State Fair has been and always will be Amazingly Amusing.

-Michael Tupper, Northeast State VP

SOUTHEAST

The summer of 2014 has been a fun one for the Southeast District FFA with this year annual Colt Conference. The Southeast District Colt Conference was held on June 6th and the Williamsburg public high school. FFA members from around the district came together to learn more about agriculture, leadership, and to have fun.

Members rotated through a variety of workshops like Fish Bowl, True Colors, Connect, Time Management, and officer positions.

Fish bull is a workshop where members learned about how people appearance can sometime hide their inner beauty.

The workshop True Colors had members take a personality test. This test helped members find their strengths, so they can use those strengths to help others more effectively.

Connect was another good workshop where members learned the importance of staying connected with their stakeholders, and how stakeholders like school administrators, school boards, and legislators are important in keeping a program alive.

Time management taught members to use their time wisely in order to achieve more of their goals and to help more people.

Last but not least all the members were split into groups of their own chapter office. In these group members learned the importance of their office in the chapter, and how they could better their chapter.

At the end of the day FFA a members learned a lot, but they also gained new friends, reunited with old friends, and had loads of fun. The summer comes to an end and schools are starting up again, but this doesn’t stop the Southeast district from planning more fun activities like Green Hand Fire Up, and the Southeast District Dodge Ball Tournament.

This year’s Green Hand Fire Up will be held on October 21st at Washington High School. The first year members will learn about FFA and what it has to offer. They will meet new friends, and tons of fun, and be inspired to advocate for agriculture.

Last year the Southeast District put on a District -wide dodge ball tournament, and it was a great success. We plan on hosting another tournament to bring members together for a day of fun and games. This tournament is meant to get FFA members out of their normal routine, meet new people, and enjoy some dodge ball.

The Southeast District had some fun activities and achieved many things, but we are even more excited for what there is to come.

Williamsburg FFA

Charted in: 1952

Chapter Advisor: John Daniels

President: Elizabeth JonesVice President: Vic Malloy

Secretary: Leah WainerTreasurer: Richard WetjenReporter: Cassie HeitmanHistorian: Eleanor Walters

Sentinel: Rachel CavettAt-Large: Kayla Koonley

At-Large: Tyler Prizler

Fun Fact: Williamsburg is the home

chapter to current Iowa FFA State Reporter, Ray Schmidt

SOUTH CENTRAL

As stated in the National FFA theme, the 2014-2015 South Central District Officer team is “going all out” to unify members by encouraging growth and personal development through agricultural education!

This year’s team includes Hunter Moore from Centerville as President, Erin Hammond from North Polk at Alleman as Vice President, Wyatt Kaldenberg from Indianola as Secretary, Spencer Stoebner from Des Moines as Treasurer, Kaitlyn Boyer from Osceola Big Chief as Reporter, Melissa Garcia from Des Moines as Sentinel, and Advisor Mrs. Hebert from North Polk at Alleman.

On June 6th, the anticipating South Central District Officer team along with Michael Knight, Mikayla Dolch, Jacob Steinbach, Olivia Bisbee, Mackenzie Lewis, Lee Thomsen, and Brad Pickhinke held this years COLT Conference. COLT or otherwise known as Chapter Officer Leadership Training helped chapter officers throughout the 37 chapters in the district learn more about how to fulfill their duties as a chapter officer.

After some t-shirt throwing and excitement in opening ceremonies, the chapter officers went to their respective officer workshop to learn what responsibilities they hold in their office.

As the day went on, members attended four fun and engaging workshops designed

to strengthen their leadership skills. These workshops included True Colors, Time Challenge, Connect, and Fish Bowl.

In the True Colors workshop, members determined their personality type and how different personalities work together. This knowledge will help the chapter officers return to their chapter and work effectively together using their own unique talents.

The Time Challenge workshop opened the members eyes to how important every second of every minute is and to use their time wisely and prioritize their most important things first. Connect talked about who key stakeholders are and how we as members can connect with them.

The Fish Bowl workshop addressed social media and proper usage of those tools. Chapter officers learned that by being positive online, they can have a positive influence on their chapter’s members.

Throughout the day, members made new friends while being reunited with old ones. At the same time, they strengthened their communication skills, discussed their officer position duties with fellow officers, and learned how to become a better and more effective leader in their own chapter.

The South Central District Officer team wants to give a special thanks to all of those who helped throughout the event and made it a successful day!

North Polk FFA

Charted in: 1976

Chapter Advisor: Jessica Hebert

President: Ethan LeyVP: Natasha Johnson

Secretary: Maddie WeissTreasurer: John Washington

Reporter: Audrey LeySentinel: Josh Obernolte

Fun Fact: The chapter has been running the Avenue of Breeds exhibit at the

Iowa State Fair for 33 years. Members stay the

duration of the fair to care for more than 55 different animal breeds kept there

SOUTHWEST

As the end of the school year comes closer, most kids begin to think about not coming back to school, or writing, or anything along those lines. FFA kids though, they begin to think about the competitions, leadership trainings, and any other FFA event that brings them back together with their old friends.

There probably was no better way to kick off summer 2014 than with COLT! This year the chapter officer leadership training was held June 12th in Atlantic, IA.

We had some amazing past officers come in and help lead the training along with our Southwest District Officers; Zoie Shook VP, Drew Christensen Treasurer, Jessica Meseck Secretary, Ashlynn Lingle Reporter, and Kennedy Plowman Sentinel.

The school was packed full of chapter officers eager to learn about their roles as leaders and learn new leadership techniques.

The students were split into multiple groups for different sessions covering teamwork, networking, observation, and their chapter role. Everyone received t-shirts showing off the pride of the Southwest at the end of the training.

As summer progressed, the Southwest members wore their shirts with pride and prepared for District Livestock Judging Contest. July 25th finally rolled around and the members once again met at Atlantic, but this time there was a tiny bit of friendly competition.

The day was a hot one, but that didn’t stop members coming out and showing off their skills. The students had to judge classes of beef, swine, and lambs. Certain classes called for the kids to use their memory and common knowledge to answer questions about a class.

By the end of the afternoon the scorecards had been totaled and Adair-Casey FFA walked away as the first place FFA team! The Southwest District members did a truly amazing job of representing and participating in district events.

This summer has been a blast and the District Officers can not wait for Greenhand Fire Up this fall! We hope to ignite the new members and show them that FFA goes all out!

“Be True. Go Blue. Be Bold. Go Gold!” -2014-15 Southwest District Officers

Exira-ElkHorn-Kimballton

Charted in: Exira 1936, Elk Horn 1953

Chapter Advisor: Kristen Rutherford

President: Austin MoellerVP: Madison Leader

Secretary: Deann IrlmeierTreasurer: John Schultes

Reporter: Kendall PetersenSentinel: Nelson Zach

Fun Fact: The chapter recently partnered with Crop

Production Services and Syngenta to start a test plot that allows students to learn

crop production by doing

NORTHEAST

The Northeast District is ready to Go All Out this year! With countless activities including; COLT, District and State Conventions, Skill and Leadership CDE’s, and numerous conferences, we as a team have and will continue to be busy throughout the year, but we plan to make the most of it and go all out!

The District Officer team includes President Michael Tupper, SW Vice President Alana Platte, SE VP Libby Fisher, NE VP Amanda Crow, NW VP Tristan Dittmer, Secretary Cole Moody, Reporter Kayleigh Koch, and Advisor Krystal Wright.

The Northeast District is one of the strongest districts in the state. We strive to build community involvement as well as cooperation among the chapters in our part of the state.

The Northeast District hosts activities throughout the year to encourage members to be active in the program.

Through CDE’s, members can become involved, but there are other ways too such as Greenhand

Fire-Up, or as we call it, GFU, where Freshmen are invited to learn how awesome FFA really is! This is often where Freshmen members find their spark for the program after becoming inspired by all of the leadership skill opportunities.

Another way that the NE District builds cooperation among the other chapters is by going on chapter visits. We team up and visit chapters to do fun activities and share with them our experience as district officers as well as encourage them to be even more involved at the district and state levels.

The best part about FFA is that it includes everything from learning about agricultural hands-on to learning how to grow as a person and as a leader. There is truly something for everyone and FFA has 14,300 members in Iowa who are dedicated to the program and who want to expand their horizons of leadership, personal growth, and career success.

East Buchanan

Charted in: 2012

Chapter Advisor: Brittney Zumbach

President: Amanda RinikerVP: Chance Cook

Sec.: Taniesha GoedkenTreasurer: Holly Cook

Reporter: Alyssa RinikerReporter: Kyra FordSentinel: Jared Kelly

Fun Fact: In the two years since we were established, we have

had a lot of success and met our chapter goals. We are

looking forward to continu-ing to build our program

and grow the chapter.

NORTH CENTRAL

NORTH CENTRAL

North Central District is ready for another great year. We have got a great officer team again this year!

This year’s team includes president Mackenzie Lewis (Boone A&M FFA), vice president Brandon Hansen (Iowa falls Alden FFA), secretary Amanda Anderson (Algona FFA), treasure Justin Bartling (AGWSR FFA), reporter Kala Wisecup (Boone A&M FFA), sentinel Cully Forsyth (Charles city FFA), and advisor Mr. Veldhuizen (Webster city).

As a team this year we have been hard at work coming up with goals to make this district better then the way we go it.

Our first includes increasing membership. We plan on doing this at our Greenhand fire-up on the 1st of October.

Our second is to get a website with a video bio from each of each officer about our time in FFA.

The third goal is to make as many chapter visits as we can for in to our schedules, and our last goal for

this year is to have a national officer come and visit with our district which we might just get that done at our Greenhand Fire-Up. Keep your eyes and ears on alert for more about that!The North Central District officer would just like to wish everyone a safe year and we all hope to see y’all at our convention come March.

Victoria Butt is in the North Central spotlight. Her SAE project is breeding Angus heifers. Victoria’sFFA memory is when her short bus broke down in the middle of Indiana on the way to national convention last year.

While the bus was getting worked on we say in McDonalds but the time went by quickly because we were playing mind games and jokes on everyone.

Her future plans include attending Ellsworth Community College for two years and then transferring to Iowa State University to major in animal science.

AGWSR FFA

Charted in: 1935

Chapter Advisor: James Abbas

President: Reece RiekenVice President:

Justin BartlingSecretary: Kenzie HuismanTreasurer: Kody Boheman

Reporter:

Kaylynne HuttingerSentinel: Nolan ClemonsAt-Large: Levi Stockdale

Fun Fact: AGWSR is home to North Central district treasurer,

Justin Bartling

NORTHWEST

NORTH CENTRAL

This summer, the Northwest District FFA officers have been on their toes with all of the district’s summer events.

On June 6th, the district hosted their annual Chapter Officer Leadership Training Conference (COLT) at Dordt College. The district officers hosted both chapter officer workshops and four other leadership workshops throughout the day with the help of current state officers, previous district officers, and National Officer-Candidate, Brad Pinhicke.

In the upcoming months, the district is looking forward to the Greenhand Fire-Up Conference, which will take place

in early September for freshmen and new members in the FFA Association.

Also, in early September, the district will be hosting a livestock judging contest at the Clay County Fair, which is one of the largest county fairs in the world!

We are looking forward to seeing all the members of our districts show

off their talents by entering projects into the county fair! These next few months will be very exciting for the district officers and members alike, with exciting events to participate in!

Unity Christian

Charted in: 2014

Chapter Advisor: Dennis Benson

President:

Stephanie WestraVice President:

Adam FrankenSecretary:

Jessica OsterkampTreasurer: Katie MouwReporter: Tara Tilstra

Historian: Jenna Van WykSentinel: Justin Dragstra

Chaplain: Jenna Schouten

Fun Fact: Unity Christian is a newly

chartered chapter!