FFA members head to state

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, March 16, 2022

WALLOWA COUNTY — FFA members from Wallowa County are taking their district victories to state this week, as they head to the convention at the Deschutes Fair and Expo Center, Redmond, from Thursday-Sunday, March 17-20.

One of the top honors an FFA member can receive is the State Degree. From Joseph Charter School degree recipients include Corin Armentrout, Bayden Menton, Mary Thiel, Maggie Miller, Molly Curry, Katie Hoffman, McKenzie Keffer, Dakota DeLyria and Storm Lynch.

Two Wallowa High School members will receive their degrees, adviser Jeremy McCulloch said. They are Haley Brockamp and Abby Tippet, although neither will be able to attend.

From Enterprise High School, recipients include Maci Marr, Eva Anderson, Maclane Melville, Emily Love, Cody Fent, Chase Duncan, Josi Coggins, Lane Rouse, Sydney Hopkins, Bri Rouse, Jordyn Stonebrink, Nevin Goldsmith, Harlie Stein, Caden Fent, Spencer Decker, Jackson Decker, Morgan Cameron, and Mason McDowell. This is the largest number of students from any one chapter in the state to receive their state degrees, adviser Stephanie Schofield said. A total of 23 students will attend the convention this year, she said.

Proficiency Awards also will be presented. Enterprise has five candidates who won in that category in February and will be interviewed and compete at state. They are Destiny Wecks in agriculture communications, Mason McDowell in equine placement, Lannie Stonebrink in diversified agriculture production, Maclane Melville in fiber and oil crop production and Addie Royes in equine entrepreneurship.

Chelsea Mansfield, the adviser from Joseph, said her school’s state Proficiency Award candidates are Bayden Menton in agricultural sales, Katie Hoffman in beef production placement, Trace Collier in forestry management and Mary Thiel in vegetable production.

McCulloch said his team of 10 who are going also will be doing proficiency projects, although he didn’t have the names of those who are candidates during an interview Monday.

He said Wallowa has one of the highest participation rates and usually about 25 FFA members attend state. But this year, with the “ongoing pandemic conditions” and the state’s recent relaxation of masking requirements, students weren’t able to prepare soon enough.

“I look forward to having lot more kids next year,” McCulloch said.

Juniors Makayla Miles and Emma Durning, both of whom are chapter officers, have been selected as state delegates to vote for state officers.

The school will receive a state Superior Chapter Award and several members will receive state-level scholarships, though the latter won’t be known for sure until after the event. The team also will do some agriculture-related field trips while they’re away, he said.

Mansfield said that when students aren’t competing or helping with committees, they have the opportunity to attend a multitude of workshops put on by state FFA officers from around the nation or industry professionals teaching skills for their particular area. Students can also engage in the college and career fair with many different booths, watch finals rounds for many different competitions, watch a talent show or see artwork on display from FFA members.

Joseph’s McKenzie Keffer will enter one of her pieces in this event.

Others who expect to fare well after succeeding at the February district competition include Enterprise’s Advanced Parliamentary Procedure Team, consisting of Tanner Kesecker, Cody Fent, Maclane Melville, Alona Yost, Bailey Vernam and Alexandria Rowley.

Joseph’s Parliamentary Procedure Team of Mary Thiel, Cooper Nave, Kane Johnson, Andrew Beachy, Owen Gorham and McKenzie Keffer also will be competing this week. The team placed first at district and went on to place first at sectionals.