The Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter at Centerburg High School is finishing the semester on a high note of success.
The group's members are emphasizing a commitment to community service, placing high in district and state FFA competition, and utilizing state-of-the-art classroom innovation.
"It's been a very good year," Matt Weade, FFA adviser and a 12-year vocational agriculture teacher at Centerburg, said. "The kids have worked hard."
Community service is the focus of the 23 FFA seniors. Their ninth-annual Brown Bag for the Hungry collection in November yielded 1,800 non-perishable food and toiletry items and approximately $100 in cash, all of which was donated to the local food pantry. The seniors' community coat drive produced four large boxes and a bag of coats, which were donated to Interchurch.
Students are active in community service within the school district, as well.
"Our seniors rotate to read to first-graders at the elementary school," Weade said. "The first-graders get really excited when the 'big kids' visit their classroom."
The FFA members also set an example for younger students by recycling paper and plastic at the elementary school.
Centerburg’s soil-judging team placed second out of 20 FFA chapters in state competition in October. They qualified for the national contest in Oklahoma City in May. The team includes Oliver Griffith, Ethen Kent, Greg Beard, and Nathaniel Caudill.
Griffith, the chapter president, cited Centerburg's recent success in FFA district parliamentary procedure competition, which qualified the team for the state contest on Dec. 17 at the Delaware Area Career Center.
"It's our first state parliamentary procedure qualification in at least 12 years," Griffith said.
He is joined on the team by Kent, Beard, Zachary Jagger, Olivia Griffith, and Dallas Cornett. Parliamentary procedure competition is based on knowledge of Robert's Rules of Order and the ability to conduct a structured meeting.
The chapter's food science technology team finished among the top half of 22 district schools on Dec. 3. That team included Oliver Griffith, Kent, Cornett, and Beard.
One of the unique features of Centerburg's FFA lab is a CNC (computer numerical control) machine, which plays an important role in the manufacturing industry. Senior Ethan Kent, whose family farm produces corn, wheat, soybeans, and beef cattle, demonstrated the software-guided CNC machine by producing a wooden plaque of the Ohio University bobcat.
"It can cut metal, too," Kent said. "Using this machine to make parts for farm equipment would be a lot cheaper than having to buy them."
Superintendent Ryan Gallwitz said the CNC machine was purchased with a $5,000 grant from the Knox County Foundation, which was paired with federal funds.
"It's an amazing machine, which we plan to use as part of a manufacturing model to develop career awareness," Gallwitz said. "We are grateful to the county foundation for their support."
On the opposite side of Weade's classroom is the greenhouse, where students utilize state-of-the-art techniques to grow and tend a variety of plants. One such technique is using waste produced by 70 tilapia in an adjoining tank to fertilize plants.
The FFA's annual plant sale – one of two chapter fundraising events – is set for early May. The other event is the recently completed fruit sale.
While much activity is centered on the seniors, Weade's sophomore students focus on plant science and juniors focus on plant study in the greenhouse.
"We recently added Gabby Cheadle, an Ohio State University graduate, as a second vocational ag teacher," Weade said. "Together, we plan to develop a more specialized plant and animal science curriculum."
Centerburg Local Schools is a client district of the Knox Educational Service Center, along with Danville Local Schools, East Knox Local Schools, Fredericktown Local Schools, Mount Vernon City Schools, and the Knox County Career Center.
