The East Knox FFA recently competed in the State FFA Forestry Career Development Event held at Hocking College on Sept. 28, where they placed first out of a field of teams from across Ohio.

Eight members of the East Knox FFA competed in this event with the top four scores counting as the team score. Individually, Dylan Springer placed second, Ariana Talbott finished third, Aiden Kapper was fifth, and Hayden Baker placed eighth out of 235 competitors. The other East Knox team members were Peyton Finch (25th), Curtis Divan (27th), Blake Elliott (48th), and Kylie Griffith (146th). The team will receive a banner for winning the state competition and the top 10 individuals will each receive a plaque at the annual Ohio FFA Convention next May in Columbus. 

The Forestry Career Development Event is an activity designed to demonstrate students’ skills in the area of Forestry Management. Students complete a 45-question online test over the forestry industry, identify tree species, identify forestry tools, complete a timber cruise to determine the volume of saw logs in a woods, perform a compass course practicum to determine azimuth and distance, read and interpret topographical maps, and conduct a wood products identification practicum. 

This year’s first-place finish in the State FFA Forestry Career Development Event marks the 33rd year in a row (dating back to 1993) that East Knox FFA has placed in the top 10 teams in the state contest and the 22nd time finishing in the top five in Ohio. In addition to this year's state win, they won the State in 2020, 2013, and 1999 and have finished fourth more than any other placing at nine times.

The East Knox FFA Forestry Team will now represent Ohio in the National competition next October (2025) in Indianapolis in conjunction with the National FFA Convention.