FFA Ignites at State
FFA Ignites at State
by Kim Carlson
Passion for agriculture, career successes, and personal growth were ignited during the week of Wednesday, April 9, through Friday, April 11, as 25 Pierce FFA members traveled to Lincoln to celebrate to 86th State FFA Convention.
Wednesday, Dean Fleer, Austin Freeman, Ray Barnes, and Clay Johnson competed in the Ag Mechanics contest in Grand Island. This contest consisted of identifying parts of machinery and testing over them. Dean Fleer received a red, and Austin Freeman earned a white ribbon. Later that night, Michael Fleer, Ray Fleer, Kristen Albrecht, and Breanna Attema competed in the Farm Management contest held on UNL’s East Campus. The team received a red. Kristen Albrecht received a blue; Breanna Attema and Michael Fleer both received a red. The chapter attended a hypnotist that evening.
Members traveled from East Campus to Cornhusker Highway and back all day Thursday as they attended sessions, workshops, and competed in events. Quentin Anderson, Dean Fleer, Clay Johnson, and Austin Wickett competed in Junior Livestock Judging. The team finished with a blue. Anderson received a purple, Fleer received a blue, and Johnson earned a red. The Senior Livestock Judging team consisted of Garrett Wickett, Heath Lienemann, Ray Fleer, and Colten Hintz. Wickett earned a red, and Lienemann earned a white. Breanna Attema received a bronze on her speech about conservation of water in Natural Resource competition. Wyatt Polt, Jacob Barnes, Noah Krueger, Thomas Polt all competed in Meat Evaluation. Meat Evaluation consisted of standing in a freezer and determining the types of meat that were present. Wyatt Polt received a blue. Collin Freeman, Brandon Gerdes, Dalton Polt, and Tyler Tinker competed in Agronomy contests. The contest consisted of each member taking an individual test over agronomy. C. Freeman received a red, and Gerdes and Polt both received whites. Kristen Albrecht went through interviews over her Nursery Operation Proficiency. Later that night, she received second place. Sessions throughout the day consisted of the 2013-2014 state officers giving their retiring speeches and speakers talking about the importance of Agricultural Education. The Pierce FFA Chapter received silver on their National Chapter Application during the third session. The Chapter attended evening session together, where they heard from Governor Dave Heineman and National FFA President Brian Walsh about the importance of agriculture and the impact it has on everyone.
Sessions, workshops, and competitions continued on through Friday. On Friday, Kristen Albrecht, Breanna Attema, Kim Carlson, and Bailey Tinker competed in the Natural Resource competition on East Campus. The contest consisted of a group test and an individual test. The team received a white with Carlson receiving a red. The Welding team also competed Friday morning at East Campus. The welding contest included a test as well as making welds in their designated area. Braden Taylor competed in MIG Welding, Brandon Gerdes competed in Oxyacetylene Welding, and Jacob Barnes received a red in Arc Welding. Friday evening, four seniors walked across the stage at Pershing Auditorium for their final time to receive their State Degree. In order to receive this award, members must have kept two or more years of accurate records and received both the Greenhand and Chapter degrees. Earlier in February, candidates went through interviews in Hartington and discussed why they wanted this degree. Kristen Albrecht, Michael Fleer, Ray Fleer, and Tyler Tinker were the recipients from Pierce along with 461 members in Nebraska that received this award.
Recipient R. Fleer said, “Receiving my state degree was a great accomplishment to me, and by getting the degree, it will help me in the future with agricultural opportunities.”
The final event for the 86th annual State FFA convention was the election of the 2014-2015 state officers. Michael Fleer was up for candidacy. Fleer went through strenuous interviews all week starting on Wednesday. There were seventeen members who all hoped to receive one of the seven spots available. Even though Fleer wasn’t ultimately selected, he said, “Running for office was a blast, I wouldn’t change a thing. I gave everything I had and got to become really close friends with the other candidates.”