CV FFA Hosts 5th Annual "Agventure Day" for 800+

Mechanicsburg, PA—Cumberland Valley FFA members successfully coordinated the 5^th annual “Agventure Day” for all 4^th grade students in the Cumberland Valley School District on October 6, 2016. The event was hosted in the CV Agriculture Department to promote the diverse agriculture facilities and showcase student learning opportunities within the department.

Students from the morning session on their way to
their "Agventure" workshops!

The day was divided into a morning and afternoon session due to the volume of expected attendees. Students from Monroe, Middlesex, Green Ridge, and Silver Spring elementary schools attended in the morning session while Shaull, Hampden, and Sporting Hill students joined the fun in the afternoon. Upon their arrival to the high school, students were greeted by some enthusiastic animals waiting to welcome them for the “agventure” of a lifetime!

FFA members lead the Beef Cattle workshop.

Students were divided into 10 groups with various animal names. Approximately 25 FFA members served as group leaders and tour guides during the 2-hour educational experience.  Groups rotated through workshops focused on Pennsylvania commodities, beef cattle, the dairy industry, maple syrup production, pesticide education, service dogs, and farm safety. The following individuals presented each of the workshops:

• ·         Beef Cattle—CV FFA President Killiann George
• ·         Dairy Cattle—Cumberland County Dairy Princess Amy Fogelsanger
• ·         Farm Safety—Rachel Bryson, American Trauma Society
• ·         Pesticide Education—Kelly Lowery, Penn State Pest Ed
• ·         Service Dogs—Jane Jackson, Susquehanna Service Dogs
• ·         Maple Syrup—CV FFA Senior Abby Klinger
• ·         All About Plants—CV FFA Senior Courtney Walter
• ·         Pennsylvania Commodities—CV FFA Treasurer Gabriel Hartman and CV FFA Secretary Megan Copeland
• **This workshop featured lesson plans and videos from "My American Farm"
•         Farm Animal Education (2 separate stations)—CV FFA Chaplain Anna Pauletta, CV FFA Reporter Ben Miskin, and CV FFA Vice-President Ben Miskin

FFA member Wyatt Dale
gives a visitors an up close
and personal visit with his
Hampshire sheep.

At the conclusion of their time at the high school, 4^th grade students and their teachers were all smiles after a day of learning disguised as fun. As evidenced by hundreds of thank-you notes received in the following weeks, the highlights of this ag literacy event include learning where maple syrup comes from, discovering the difference between beef and dairy cattle, and dispelling false ideas about how animals are raised.

FFA members Courtney Walter and
Dani Sherman present about plant
anatomy and function.

Great support is given to this event by community and industry representatives as well as the Cumberland Valley School District, especially our Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Dr. Patty Hillery. In all, this year’s event impacted 702 4^th-grade students from 7 elementary schools and 104 teachers/chaperones. Each classroom received a goodie bag of promotional items from the Dairy Princess, My American Farm handouts, and a CV Agricultural Sciences promotional flier. With a team of over 65 CV FFA members, the 2016 Agventure Day was deemed a success! 

A presentation by Susquehanna Service
Dogs.

From Left: Megan Copeland, Sara Mellot, Gabriel Hartman, and
Addie Harper conduct the PA Commodities Workshop utilizing
"My American Farm" ag literacy resources.

A special thanks to the American Farm Bureau Foundation for their generous support of this Ag Literacy event! Cumberland Valley FFA was one of 10 organizations selected to receive a "My American Farm" mini-grant in 2016. We thank the AFB Foundation for their support!

CV FFA member Veronica Kiner introduces 4th-grade
students to a Boer goat. Boer goats are raised for meat.

Senior FFA member Abby Klinger leads a workshop on
how maple syrup is produced. Each year, CV FFA
members tap approximately 50 maple trees on the
CV campus.

Cumberland County Dairy Princess Amy Fogelsanger
gives a presentation about how milk is produced and dairy
animals are raised.

Kelly Lowery with Penn State Pest Ed discusses how
harmful bugs can affect crop production. Kelly is a former
FFA member and past PA FFA State President.

Rachel Bryson from the American Trauma Society
discusses Farm Safety through the use of Farm Safety Jeopardy!

CV FFA Members Find Success at 89th National FFA Convention

INDIANAPOLIS, IN—17 members of the Cumberland Valley FFA chapter recently returned from participating in the 89th National FFA Convention and Expo held annually in Indianapolis, Indiana. One team of students and one individual competed against FFA members from 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. In order to compete at the National FFA Convention, teams and individuals must place 1^st in their respective contest at the Pennsylvania FFA Convention held in June of each year.

The Environmental & Natural Resources Team, consisting of Anna Pauletta, Mallory Taramelli-Dickinson, Abby Klinger, and Galen Witmer placed 15^th in the nation. The team had to develop a 10-minute presentation regarding a land development issue and also compete in various practicums including GPS navigation, water quality testing, and analyzing soil texture. Anna Pauletta took 1^st place individual in the entire contest and was awarded a $1,000 cash prize from the contest sponsor. Anna was recognized on the National FFA stage as the top individual during the 9^th General Session of the FFA Convention. Pauletta earned a Gold Rating individual rating while Klinger earned a Silver rating. Witmer and Taramelli-Dickinson received a Bronze rating.

Environmental and Natural Resources team members pose after the Awards
Banquet at the 89th National FFA Convention. Galen Witmer, Mallory
Taramelli-Dickinson, Anna Pauletta, and Abby Klinger combined efforts
to finish as the 15th place team in the nation.

Killiann George was selected to participate in the National FFA AgriScience Fair in Animal Systems—Division 2 with her research project on Farm Biosecurity. After an afternoon of interviews and judging, Killiann placed 10^th in the nation and received a Silver Rating.  Only 4 FFA members from Pennsylvania were invited to participate in the National FFA 

AgriScience Fair.

Killiann poses with her AgriScience Research
project entitled "Comparing the Effectiveness of
Biosecurity Practices."

Finally, Cumberland Valley FFA was presented with the 3-Star Chapter award during the 2^nd General Session of the convention. This award is given to chapters that complete and carry out a Program of Activities during the school year. Only 15 applications from Pennsylvania advance for national evaluation where applications are scored 1-star, 2-star, or 3-star. This is the 4^th consecutive year Cumberland Valley FFA has received a 3-Star Chapter Award, which is the highest distinction available to a local chapter.

Cumberland Valley FFA delegation to the 89th National FFA Convention in
Indianapolis, IN. Thanks for a great week of leadership development, friendly
competition, and learning how to TRANSFORM purpose into action!