Chapter earns awards, one member provides ag ed connection, former advisor receives accolade – all at 2016 Minnesota State Fair
Mountain Lake FFA Chapter members took advantage of opportunities to “seize the day” during the 2016 Minnesota State Fair.
Many presented animal and crop exhibits, earning awards; one member served as a barnyard attendant at the CHS Miracle of Birth Center (MOBC) or FFA Chapter House Ambassador for Leadership – and former advisor Tom Appel received accolades for his years of FFA service .
Mountain Lake FFAers strut their stuff
+ Nathan Regier – received champion in Carcass Hog.
+ Madison Dahna – received first-place and second-place in White-Faced Commercial Breeding Ewe Lamb. She also showed Swine.
+ Hunter Dahna – received third-place in White-Faced Market Lamb and third-place in Commercial Breeding Ewe Lamb. Hunter also showed Swine.
+ Nathan Regier and Thomas Regier – Competed in the Tractor Driving Contest, and were the second-place team.
+ Thomas Regier – Showed Swine at the State Fair.
+ Caitlyn Johnson – Showed Sheep at the State Fair.
+ Caitlin Oeltjenbruns – Showed Goats at the State Fair.
+ Crop Sample awards (top results out of hundreds of samples) – First-Place: Jareya Harder, Jae Faber and Regan Syverson. Second-Place: Danielle Duerksen, Jack Wendt, Dayton Hanson and Chanah Brandt.
Chapter Advisors are Lindsey Brown, Stephen Funk and Hayley Faber.
Appel presented Day-Frederick Award
Ag ed connection; Aaron Fast a barnyard attendant, FFA ambassador
Aaron Fast from the Mountain Lake FFA Chapter served as a CHS Miracle of Birth Center barnyard attendant – or FFA Chapter House Ambassador for Leadership – during this year’s fair.
Throughout the fair, the general public had the opportunity to connect with agricultural education, whether they came from a farm, or an urban neighborhood.
The CHS Miracle of Birth Center houses the largest free exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair, attracting over a million fairgoers to see the birth of nearly 200 calves, lambs and piglets. The center also houses several other animal species, such as goats, rabbits and poultry.
This year, the CHS Miracle of Birth Center was named the Minnesota State Fair’s “Best Animal Exhibit” by WCCO.
To participate, barnyard attendants fill out an application in the spring before the state fair, and are then asked to interview at the annual state convention in April. Attendants are selected based on their communication skills and background in agriculture.
Each day, barnyard attendants wake up early in the morning – sometimes as early as 3 a.m. – to do chores for the animals or partake in media interviews. These activities, along with questions during the public during the facility’s open hours, allow students to positively promote animal agriculture.
“The state fair is a chance for millions of people to connect with agriculture in a way they normally don’t during the average day. Through interactive experiences and conversations with real farmers, people start to connect the food they are eating with the hands that produce it as a result of what happens at the state fair,” commented Rebekka Paskewitz, the 2016-2017 Minnesota FFA Reporter.
The CHS Miracle of Birth Center involves a collaborative partnership between the Minnesota FFA Association, the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association.
The current facility completed construction in 2006, and is nearly triple the size of the previous building. Many volunteers, including experienced veterinarians, students studying to be veterinarians, CHS employees – and FFA members – staff the exhibit. All of these volunteers work to inform fairgoers about animal agriculture’s dedication to welfare, the economy and healthy lifestyles.
The FFA Chapter House and Leadership Center is attached to the CHS Miracle of Birth Center, and encourages guests to consider agriculture as a career through hands-on activities that engage students and adults in thousands of possible careers.
Sponsors of the FFA Chapter House and Leadership Center include the CHS Foundation, Northland Ford, Minnesota Soybean Growers, AgriBank, AgStar Financial Services, Minnesota Corn Growers, Wells Fargo, West Central Inc., CF Industries, Hormel Foods, McDonald’s, Minnesota Biofuels Association, Minnesota Grain and Feed Association, Ralco, Rosen’s Diversified and United FCS.
During each day of the fair, the Christensen Farms Stage featured performances and entertainment that educated guests about agriculture. This included the daily “Thank-A-Farmer Magic Show” by Rhonda Ross, FFA talent acts, agriculture commodity demonstrations, contests, audience games, guest speakers and other events.
Anyone can donate to the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, and specifically restrict their gift to agricultural education purposes.
In addition to the CHS Miracle of Birth Center and FFA Chapter House, previous donors have helped support the Horticulture Building, AgStar Arena and Moo Borth.
Supporting agricultural education at the Minnesota State Fair not only helps youth in 4-H and FFA develop agriculture and leadership skills, but it also connects the public with agriculturists.
The Minnesota State Fair has been a historical event since 1859, after being granted statehood the year before. Traditionally an agriculture event, fairgoers also come to be entertained, show off various skills, learn about new products and enjoy many different types of food.
FFA is a national organization that develops students’ potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education with more than 600,000 members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
The Minnesota FFA Association represents nearly 11,000 members and almost 200 high school chapters across the state.
Agricultural education engages students through hands-on learning in the classroom, work-based learning opportunities known as Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects and FFA activities.
