Nature interpretation CDE
Members of the Upper Sandusky second-place state nature interpretation CDE team include (front row, from left) Hailey Brodman (ninth overall), Arielle O’Flaherty; (back row) Madison Wengerd (sixth overall), Taylor Ruth, Emma Shumaker, Kiarie Williams (sec-ond overall), Kendall Bishop, Madison Hart (fourth overall) and Kennadi Platt,
This spring, 40 students from the Upper Sandusky FFA competed in the state Spring Career Development Event Contests, or CDEs. Upper Sandusky had seven different contest areas that students participated in: agronomy, equine management, general livestock, dairy cattle, poultry, nature interpretation and wildlife management. CDEs give members a chance to learn about vari-ous career fields while having fun within their chosen con-test area.
In the general livestock CDE, students judge cattle, hogs, sheep and goats based on body conformation and muscling. Contestants also evaluate performance classes based on expected birth and growth weights and deter-mine carcass value and prof-it. In addition, teams must evaluate keep-cull classes. In the keep-cull classes, students select the four best animals to keep and then the others are culled, or sent to market.
The general livestock par-ticipants were Kelsy Frey, Bradyn Wolf, Brodie Atkins, Trevin Redd, Emily Byrum, Paige Vehrs, Della Frey, Lyla Rall, Arden Stansbery, Bianca Frey and Leah Hill. The team currently is fifth in the state with member Kelsy Frey first as an individual. Kelsy Frey, Wolf, Atkins and Redd will compete in the state finals later this month to determine the final state placings. The team was coached by Nolan and Megan Frey.
General livestock CDE
Members of the Upper Sandusky fifth-place state general livestock CDE Team include (from left) Lyla Rall, Paige Vehrs, Kelsy Frey, Della Frey, Emily Byrum, Brodie Atkins, Trevin Redd, and Bradyn Wolf. Kelsy Frey currently is first as an individual in the state.
In the dairy cattle CDE, members judge dairy cattle by evaluating the overall structure, leg soundness and milk production, in addition to evaluating a pedigree and completing a sire selection.
Participants were Abigail Boes, McCoy Boes, Cade Frey, Kyla Conley, Micah Parsell, Hailey Brodman, Blake Rowland, Carson Rowland and Andrew Young. The team is currently seventh in the state, with member Abigail Boes ninth as an individual. Abigail Boes, McCoy Boes, Cade Frey, and Conley will compete in the state finals later this month to determine the final state plac-ings. Theteam was coached by Monte Boes.
In the nature interpretation CDE, members identify Ohio mammals, birds, plants, flowers and herptiles. They also have to identify invasive species, answer questions on attracting wildlife and deter-mine stream quality.
Participating in the nature interpretation CDE were
Kiarie Williams (second over-all), Madison Hart (fourth overall), Madison Wengerd (sixth overall), Hailey Brodman (ninth overall), Kennadi Platt, Taylor Ruth, Emma Shumaker, Arielle O’Flaherty and Kendall Bishop. The team placed second in the state.
In the agronomy CDE, students have to identify weeds, seeds, insects and crop dis-eases and participate in a team event in addition to taking a general knowledge test over agronomy and crop sciences. Participating in the agronomy CDE were Adalee Wagner, Jameson Reile, Wrehn Thomopson, Abi Gottfried,and Trey Johnson. The team placed sixth in the state.
State agronomy CDE
Members of Upper Sandusky’s sixth-place state agronomy CDE team are (from left) Adalee Wagner, Trey Johnson, Wrehn Thompson, Abi Gottfried and Jameson Reile.
For the equine manage-ment contest, participants judge pleasure and contest horses, identify tack and plants, and take a general knowledge test. Participating in the equine management or Horse Judging CDE were Allison Derr and Kayler Shaw. It takes four members to make a team so students only competed at the individual level. The team was coached by Kendra Myers and Mackenzie Weatherholtz.
In the poultry manage-ment contest, participants place market chickens, layers and ready-to-eat carcasses. Students also identify poultry parts, grade carcasses, evalu-ate interior and exterior egg quality and analyze boneless and bone-in products.
Competing members were Bryn Cundiff and Owen Mouser. As with the equine management contest, it takes four members to make a team so students only competed at the individual level. The team was coached by Gina Lewis.
For the Wildlife Management CDE, students have to identify plants, mammals, fish, birds, herptiles and equipment in addition to taking a general knowledge test over various wildlife subjects. Members also have to answer questions about game laws, pond management and habitat management. Participating in the wildlife contest were Emmett Kilbride and Sadie Roope. The members only completed individually as there weren’t enough members to make a team.
State agronomy CDE
Members of Upper Sandusky’s seventh-place state dairy cattle CDE team include (front row, from left) Hailey Brodman, Micah Parsell, and Cade Frey; (back row) Abigail Boes, Kyla Conley, McCoy Boes, Carson Rowland and Carson Rowland. Abigail Boes currently is ninth as an individual in the state.
Overall, Upper Sandusky FFA members on all of the CDE teams did well and learned a lot about the career areas that the competitions covered. Students will be able to take what they have learned and may someday apply it to a career field in agriculture. The Upper Sandusky FFA thanks the community coaches who helped train the teams.
The Upper Sandusky FFA program is offered through the administrative and financial support of the Vanguard-Sentinel Career and Technical Centers.
