The Lewis Cass FFA has been busy as we near the close of the school year. Many new projects have begun, and some major contests are yet to begin. Mr. Plank was asked to give an update on everything FFA and had this to say, “The FFA has been busy and has lots of upcoming events. Our biggest ones are the following; we have moved the garden and started to plant the garden, we then have our plant sale, we are also painting the shop, and we have a team in Oklahoma competing in the National Soils contest, and finally have a team competing at State Livestock judging coming up. Each of these events will help students develop lifelong skills, Mr. Plank added, “Both Soils Judging and Livestock Judging are considered Career Development Events, and in each event, the students are learning real-life skills by being able to evaluate soil or livestock, and then make decisions based on their evaluations. Soils are able to evaluate the land structures, and different types of soil lead them to make decisions on whether or not to plant a cover crop or whether or not the site is suitable for a home. With Livestock judging, the students evaluate the animals for structural correctness and muscle composition to decide a ranking, but they also have to prepare oral reasons. That is basically a prepared speech where they provide evidence of what they saw and explain why they placed the class the way they did. In both cases, making an evaluation and then being able to explain and make decisions off of that evaluation is a skill that they will use in most job settings.”
Here is a breakdown of each event. First, the plant sale will be on Thursday, May 8, and Friday, May 9, from 3-5 pm. The plant sale is exciting because of the garden’s new location. Mr. Plank was asked the reasoning behind the new location and said, “Last year we tore down the old greenhouse, and while that made the back of the school look better, it sort of exposed our garden. Like any garden, it isn’t going to look great year-round. This year, we decided to move the garden out beyond the softball field. When we did this, we planted the old garden space with grass seed, and it is already looking better.” Mr. Plank was asked where the money raised would go. He replied, “The money goes back into the greenhouse fund to purchase seed and materials for next year. The plant sale is more about experiences for our students rather than as a fundraiser.” Junior, Matt Minnick, has been working on the garden and was asked his thoughts on the new location, “Despite the long walk to the garden, it’s already looking healthier and more eye-appealing. I feel like this garden will definitely bring our FFA lots of success.”
Next, the Ag shop is getting a fresh coat of paint. Mr. Plank was asked why the new paint job. “The shop has not been painted in years, and we have stains and random marks on the walls. Mr. Young approached us with the idea of getting it looking better, and Mr. Appleton’s classes have been doing the painting.” Sophomore, Wyatt O’Neil, has been working on the shop and said, “It’s been going good. We have got a lot done, and we are almost 1/3 of the way done.”
The national soil trip is also happening. Mr. Plank was asked who was on the trip, and said, “Brystal, Cole, Colton, and James earned the trip by qualifying from the State contest to the National Soils Judging Competition in Oklahoma. The other four went in previous years, and helped coach and mentor this year’s team.” To earn this trip, the team had to qualify by placing top five in the State competition.
Next, state livestock judging will take place Saturday, May 3, 2025. Plank was asked how his team is preparing for the state livestock judging contest, “We have had practice every Tuesday & Thursday since January, and we have attended three contests.” Plank had this to say about how he feels the contest will go: “State contests are always challenging. While we have a very talented set of evaluators going, I am simply hopeful we go and compete and place in the top 10 and earn a trip to a National Contest.”
All in all, the FFA has a busy month of May ahead. Whether it is competing in contests or completing projects, they are always staying busy. No matter what they are doing, they are always learning life skills they will use for the rest of their lives.
