From left, Isabella Crum, Hannah Hauke, Grant McClanahan, David Raines,and MaRhea Unger. (Photo provided)
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The Ohio Valley FFA has once again brought attention to Adams County. Career Development Events (better known as CDEs) are an integral part of learning in any vocational setting. Students take what has been learned in the classroom and apply it to real-life scenarios and hands-on practicums. These students are of the elite who can truly say they have accomplished not one champtionship title, but two in the same school year.
Grain Merchandising is an event where students take an online test, then top 10 teams move on to finals held at Wilmington College and conduct business by selling and storing grain acording to different scenerios provided by the state CDE commitee. These students completed an inteview immediately following their buying and selling activity and came away with the first place win. Team members were senior Grant McClanahan and juniors Isabella Crum, MaRhea Unger and Hannah Hauke.
General Livestock is a physical and mentally demanding contest requiring students to evaluate beef, sheep, swine and goats phenotypically and genotypically. In preliminaries, students evaluated eight classes of animals, including selection of ewes based on a keep/culll class with expected progeny differences, and calculated a market grid scenario.
Ohio Valley took a big lead in preliminaries held at the Ohio State Fair and Expo Center and proceeded to compete a few weeks later at The Ohio State University’s Sawmill Road Beef Complex. Upon arrival, students evaluated four classes of livestock, completed a sire selection scenario for bulls and then presented oral reasons to industry personel for critique. After weeks of hard work and dedication, these OVCTC Ag Business students pulled away with the final win. Seniors David Raines and Grant McClanahan were second and 11th individuals respectively, and junior Isabella Crum placed seventh overall. The team consisted of MaRhea Unger, David Raines, Grant McClanahan, and Isabella Crum and also placed high team overall in oral reasons.
David Raines was also fourth overall in oral reasons and had a high score of 48 on breeding heifers. Isabella Crum was also sixth high in oral reasons to close out the day with a great peformance. Special thanks to all of the parents, community supporters, industry professionals and everyone else who helped prepare these students for the win.
The team was instructed by OVCTC Ag Business teacher Luke Rhonemus, who has been an agriculure educator for nearly 20 years.
Source: OVCTC excels at Ohio FFA state competitions
