Ready? Set? Go! Yells Ella Heckman (10) and the teams race off to tackle their first event. The intensity increases as one teammate after the other races against the other teams to get a point on the board. Ag Olympics hosted by the Ag department is a favorite for many students each year. FFA Weeks builds the excitement for the finale on Friday for only one week out of the entire school year.
During FFA Week there are spirit days that lead up to the Olympics. This year the spirit days consisted of: Camo Day, America Day, Farmer Day, Farm Animal Day, and Blue and Gold Day. Each day had different criteria based off the theme. Camo Day you were encouraged to wear any and all camo that you owed. For America Day wearing an sort of red, white, or blue was fantastic. Farmer Day you were to dress like a farmer. For Farm Animal Day you were encouraged to dress like any farm. Finally, for Blue and Gold Day you could wear any assortment of blue and gold.
“FFA chapters use National FFA Week to share agriculture with their fellow students as well as their communities,” said Adrianna Durboraw (11).
Living in a rural community makes FFA Week so much more important. This is a way to keep our community together through something the community is good at, farming, and something that everyone loves, fun.
“We do Ag Olympics to have fun and get the whole school involved. Everybody in the school gets to watch as teams participate in activities,” said Adrianna Durboraw, “ FFA week is to inform people about agriculture and FFA knowledge.”
This year there were six teams.The teams were Yearbook: Rachel Kimmel, Kirstyn Black, Macey Keefer, and Megan Rummel; The Dream Team: Shane Coursey, Heath Hissong, Cody Saunders, and David Clopper; The 717: Evan Clopper, Logan Miller, Trysten Hensley, and Caleb Wise; The Thrasher: Delanie Black, Madison Hock, Lacy Nolan, and Shayla Plantz; Brothers From Differ
ent Mothers: Moses Goetz, Logan Weaver, Alex Letterman, and Trey Settings; and finally The Teachers: Ms. Fox, Mrs. Swailes, Mrs. Chambers, and Mrs. Miller. Anyone from the school can make a team and enter into the Olympics. There is a limit of four people per team and everyone must participate in almost every activity. This year the games consisted of: Hay Bale Tossing, Corn Shucking, Apple Bobbing, Penny in a Haystack, and a Pie Eating Contest. Each of these activities helps students that don’t have a farming background appreciate the community they live in and the work that they do.
“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit because it will, in the end, contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness,” said Adrianna Durboraw.
The community we live in is full of new agricultural opportunities. Being able to bring them to school for students to learn while having fun is a rare opportunity.
