Atwater FFA members joined over 1400 registered agriculture high school students throughout California at the Merced College Field Day on March 21st and earned top honors with another strong showing. The Atwater FFA Milk Quality and Dairy Foods, Land, and Ag Mechanics judging teams placed 2nd overall with the Horticulture (4th overall) and Small Engines teams also earning high placings.
“Our students continue to take advantage of opportunities to be successful personally, academically, and towards their future endeavors.” said Atwater FFA Advisor Sam Meredith, “The opportunity FFA and career development events that are organized by various colleges and universities such as Merced College, provide students a tremendous opportunity to grow and develop personally and academically.”
The Atwater FFA 2nd place Milk Quality and Dairy Foods was composed of Shoua Thao (3rd overall), Christina Aguilar (4th overall), Daryl Dorsey, and Dayana Ceja. Other participants included Julianna Daily, Jessica Prado, Cesar Perez, and Audrey Esau. The contest involves milk quality evaluation, milk fat identification, cheese identification, “real vs imitation” dairy products, and a written exam pertaining to the dairy industry.
The Atwater FFA 2nd place Land team included Juan Hurtado (3rd overall), Joseph Kamesch, Gabby England, and Amber Miller. The contest involves the evaluation and interpretation of soils and soil profiles. Students analyze various soil pits and determine soil texture, water holding capacity, and erosion characteristics while associated the data with agriculture applications.
The Atwater FFA 2nd place Ag Mechanics team was composed of Andrew Skidmore, Eric Favela, Kevin McCrary, and Nathaniel Cavellero. Other participants included Daniel Mesa, Joseph Contreras, Joel Rojas, and Noe Aguilar. The Ag Mechanics contest involves woodworking, electrical, oxy-fuel welding & cutting skills, tool identification, and a written exam on all aspects of agriculture mechanics.
Other competitors included Alberto Ramos, David Zunigia, and Amanjot Gandhoke of the Small Engines team.
The next FFA Field Day competition is on Saturday, March 28th at Modesto Junior College with over 2000 high school agriculture students scheduled to compete from all over California in various hands-on application and critical thinking skills.
For more information on Atwater FFA, log onto their website at AtwaterFFA.org or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram.