FFA Members Excel at State FFA Convention

The Milbank High School FFA Chapter competed at the 89th South Dakota FFA Convention in Brookings April 23-25. Thirty students took part in Career Development Events and individual FFA recognition.

Senior Kadon Leddy placed first in Beef Entrepreneurialship, second in AgriScience Experience, and third in Veterinary Placement. His Beef Entrepreneurialship application advances for regional FFA consideration.

Leddy placed Gold in AgriScience in the Senior Social Science Division AgriScience competition, which advances for regional FFA consideration. Leddy also placed first in South Dakota AgriScience Star Pageant, based on his four years of AgriScience Projects.

Trevor Schmidt and Kadon Leddy received the State FFA Degree – the highest FFA Degree in South Dakota. To earn the State FFA Degree, members must be involved with the program for at least three years, earn at least $1,000 through their Supervised Agriculture Experience Project, and participate in five or more FFA activities above the local level.

Suzanne Souza was awarded the Honorary State FFA Degree for her work with the South Dakota FFA Association. She has coached several Milbank FFA Dairy Cattle teams that advanced to the National FFA competition.

The Milbank Biotechnology Career Development Event team placed Gold or first. Members were Kimberlly Aburto, Madison Liebe, Korinne Roggenbuck, and Sarah Jarman. This was the first year the South Dakota FFA sponsored a Biotechnology event.

The purpose of the Agricultural Biotechnology CDE is to encourage FFA members to explore the diversity of the Biotechnology Industry in terms of basic knowledge, skills, and applications of biotechnology in the workplace. “The areas of agricultural biotechnology have important implications for the animal, plant, food, and pharmaceutical industries,” stated Milbank FFA Advisor Jerry Janisch. “The event requires students to identify materials and tools common to the industry, demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and management practices applied in the industry via a written exam, and to make observations, draw conclusions and make decisions in evaluating aspects of biotechnology principles.”

The Food Science team of Sara Capp, Sophia Seffrood, Sadie Holland, and Tori Quade placed second at the state event. Capp was fourth individually.

The Dairy Cattle team of William Mischel, Kendra Schweer, Tanner Schwagel, and Colten Giesen also finished second. Mischel placed second and Schweer tenth individually.

Chase Pinkert placed seventh individually in the Natural Resource competition, and Tanner Kettwig took eighth. Leddy and Austin Schuelke were also on the team which finished fourth overall.

The Milk Quality team of Devon Balling, Trevor Schmidt, Kellie Christians, and Katie VanderWal, fourth place; Veterinary Science team of Nathan Loutsch, Moritz Wortmann, Claire Mischel, and Macie Redmond, fifth place, and the Floriculture team of Sara Ward, Taylor Dragt, Kylie Roggenbuck, and Alexis Oliver, 15th place.

Submitted Photos–
AgriScience – Kadon Leddy, middle, placed first in South Dakota Star AgriScience. Jerry Janisch, Milbank FFA Advisor and Krecia Leddy

Biotechnology – Milbank’s Biotechnology Gold Placing team. (l. to r.) Mr. Janisch, Madison Liebe, Kimberlly Aburto, Korinne Roggenbuck and Sarah Jarman.

Food Science – Milbank’s second place Food Science Team. (l. to r.) Mr. Janisch, Sadie Holland, Sara Capp, Tori Quade and Sophia Seffrood.

Dairy Cattle – Milbank’s second place Dairy Cattle Judging Team. (l. to r.) Mr. Janisch, Colten Giesen, Tanner Schwagel, Kendra Schweer and William Mischel.