Future farmers

Snyder High School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) students are learning skills and making friends this semester as they participate in Texas FFA’s Career Development Events (CDE). 

CDE contests begin in February and have many elements to them, according to agriculture teacher Amanda Anderson. Snyder students are competing in eight of the 28 CDE events this year.

Participating in ag communications are team members Ashlee Jennings, Kellee Martini, Cylie Velasquez and Tegan Dickson.

“For ag communications, they have to watch a press conference over an agricultural issue,” Anderson said. “Then, they split up, and each of them have their own practicum: one writes a newspaper article, one builds a website layout, one makes a video and one does opinion writing.” 

This is Velasquez’ first year to compete in ag communications.

“I have a video software (Adobe Premiere) that I use, and I have to build a video that includes video, audio and information from the press conference,” she said.  

Martini said that there are both benefits and challenges to competing in CDE contests.

“You learn a lot of skills that you don’t learn getting involved in other organizations,” she said. “You learn things like public speaking, talents, ag judging, floriculture. But one of the challenges of FFA is that you don’t know what you’re getting into until you’ve gone through it.” 

Competing in cotton are Jax Weaver, Kade Hunter, Jax Collier and Collin Guines. 

“In cotton judging, they’ll have 50 different samples set up, and as you go through, you have to determine if it’s white, spotted or tinged,” Hunter said. “You determine if the cotton is a quality product that you can sell.”

Weaver said that CDE’s are good for participants.

“It allows you to make bonds that last forever,” he said. “It also allows you to be exposed to things that you wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to.”

Wildlife competitors are Kirsten Reid, Jennings and Weaver. 

“We judge plants and go around looking at things like fur and pellets,” Reid said. “It’s good because you can do a lot with this stuff in the future.”

Jennings said competing in wildlife and ag communications has helped her during her senior year.

“We learn leadership skills and time management, which has helped me juggle high school, college classes and work,” she said. “FFA is also a good way to make a lot of new friends.”

Competing in wool judging are Kimberly Wells, Phoenix Burns, Caelyn Gaines and Hannah Alcarez.

“Wool judging is about finding the high quality wool, judging the fineness, length and yield count,” Wells said. “The contest is actually really fun. Plus, CDEs and stock shows are easy to get into and learn.” 

Homesite evaluation participants are Jake Leatherwood, Jettie Prince, Tyleigh Price and Zachary Miller.

“Homesite is judging soil to find the texture of the top soil and subsoil and to find the depth and slope of the land,” Price said. “At contest, there’s usually four pits, and we go around to each one and feel the texture to find out things like if it’s course.”

Leatherwood said that competing in homesite can open up future job opportunities.

“With FFA, you’re not just focusing on school stuff,” he said. “You’re learning a new skill and doing more hands-on things.”

Participating in horse judging are Clayton Stroud, Jettie Prince, Kaden Prince and Dickson.

“You have four horses and judge them on which one looks the nicest and is put together the best,” Kaden Prince said. “You look to see if the horse is sound and how it looks and performs. I’ve been around horses my whole life, so I look for what the judges are looking for.”

Dickson has also around horses her whole life.

“I’ve always been around horses, but horse judging showed me a new element to them,” she said. 

Other events in which Snyder students will participate are farm business management and ag sales.

Competing in farm business management are Jessica Sutton, Kendra Bynum, Natalee James and Eli McClain.

Competing in ag sales are Macie Palacios, Martini, Collier and Savanna Porter.

As the spring semester comes to a close, the FFA teams will compete at area and state competitions in the upcoming weeks. 

An area competition was held this weekend at Texas Tech University for farm business management, wool and horse events. Farm business management teams that qualify at area will advance to the state competition April 27 at Sam Houston State University. Wool and horse teams that qualify will advance to the state competition April 21 at Texas Tech.

Another area competition will be held Wednesday at Tarleton State University for homesite and ag sales teams. Homesite teams that qualify will advance to the state competition April 26 at Tarleton State, and ag sales teams that qualify will advance to the Sam Houston state competition on April 27.

Competing at the state competition at Texas Tech are the ag communication and cotton teams.