Submitted by ALANA HOUCHENS
Barren County FFA Reporter
Barren County FFA traveled to the Kentucky State Fair this month, a Kentucky tradition 120 years in the making. Members competed in categories like floral design, potted plants, and hay, as well as competing in CDEs, or Career Development Events. The chapter was very successful, and members thoroughly enjoyed competing and networking with other agricultural students across the state.
The Floriculture team consisted of Abigail Coleman (12), Anna Kate Alexander (12), Ella Hoggard (11), and Holland Kelsay (11). In this contest, students identify plants, complete a floral arrangement, and take both a general knowledge test and a problem-solving exam. The team received a 5th-place ribbon.
The Nursery/Landscape team, who won a 3rd place ribbon, included Abbey Turner (12), Addy Allen (11), Mollie Hawkins (11), and Alana Houchens (11). The Nursery contest consists of plant identification, plant disorder identification, a general knowledge exam, and a landscape plan study.
The Meats Judging team, Matthew Estes (12), Kennedy Gill (12), Jay Houchens (11), Avery Chapman (11), and Brooklyn Russell (11), also won a 3rd place ribbon. The students had to classify cuts of meat, identify retail cuts, and grade cuts on yield and quality.
The Jr. Livestock Judging team, a contest exclusively for freshmen and sophomores, included Addison Bow (10), AnneClaire Garmon (10), Bridgette Smith (10), and Clayton Jones (10). They received a 6th-place ribbon. The Jr. Livestock Judging contest includes placing livestock into classes.
The Dairy Judging team competitors, a contest that requires students to take a general knowledge test, classify heifers and cows, and give their reasons for the classifications, were Abigail Coleman (12), Gracie Myatt (11), Jonna Ford (11), Kyra Moore (11), and Adeline Coleman (10). They received 5th place.
Haley Mutter (10) competed in Seed ID, a freshman-only contest. This individual contest requires students to identify different kinds of seeds and rank seed tags.
Members also entered into multiple individual categories at the fair.
In Ag Mechanics (Small, Medium, Large), Holland Kelsay (11), AnneClaire Garmon (10), Bridgette Smith (10), Jonna Ford (11), and Jay Houchens (11) each received a blue ribbon in their respective categories.
In the Floral Design category (Real, Artificial), Holland Kelsay (11) received the Grand Champion in Artificial. Jonna Ford (11) and Abigail Coleman (12) each received a blue ribbon, and Kinsley Creeger (10) received a red ribbon.
In the Hay entry category, Matthew Estes (12) received a 7th-place rating. Jonna Ford, Addy Allen, and Austin Sturgeon each received white in their categories.
Matthew Estes (12) entered the Soybeans category and received a white ribbon.
In the Corn entry category, Matthew Estes (12) entered and received a blue ribbon.
The chapter also had members who showed cattle individually.
Kyra Moore (11) received multiple awards, including Grand Champion in the Open Show Simmental Heifer class, 8th overall individual in Senior Dairy Judging, and Grand and Kentucky Champion in the Open Show Gelbvieh Heifer class.
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