Clear skies. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..
Clear skies. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Pictured from left to right: Austin Bell and Grant Hazan at Merced County Fair
Pictured from left to right: Austin Bell and Grant Hazan at Merced County Fair
Gustine FFA members participated in the Merced County Fair, Gustine FFA Annual Truck and Tractor Pulls, the 2022 Officer Retreat, California State Fair, and the California Youth Ag Expo. Our members represented our chapter tremendously at each event they attended.
To kick off the summer, many of our members exhibited at the Merced County Fair from June 6-12. Our members were excited to return to a full-functioning fair after two years and show off their livestock. On June 7, our goat and lamb members took on the ring. Savanna Barcellos was second place in her breeding goat class. Austin Bell had the Reserve Champion FFA Market Lamb, 1st place in his breeding ewe class and second overall in sheep showmanship. Grant Hazan was 2nd in his lightweight market Hampshire class. Wednesday was another busy day for our beef and dairy members.
In the beef ring, our members showed off their skills; Ashlyn Alamo had Champion Merced Mariposa Beef Bred Heifer and placed 2nd in her market steer class. Kaitlin Dores placed 1st with her Merced Mariposa Beef Bred Heifer, 2nd with her market steer, exhibited the Supreme Champion Bull, and was awarded 1st place in Advanced FFA Beef Showmanship. Garret Gomes placed 3rd in class with his Merced Mariposa Beef Bred Heifer. Darian Nunes placed 3rd with her dairy grade heifers, and Alfred Nunes placed 4th in his dairy grade heifer class.
The last show day for our members was for our rabbit exhibitors on June 10. Savanna Barcellos exhibited the Reserve Champion Single Fryer Rabbit, and Lucero Ponce exhibited the FFA Champion Market Rabbit Meat Pen and the Overall Supreme Grand Champion Meat Pen.
Kaitlin Dores participated in the Merced County Master Showmanship competition to wrap up the fair, where she exhibited Beef, Dairy, Lambs, Goats, Dairy Goats, and Pigs and placed 6th overall. Our members then went on to the award ceremony following master showmanship, where many of our members were acknowledged for their accomplishments throughout the week.
Grant Hazan shared, “It was awesome to be back at a full running fair, it was delightful, and I look forward to next year!”
Gustine FFA then hosted their 37th Annual Gustine FFA Truck and Tractor Pulls on July 3 in conjunction with the Valley Tractor Pullers Association. It is not easy to put on this event; the Gustine FFA officer team would like to thank the ag teachers, ag boosters, parents, FFA members, community members, and spectators for pulling off another successful Truck and Tractor Pulls. As spectators entered the stands, they were greeted by Gustine FFA’s newly installed officers, given a sponsorship book containing our generous donors’ advertisements, and asked if they would like to purchase tickets for our 50/50 raffle. During all the action, black smoke, and loud sounds, spectators could buy a cool refreshment or delicious linguica sandwich from the Ag Boosters booth, which had just about everything from hotdogs, burgers, candy, and drinks.
July 10-12th, our 2022-2023 officer team had the opportunity to attend the annual officer retreat; this year, they went to Capitola. During the trip, officers had the chance to collaborate and learn about each other’s strengths and weaknesses through team-building activities. The officer team participated in many leadership activities and shared thoughts on getting our members involved, engaged, and excited for all the things this year will have to offer. They spent a lot of their time planning events, meetings, and learning, and they also got to have a bit of fun. They played beach volleyball, went on walks on the beach, body surfed, and played football. After a long day at the beach before dinner, we packed the van and headed to Santa Cruz Boardwalk, where the officers and ag teachers had fun riding the rides. Towards the end of the retreat, the officer team came up with the theme for the year, “All In.” Garret Gomes, Chapter President, shared, “I look forward to serving alongside our team members to ensure students find their full potential and passion within our organization. I am excited about what this year has in store for Gustine FFA. This year we look forward to going All In!” The Gustine FFA Officer Team looks forward to hosting multiple events and can’t wait to kick off the year with their annual Welcome Back BBQ.
Shortly after, three members headed up to Sacramento for the California State Fair, and wow, did they bring their A-game. Emma Woods, Austin Bell, and Kaitlin Dores represented our chapter in an excellent way. Emma Woods exhibited the Champion Hamp, Champion Cross, and Supreme Champion Lamb. Austin Bell had first in class with his wether, third with his ewe, and fifth in Sheep Showmanship. Austin shared, “State Fair is always one of my favorite livestock shows, and I was excited that it was back after two years.”
In the Beef show, Kaitlin Dores won Grand Champion Hereford Heifer, Reserve Grand Champion Hereford Bull, as well as won FFA Advanced Beef Showmanship. She then advanced to State Fair Master Showmanship, where the top two showmen from each species went head to head. Master showmanship is more than just showing off how you can show your animal; it is showing and answering questions about all four species. Kaitlin got the opportunity to show beef, goats, lambs, and pigs against some of the most competitive showmen in California. She received 5th overall in State Fair Master Showmanship. Kaitlin said, “It was great to be back at State Fair after two years. It was awesome to meet new people from all over California and make great memories in my blue jacket. It was an honor to represent Gustine FFA and the State Fair Beef exhibitors in Master Showmanship.” Congratulations to our members. We are proud of your hard work and dedication to your projects.
To wrap up Gustine FFA’s hectic summer, Austin Bell and Emma Woods attended the California Youth Ag Expo held in Tulare from August 4-7. They not only showed off their skills in the show ring, but Austin also competed in a very intense speaking competition. To start CYAE, the speaking competitions began Aug. 4; our very own Austin Bell participated in the senior division of the Extemporaneous Public Speaking Competition and later received Champion Senior for Extemporaneous Speaking. Extemporaneous is an intense competition; there is a table with flipped-over flash cards containing various topics regarding the agriculture industry. From the cards on the table, you get to pick three. You then will narrow it down to one card with a specific topic. You have 30 minutes to prepare a 4-6 minute speech on that topic with facts and quotes to back up your opinion. Once the speech is completed, you go through five minutes of questions from the judges. “Extemporaneous speaking and CYAE have been one of my favorite FFA competitions. It has given me the ability to use my public speaking skills and allows me to share my opinions on certain topics within the agriculture industry,” Austin shared. On Aug. 5, the market show began. Austin Bell was Reserve Champion Natural Lamb, which went on to earn Eighth Overall Market Lamb.
Emma Woods had Supreme Champion Market Lamb as well as Reserve Champion Cross.
Emma shared, “CYAE always makes me excited because of the competition and hard work I have put into this. I also enjoy getting to spend the weekend with friends and family.” We are incredibly proud of Austin and Emma and their passion for their projects!
With Gustine FFA having such a busy but fantastic summer, we cannot wait for the rest of the year. The year is just starting, and we are so excited to get our members excited and involved because we are going “All In” this year.
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