Diamond Trail claims ninth in national convention

Members of the Diamond Trail FFA chapter of Monroe were one of 34 teams participating in the National FFA Agronomy Career Development Event.

The event was in conjunction with the 85th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. The team, led by advisor Ed Ricks, was awarded a Gold emblem and placed ninth overall. Members also competed for individual awards with 131 other participants. Senior Alexandria Samson received a high silver emblem, junior Derrick Hoodjer received a gold emblem, senior Jodie DeVries received a silver emblem and senior Nathan VandeWall received a gold emblem.

The National FFA Agronomy CDE is a competitive event that allows students to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations. Participants’ knowledge of agronomic sciences was tested through several levels of competition including developing solutions for problematic scenarios; identification of seeds, insects, soil and crops; and other management practices.

The event, sponsored by Bayer CropScience and held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind., is one of many educational activities at the National FFA Convention & Expo in which FFA members practice the lessons taught in agricultural classes. Each team competed at local and state levels for the privilege of representing their state at the National FFA Convention & Expo.

The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 557,318 student members as part of 7,498 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA’s mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.