Getting out into the community!

 We had a couple of great opportunities to get out into the community over the past week.  The above picture is taken at the Ufen ranch which is just south of school.  Brad Ufen (an SBA alum) was kind enough to flag about 30 range grasses and plants for us to go look at on their property.  He did a great job walking us through the plant line and sharpening our identification skills.

 Backing up to Tuesday, we had an opportunity to help a family put tires on top of their silage pile.  They had spread a large tarp across the silage to keep it fresh and needed tires on top to hold it down.  The size of this pile was almost as big as a football field and was at least 15-20 feet high!
The students worked very hard and we were able to get the job done in about 45 minutes!  We had great help from a couple of future FFA students (we hope!) Jaden Brockel and Zach Sybesma-they decided working outside would be more fun than sitting in study hall!

Everybody got their workout and helped encourage each other to get the job done.  It helps to have some competitive students in class.  I told one of them I'm glad he works half as hard as he talks!

On Thursday, we went to out to the Johnson's place with my smaller class.  We helped pick up ears of corn that had fallen out the back of a trailer as they were picking corn.  The students did well with that and enjoyed getting to drive the Gator and Big Red around the field!
One of our goals is to be able to connect our students to some of the local operations around school.  It's a win-win situation where we get to go out and help families and learn from them.  They in turn get to know our students/program and help support us in what we are doing.
Coming up this week is a visit from two state FFA officers and a Range Competition in Wessington Springs that 3 of our students will be competing in.  Thanks for tuning in!

What an exciting week!

We had a very busy yet exciting week at SBA. Chad Coppess, from Grace Adventures, came and challenged us from Ephesians 5 using horse training to relate what God desires to teach us. Our Ag classes had the opportunity to work with Chad and the horses during classtime and learn more about horse training. Thanks to Chad and the students for their willingness to go deeper. We also had an opportunity with the 3rd period class to visit Dakota Vet in Miller to watch a horse get it's teeth floated. The vet explained the procedure and allowed the students to get some hands-on learning. Thanks to Dakota Vet for allowing us this opportunity. This week we are going to help a local family put the tarp and tires on their sileage pile. We also will be finishing up our range management section over the next two weeks. The bottom photo is displaying a gavel that Trig made for our FFA meetings. I enjoy seeing the students use their gifts in a variety of ways to add to our class experience. Thanks for tuning in!

SLEW Assignment-Due Tuesday, 9-24-13

What is one takeaway (thing you have learned) that you have from SLEW week? How was that lesson illustrated by the horse? How does that apply to your relationship with God?

Putting Together a Roundpen and the Week of 9-16-13

The weeks keep getting busier!  Last Friday, the class assignment was to use teamwork to build a roundpen for our SLEW speaker.  I gave them a rough outline of what I wanted, the supplies they needed, and then I stepped back and watched them make it happen.  They did a great job as a team and problem solved a couple of hangups that I had not anticipated! 
Chad Coppess, our SLEW speaker, will be training a horse in the roundpen on Wednesday and Thursday at the 8:00 am and 7:00pm sessions if you have a chance to come by. 
We are headed to Dakota Vet in Miller today with the 3rd period class to watch the vet float a horse's teeth. Thanks for tuning in!

Assignment for 9-15-13

Reflecting on the Land and Range Judging School, what are some things that you've learned (tools for your toolbox) that you have for future opportunities in agriculture?

One More Picture

Here is a picture with everybody in it from the Land and Range Judging in Woonsocket!

Land and Range School, Upcoming Assignment

We had the opportunity to go to Land and Range Judging school in Woonsocket this past week. I don't know who was more nervous about this, the students or the teacher! The students learned about plant id, site evaluations, and carrying capacity for cattle and prairie grouse. I am proud of our students and their eagerness to learn about being better stewards of the land resources that God has given us! There is an FFA jacket contest going on where our students can win free FFA jackets. The application for this includes 2 pages of information/short answers that will be due on Wednesday, September 18. There is a place for a parent's signature on that form so please get that done accordingly. Thanks for tuning in!

Assignment for 9-5-13

This week's post has to do with leadership. We have been looking at the FFA leadership positions and will be looking into the journey of leadership. What do you think is the most important aspect of leadership? Why?

Updates

There are several updates that I want to pass your way. First of all, we are going through applications for FFA officers this week and we are blessed to have many qualified students running for positions! Schedule wise, here are a couple of upcoming events to keep in mind:

Tuesday, September 10th: Land and Range Judging School in Woonsocket

Monday, September 16th-Friday, September 20: Chad Coppess from Grace Adventures will be at SBA for our Fall SLEW. He will be incorporating live horse training as part of his teaching to the students

Tuesday, October 1: Regional Land and Range Judging Competition in Wess. Springs *For those who wish to compete

Tuesday, November 12: District Fall FFA Competition in Miller

Friday, November 22-Monday, November 25: State FFA Competition in Pierre *Stay tuned for details Sam Rogers showed a heifer in the FFA livestock competition of the State Fair last weekend in addition to her 4-H shows.