Assignments for the week of 2-24-14

Horse Slaughter debate: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-roswell-horse-slaughter-20140126,0,7510283.story#axzz2uIlowmZK

Read this article and answer the following questions:
1.  When were the last US horse slaughter facilities running?  Who did they supply their product to?

2.   Where do slaughter horses currently end up?

3.  Why is Rick De Los Santos trying to open a horse slaughter plant in New Mexico?

4.   Comment on the following quote: "Nobody loves horses more than cowboys. But society has made horses bigger than they are. They're livestock, a tool of the ranch business, not household pets."

Do you agree or disagree?  Why?

5.  1.       Read the comment by Rachel Ann 1 at the conclusion of the article.  What important points does she bring up in her arguments?

6.  1.       Should America open up horse slaughter plants?  Why or Why not?  If so, under what conditions?  (1/2 page response and you may use other sources!)

Due Friday:  Shackleton's Way Chapter 4, Blue SAE time logs for February 

Pies anybody?

 The Pie Auction went off with a bang on Thursday, February 20th after the basketball games.  The FFA members did a wonderful job helping organize, set-up, display pies and clean-up for the event...and no pies were dropped!

 90 pies were auctioned off "live" and I must say that we have some convincing sales people in the FFA program.

This was a great night to help promote the SBA FFA and celebrate National FFA Week!  Stay tuned for more updates on spring events in the coming weeks.

Day with Dr. Neu and FFA Week!

 We had a chilly, yet educational day with Dr. Gina Neu, who is a local vet with the Miller Vet Clinic, on 2-11-14. She has recently completed her vet studies at Iowa State University. She spent the afternoon with our class explaining the anatomy of a horse's hoof and lower leg as well as teaching some basic farrier skills. She brought with her a horse leg that was sawed in half vertically so we could see the inside of a horse's hoof and lower leg. She explained the bones and ligaments in that area and their critical function in allowing a horse to perform. This visual aid also helped explain "navicular" and "foundering" issues in horses. Then she showed some basic farrier techniques for trimming the horses' hooves in proportion to their conformation.

 This week (February 17-21) is National FFA Week! We have some exciting opportunities this week at SBA to take part in that. Thursday night is our annual pie auction and the FFA students will be dressed up in official dress and helping at the Pie Auction. This is to both help out and promote our chapter to the greater SBA community. Some of the money raised at the Pie Auction will go to help our FFA chapter in going to local and state competitions. Please send some pies and/or show up to help support the cause!

 We will also be covering some basic farm and ranch safety procedures this week and then the FFA students are going to create a "Farm and Ranch Safety" presentation to the upper elementary and junior high students at the end of the week. So, that is a little bit of what is going on this week. Make sure to ask your student about what they are learning from Shackleton's "Endurance"! This is an excellent story as well as an incredible lesson in leadership!

Catching Up on the 2nd Semester!

Well, time is certainly starting to fly by and pretty soon we will be wondering where the semester went! We have a busy week with our class and FFA activities. On Tuesday, we have Dr. Neu from Miller Vet Clinic coming out to do some hands-on vet and ferrier work on our horses. Tuesday night we have an FFA meeting and one of the important items on the agenda is that we will be helping out with the SBA Pie Auction on the night of February 20. There will probably be more details coming out later in the week on this, but please come if you are able! All the students have officially started their Supervised Agricultural Experiences and should be logging the hours worked and description of their work done at home. Their blue time sheets will be due at the end of each month. It is important that all FFA members have official dress as we will be wearing official dress for the pie auction and then for the upcoming state convention. Please visit ffa.org or ask me about specific questions on that. Thanks!