The rest of January

 Well, the rest of January flew by and here are some pictures from the last 2 weeks.  Our Agri-business class is studying a series by Compass Financial Ministries called "Business God's Way".  It is an outstanding resource and has challenged us to objectively look at our FFA chapter and how we can better serve God in it.  The above picture is sample of our class discussion on values of our FFA chapter.

 The Landscaping students are studying landscape prints and figuring out how to use scale measurements in drawings.

 The class split up in teams of 2 and then created a quiz for the other students from their print.

 The Animal Science class experimented with the energy value of different feeds including prairie hay, corn silage and popcorn.  In order to do that, we burned the feedstuffs and then measured how much heat the feed produced.  Guess which one had the most calories?

 We received 2 Lab Quests, which are like a scientific i-pods, from a grant from Dupont Pioneer to help accurately measure the temperature change in the water.  The Lab Quests also have soil moisture probes and ph level senors to use in our activities.

 Another successful experiment without burning down the shop!

Positive Aspects of FFA

This past week, PETA took some shots at FFA and Agricultural Education.  The following article was written in response to those attacks and I believe it paints an accurate picture of what FFA and Agricultural Education programs are doing in the lives of our youth today.  http://celestelaurent.com/the-truth-about-ffa-and-agriculture-education/

Class Projects

 Our landscaping class assembled benches for the fire-pit area this week.  They worked in teams of 2 and made quick work of the project.  We will put a couple coats of finish on them before we bring them outside this spring.

 The landscaping class researched careers in landscaping and created posters with their findings.  We have quite a creative bunch!

 Pictures of the teams in action.

 Our animal science class taught the lower elementary students about digestive tracts of animals.  I'm holding a digestive mural of a horse while the student teaches about how feed moves through the animal.

A month's worth of highlights

  Semester Finals, Christmas Break and now the Spring Semester is well underway!  Above is a picture of a senior student with a cattle handling facility model he built for his final project in Animal Science.

 The Agri-business students read a Beef book to the lower elementary students.  The book was written by a student at the University of Nebraska and was provided by funds from the beef checkoff.

 The book included great pictures, most of which came from a modern livestock operation.  After the students went through the books, we gave a quiz to the elementary students and they each got a prize.

 The Beef books do a great job communicating facts about the beef industry to a  young generation.  The elementary students receive a copy of the book and there are beef recipes in the back for them to try at home with their parents.

These high school students will make great parents someday!  Perhaps a couple of them will even enter the teaching profession.

Dr. Temple Grandin Trip

 We had the opportunity to go see Dr. Temple Grandin at the South Dakota Farmer's Union convention on Wednesday, December 9.  She has been a pioneer in the field of livestock handling as well as being very accomplished in her role in giving a "voice" to autism.  Its was a treat to see her in person with the students!

 Below are some pictures we took with the FFA outside on a windy December morning.  Thank you to all who have supported us along the way!

Low Stress Livestock Handling

Please read the article from the link below and answer the following questions:
http://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/extra/2014/09sep14/0914mg-heather-handling.html#.Vmc1XNKrRkg

1. Who is writing the article and who is publishing the article?

2. What 2 things have studies from feedlots proven about low stress livestock handling practices?

3. How are there financial benefits to handling livestock gently according to Stacy Davies (2 main points)?

4. Why are "wild" cattle worth less than "gentle" cattle?

5. Research "shrink" and "dark cutters" in the cattle industry.  What do those terms mean?  How do they apply to this article?

District Leadership CDE

We had 4 students compete at the district level of leadership career development events in Miller on 11-17-15.  2 students competed in job interview and placed near the top of 23 participants.  2 students competed in Creed, which is the first year we have had students try this event.