ALIA SCHMIDT
CHARLIE LANE
ELLA BURKEN
PARLI TEAM
WELDING TEAM
WHOLE GROUP
By: Mr. Eskildsen, FFA Advisor
On Monday, February 17, Easton Valley High School welcomed FFA members, advisors, parents, and guests from 13 area schools to compete in the first round of Iowa FFA contests. More than 30 volunteers from the community generously served as judges for the 11 contests held that day, and more than 25 EV FFA Members helped to ensure contests ran smoothly. Easton Valley students competed in five of these contests, earning strong placements and multiple advancements to the district level.
The Parliamentary Procedure Team, consisting of Keyara Zeimet, Emily Matthiesen, Ethan Matthiesen, Houston Holdgrafer, and Gavin Regenwether, demonstrated five parliamentary abilities. The team placed third, earned a gold rating, and advanced to districts.
In the welding competition, Wyatt Holdgrafer and Keaton Hoefelmeyer were tasked with completing two weld joints—a T joint and a lap joint—using a 6011 electrode. The duo earned a silver rating and were selected as alternates to districts.
The Extemporaneous Speaking contest challenges students to prepare a 4–6-minute speech on an agricultural topic with only 30 minutes of preparation. Charlie Lane delivered a speech on Technology in Agriculture, earning a bronze rating.
In the Individual Ag Sales contest, Ella Burken successfully demonstrated her ability to market and sell free stalls. This contest assesses members on their knowledge of an agricultural product, sales techniques, customer approach, and closing strategies. Ella placed second, earned a gold rating, and advanced to districts.
The Job Interview contest simulates an application process for an entry-level agricultural industry job, requiring participants to create a résumé, write a cover letter, and conduct a 10-minute interview. Alia Schmidt competed in this event, applying for a veterinary technician position. She was named the champion individual, earned a gold rating, and advanced to districts.
This event would not have been possible without the support of the many volunteers who took time out of their busy schedules to serve as judges. We are grateful for their dedication to FFA and the future of agriculture.
Judges:
Chris Fee
Kim Eskildsen
Amanda Strothman
Geoffery Kaiser
Joel Frost
Gary Bruns
Patty Schmidt
Megan Cady
Dianne Strickler
Bailey Schober
Keri Holdgrafer
Mary Lou Johnson
Larissa Ruchotzke
Shawn Strothman
Rodney Bratthauer
Janell Slattery
Mike Schmidt
Mark Eskildsen
Mark Lane
Joanna Johnson
Beth Gerlach
Erica Schmidt
Becky Eskildsen
Erin Klemme
Amber Matthiesen
Bri Lane
Nathan Kilburg
Cole Venema
Dillon Beck
Jason Dondlinger
Adam Burken
Hunter Holdgrafer
A special thank you to Josh at Kenney Welding for generously donating the metal coupons used in the welding contest.
The Northeast Sub-District of the Southeast FFA District includes the following schools: Easton Valley, Maquoketa, Bellevue, Northeast, Calamus-Wheatland, DeWitt, North Scott, Muscatine, West Liberty, West Branch, Tipton, North Cedar, and Wilton.
The Iowa FFA Association is made up of 270 FFA Chapters from across Iowa, with more than 20,000 FFA Members.
