Courtesy of Linda Hammerich
Charlie Hammerich shows the fruits of his labor during last yearÕs harvest. Hammerich grows and markets his crop for his FFA project.
BONANZA, Ore. -- After years of taking steers to the Klamath County Fair in 4-H, Charlie Hammerich decided on a different approach for his FFA project -- he started a pumpkin patch.
Hammerich grew up on a cattle ranch outside Bonanza and knew he wanted his FFA project to be one of a kind. His ...
Saturday, September 04, 2010 10:31 AM
A fair official says California's state fair has drawn more livestock competitors than it had on the fair's previous schedule.
The fair saw more than 600 entries for cattle competitions, up "a few hundred" over last year, said Tomme Jo Dale, the fair's ag-program manager.
"I look for our n ...
Saturday, August 28, 2010 9:28 AM
State and county fair organizers across the country are crossing their fingers that high attendance this summer can overcome stifling budget cuts and lagging sponsorship -- products of a down economy.
While fair attendance is up in many regions and even reaching record highs, state and county ...
Saturday, August 21, 2010 9:29 AM
Dave Knieling looks around the Marion County Fair and sees that 4-H has changed since the days of his youth.
A member of the club since age 9, he is now a bona fide 4-H dad. This year, his 15-year-old daughter is raising three market steers in Oregon's Polk County.
Since she began 4-H in f ...
Saturday, August 21, 2010 9:29 AM
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- A group of high school agricultural science and technology instructors have become students again for a two-week curriculum training course at Oregon State University.
The Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education Institute is a training course to help the 18 teache ...
Saturday, August 14, 2010 9:19 AM
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Two young agricultural entrepreneurs made a return to business this summer by popular demand.
Kelly and Ginger Becker, of Corvallis, began an encore week of chicken camp July 5. Chicken camp was a day camp project the sisters started last year as a way to make some summ ...
Saturday, August 07, 2010 11:18 AM
Riley Mengarelli says he would not have gotten very far without learning how to speak in public.
"It's an enormous asset," he said. "Not only in college, but in my career now. It's something I use constantly that I attribute to FFA."
Growing up in Toppenish, Wash., Mengarelli was inv ...
Saturday, July 31, 2010 9:18 AM
To hear farm advocates tell it, there's not much employment of children these days in the fields of the Western states.
Most operations are family-scale and often lack the experience and know-how for properly complying with child-labor laws. So they usually turn away migrant families wit ...
Saturday, July 24, 2010 9:09 AM
PULLMAN, Wash. -- About 3,000 FFA members showed their passion for agriculture last week at the organization's Washington state convention.
State FFA Executive Secretary Jodi Monroe said a top priority during the convention was to expose the students to agricultural and leadership opportu ...
Saturday, June 19, 2010 10:28 AM
PULLMAN, Wash. -- After a year as state FFA vice president, Sean Neal's work may not be over.
During the second general session of the Washington State FFA convention in Pullman, Wash., Neal was named as a candidate for national FFA office.
Each state selects one member to compete fo ...
Saturday, June 19, 2010 10:28 AM
Teacher knows the value of agriculture in the growing world
By KATHY ANEYEast Oregonian Publishing Group
PENDLETON, Ore. -- Marty Campbell laughs at the notion that agriculture is a dying industry.
"It's not just cows and plows and sows," he said recently. "Agriculture makes the w ...
Monday, May 24, 2010 12:29 PM
FRESNO, Calif. -- Enthusiasm bounced off the walls and spilled onto the streets during the 82nd annual California state FFA convention.
Charting a course for their future, more than 4,000 blue jacket-wearing members of the agricultural organization gathered for high-energy general sessio ...
Saturday, May 22, 2010 9:09 AM
Scholarship winners announced during the annual California State FFA Convention are:
* Zenith Insurance Co. Scholarships: Ryan Denier, Galt FFA; Rachel White, St. Helena FFA
* Jerry Biggs Memorial Scholarship: Taylor Pires, Los Banos FFA
* Jerry T. Davis Honorary Scholarship: Alys ...
Saturday, May 22, 2010 9:09 AM
* Peter Delle, Las Plumas FFA: Agricultural Communications
* Elizabeth Tepper, Santa Rosa FFA: Ag Education
* Matt Fields, Ripon FFA: Agricultural Mechanics/ Design Fabrication
* Jordan Avila, Hanford FFA: Agricultural Mechanics Energy Systems
* Geostan Duffin, Strathmore FFA ...
Saturday, May 22, 2010 9:09 AM
Jessica Weisbart, an agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Buena Park, was named the Outstanding Advisor at the annual state FFA convention.
Mekayla Coughran, an FFA member from the Atwater FFA chapter was named the state Star Reporter.
The Agri-Science Student of the Year was Tom Har ...
Saturday, May 22, 2010 9:09 AM
TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- Set high goals. Be daring. Believe in yourself.
These were some of the recurring themes in speeches and lectures at the 79th Annual Idaho State Leadership Conference, held April 7-10 at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. The registration count was 1,415, inc ...
Saturday, May 15, 2010 10:29 AM
Perrydale FFA Chapter Adviser Kirk Hutchinson's office is mute testimony to his life's work of introducing a world of agriculture and community service to the students of Perrydale's three schools.
The latest example of this focus was the recently completed Ag Olympigs, part of a fun and ...
Saturday, May 15, 2010 9:29 AM
TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- With tears and hugs, the six retiring state FFA officers didn't hide any emotions April 10, their last day in office at the Idaho State Leadership Conference .
"This year has been an incredible journey," 2009-2010 FFA President Seth Pratt said. "I've had the time of m ...
Saturday, May 15, 2010 11:29 AM
Editorial
These are hard times for many farmers and ranchers, and the economic news has often been bad. The recession lingers, debts are mounting, legal challenges continue and much of the West faces another difficult water year.
It's easy to be down in the dumps and pessimistic about the ...
Monday, May 10, 2010 1:48 PM
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- All year long FFA members from all over Oregon have been working hard on speeches, individual and team projects, scrapbooks and applications in preparation for the 82nd annual Oregon FFA State Convention.
This year's convention was March 19-22 at Oregon State Universi ...
Thursday, April 22, 2010 9:49 AM
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Alex Morrissey of Silverton was installed as the new Oregon FFA state president in a raucous, energetic ceremony on the final day of the 82nd Oregon FFA State Convention in Corvallis.
"This was one of the best conventions we have ever had," said Mike Stebbins, executive ...
Saturday, April 24, 2010 9:28 AM
Optimism reigns among young farmers across the country despite a host of challenges, including limited profitability, increased government regulation and opposition from activist groups.
These are the findings of the American Farm Bureau Federation's 18th annual survey of members of its Y ...
Saturday, April 24, 2010 10:28 AM
SALEM -- McKay High School's FFA chapter in north Salem is getting back on its feet and doing the things FFA chapters normally do after lying partially dormant for several years.
The McKay program is only FFA chapter in the Salem-Keizer School District. It was started in 1979 when the sch ...
Saturday, April 24, 2010 9:28 AM
Deadlines loom for thousands of students and their parents as they rush to apply for scholarships to help with college expenses.
With those expenses spiraling upward, many students are eager for financial help with tuition, books and housing. Yet scholarship money often gets left on the t ...
Thursday, April 22, 2010 9:49 AM
After years of decline, Oregon FFA is looking to rebuild itself.
The climb back has been filled with challenges.
Some 5,500 students strong in the mid-1980s, statewide Oregon FFA membership in recent years has fallen significantly, to around 4,500. Membership sank as low as 4,000 in ...
Thursday, March 25, 2010 9:53 AM
Levy Randolph, the recently elected president of the National FFA Organization, never suspected his life would turn toward agriculture.
It happened almost before he knew it. During his freshman year of high school in California, a class assignment required memorizing and delivering the FF ...
Thursday, March 25, 2010 9:58 AM
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