FFA holds yearly banquet
Weston’s Future Farmers of America chapter held its annual banquet on April 15.
FFA President Chloe Gillmore and Vice President Izzy Hineman welcomed guests and gave an overview of their responsibilities, while Advisor Randi Osborne played a video about the group’s activities this school year.
Due to the pandemic, classes and events had to reworked to fit a virtual format. Even so, students studied agribusiness, animal science, food science, small gas engines, soils, greenhouse management, aquaculture and employability skills.
New this year was the Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program, which allowed students to get hands-on learning outside the classroom. Through the program, students could explore real-world careers.
Awards were also presented during the banquet. Ethan Craker received the Discovery Degree, which is given to a junior high student who is enrolled in an agriculture class, who is a dues-paying member and who participated in local chapter activity outside of the classroom.
Craker was also the top-seller at the middle-school level during the FFA’s yearly fruit sale. For this, he won the Juicy Grapefruit Award.
Chloe and Ben Gillmore, who’ve both been FFA members for six years, received their Senior Cords for having attended many functions, helped at events and served as officers.
In addition, Chloe was acknowledged for representing Weston in the FFA Honors Choir.
At the high school level, Chase Connors won the Golden Pineapple Award for selling the most fruit during the yearly sale.
Osborne also took a moment to thank Logan Bingham and Jaxon Hineman for their commitment to the Dairy Sheep Project.
Retiring officers included Chloe Gillmore and Izzy Hineman as well as Secretary Jessica Timm, Treasurer Ben Gillmore, Reporter Jaxon Hineman, Sentinel Chase Connors and Historian Alli Gillmore. These officers did virtual training and led the FFA in numerous events, including a pork feed to benefit the Farmer Angel Network.
Newly officers include Izzy and Jaxon Hineman, Chase Connors, Madisen Benson, Lora Hinz, Jessica Timm, Addie DeMars and Allison Gillmore. They will take over the leadership for the 72-member FFA at Weston beginning this summer.
