Roush receives DeKalb Ag Accomplishment Award

AMANDA, Ohio — Jodi Roush of the Amanda-Clearcreek High School was recently presented the school’s highest agricultural honor, the DeKalb Agricultural Accomplishment Award, sponsored by Monsanto Company.

Roush, the daughter of Dale and Connie Roush, received the award for excellence in academics, leadership, and agricultural work experience. Roush’s significant experiences and accomplishments have included being part of the 2006-2007 state winning Agricultural Communications CDE, which advanced to national competition this past fall, placing 3rd in the nation, with Roush placing 10th individually. Roush has excelled in other Career Development Events as well, recently winning the state extemporaneous speaking competition, allowing her to return to the national stage for a 2nd time this coming October, a first for any Amanda-Clearcreek FFA member. Roush also recently won the state in the organic agriculture proficiency award area for her work at an organic dairy farm and she is completing her term as the 2007-2008 State FFA Reporter.

Jeff Tilley and Scott Sharp are Roush’s agricultural education instructors at the Amanda-Clearcreek High School.

This year the DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award celebrates its 61st anniversary. Over these 61 years, more than 160,000 high school seniors across the country have received the Award, which has become a symbol for excellence and the school’s highest agricultural honor. In 2007, over 2,000 students from high schools in 48 of the 50 states were recognized with the Award.
As the winner of the 2008 Award, Roush’s name will be recorded on a permanent plaque displayed at the Amanda-Clearcreek High School.

Ft. Recovery FFA competes
in state greenhand contest

FT. RECOVERY, Ohio — The Ft. Recovery FFA Greenhand Team recently competed in the state greenhand quiz Contest held in Columbus, Ohio and received a 4th place banner.

Team members included Michelle Brackman, Laura Braun, Michelle Brockman, Holly Brunswick, Craig Fortkamp, Nathan Fortkamp, Craig Fullenkamp, Caitlin Gehret, Zach Guggenbiller, Jessica Heitkamp, Dustin Homan, Nichole Kaiser, Barbie Link, Jessica Link, Ryan Link, Jodi Pottkotter, Megan Rammel, Kyle Schmitz, Sam Schoenherr, Emily Schoenlein, Jared Staugler, Aaron Sutter, Holly Thien, Derek Wendel, Aaron Will, Stacy Will, Aaron Wilker and Haley Wilson.

The Greenhand Team had to take a test over FFA history, other FFA facts, know the present FFA officers, and more. The Ft. Recovery FFA Chapter would like to congratulate the Greenhand Team for their fine performance this year.

MSU teams place high
at dairy judging contest

EAST LANSING, Mich. —- Two dairy judging teams from Michigan State University were recently honored for placing second and 3rd in the college division category of the 78th annual Hoard’s Dairyman Cow Judging Contest.

A third team from MSU received an honorable mention placing.
Competition was strong – this year’s contest included 23,980 participants from 50 states and nine foreign countries. 73 teams competed in the college division.

To recognize their high placings, MSU received two commemorative plaques and a $75 cash award for second place and $50 for 3rd place.

Joe Domecq, MSU department of animal science instructor uses the annual Hoard’s Dairyman Cow Judging Contest as a learning exercise in his spring semester dairy cattle evaluation class.
“It was gratifying to see the teams perform so well against such strong competition,” he said. “This contest is an excellent learning tool for students to test their knowledge about dairy cattle evaluation and allows them an opportunity to compete against students from other universities.”

Students who complete the dairy cattle evaluation class and express an interest in furthering their judging experience can compete for positions on the university’s collegiate dairy judging team and compete at national intercollegiate events including the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pa.; World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis.; and the North American International Livestock Exhibition in Louisville, Ky.