Hettinger FFA and Ag students have several activities and projects underway this fall, with updates ranging from upcoming FFA events to hands-on projects around the school and community.
Chapter President Liam Kennedy and Vice President Reese Ehlers recently shared updates about the program.
FFA fruit sales are currently underway, with order forms due November 12. Anyone interested in purchasing fruit can contact an FFA member or Mr. Bachmire. Chapter members will also help with the upcoming Turkey Luncheon, followed by District Leadership Development Events on November 18 in Medora. Members have also been practicing for Parli Pro competitions for the past month.
Students in the agricultural education program have been busy with several projects of their own. The second-hour trades class is helping renovate the multimedia studio, with improvements expected to continue throughout the school year. Students are also working on rebuilding the Santa hat display in the park after it was damaged by strong winds last year.
Seventh- and eighth-grade students are building birdhouses, while other students are constructing benches, picnic tables and raised garden beds for the Soil Conservation District.
The program also received a Beef Commission mini-grant to help convert a storage closet in the ag room into a small food lab. The grant provided beef, a refrigerator and a dehydrator, giving students opportunities to experiment with food preservation and develop new food products.
Another addition to the program is the CNC plasma table, which is now up and running. Students are learning AutoCAD and beginning to design projects that can be cut from metal using the machine.
With fruit sales, competitions and several hands-on projects underway, Hettinger FFA and agricultural education students have plenty to keep them busy throughout the school year.
