Professional-Technical Education
FFA Association

Idaho FFA Association

Greetings Idaho FFA Members! I bring you news from your newly elected State FFA Officer team. We BLASTED-Off for the moon last month, and we made it! Our four-day voyage was safe and successful.

Actually…we didn’t literally fly to the moon, but we did just spend a fantastic week at BLAST-Off in Boise with Bridget Barrus, our new State Coordinator, and Mary Christensen, our BLAST-Off workshop facilitator. We spent quality time getting to know ourselves and each other better, and prepared for some of the action that lies ahead. Check out some neat photos and videos from BLAST-OFF on our Facebook page! Go ahead and LIKE the Idaho FFA too while you’re there. We set a team goal to raise the Likes count to 1,000 this month - see if you can help make it happen!

We are all aware that summer is just around the corner and the school year is winding down. Students and teachers alike grip the edge of their seats in anticipation for the final ring of the bell. Power through these last few days of homework and finals and finish strong because State CDEs in Moscow is coming up on June 5-8! The trip to Moscow is a fun opportunity for individuals and teams to pull together and prepare to BLAST-Off during participation in your favorite CDEs. Take the chance to enjoy this unique learning experience that has been afforded to you through the FFA and our fantastic partnership with the University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

After all the fun is over at Moscow and we journey back to our homes, take time to reflect on the goals you have set for yourself. If you find yourself coming up blank, envision a SMART goal to accomplish this summer. That may look like a summer job, summer classes, a brand new SAE project, or maybe even winning grand champion at your county fair! However unique your goal may be, remember that you possess the power to accomplish it.

Idaho FFA, don’t be afraid to aim high and shoot for the moon!

Ellie Dalton

State FFA Sentinel

2012 CDE Winners at SLC

• Ag Issues - American Falls FFA
• Ag Sales - Marsing FFA
  • Presentation A - Gabe Miranda, Marsing FFA
    
  • Presentation B - Alyssa Stastny, Kimberly FFA
  • Customer Prospecting - Kylie Martin, Kimberly FFA
  • Customer Relations - Cody Rhodes, Marsing FFA
• Extemporaneous Speaking - Lauren Clark, Meridian FFA
• Farm Business Management - Kuna FFA
  • Amanda Reynolds, Kuna FFA - Top Individual
• FFA Creed Speaking - Aaron Draper, Marsing FFA
• Floriculture - Kimberly FFA
  • Casey Barney, Shoshone FFA - Top Individual
• Horse Evaluation - Kuna FFA
  • Kinsie Ward, Kuna FFA - Top Individual
• Job Interview - Carlie Wilkins, Kimberly FFA
• Nursery and Landscape - Middleton FFA
  • Colton Mink, Gooding FFA - Top Individual
• Parliamentary Procedure - Meridian FFA
  • Brett Wilder, Meridian FFA - High Chairperson
  • Taylor Johnson, Troy FFA - High Secretary
• Prepared Public Speaking - Brett Thornley, West Side FFA

Find full results here.

DVDs of all five conference general sessions available for sale for $50. Contact Jaye Parks.

Photo CDs of the entire conference or just the 3rd general session (state degrees candidates with national officer Seth Pratt) available for $10 or $5. Contact Jaye Parks. Entire conference disc has over 1,400 pictures!

2012 Idaho FFA Foundation John Deere Tractor Raffle Winner

Jerry Callen of Jerome accepts his new tractor from State FFA Alumni representatives Sid Freeman (shaking hands), Chuck Radloff (right), and Wes Freeman (seated). The Filer FFA Chapter sold the winning ticket.

The tractor raffle is a special project of the Idaho FFA Foundation; Laura Wilder, Executive Director.

An Update from Idaho's National FFA Officer
Seth Pratt

If this April were described in one word, it would be: convention!

The Tennessee convention occurred during the first week of April. The little town of Gatlinburg was overcome with jackets during the week. Our officer team came together in Indianapolis for three days for the Blue Catalog photo shoot (see below). Watch Jason Troendle’s short video of the shoot here.

After a few thousand pictures I flew to Twin Falls for our state leadership conference, sharing the plane with Baxter Black. These four days were some of the best national office experiences yet. Idaho FFA has given me immeasurable encouragement and opportunities, and is home to some of the best people in America.

After two days at home I flew to the Missouri State Convention. There were 8,500 FFA members there, definitely the largest audience I have spoken to. After the busy week ended, I slept 14 hours straight, and hopped on a plane to Alaska.

There were 60 members at Alaska’s convention, by the end of the week we were all good friends. We broke a tug-of-war rope, toured a dairy, and sat around a bonfire in the shadow of giant snow-covered peaks. It won’t be my last time in Alaska.

The last day of April was a National FFA Board of Directors meeting in Indianapolis. After concluding business, Ryan Best and I headed to Ohio for their state convention, to meet the 6,000 FFA members in attendance. It has been a non-stop month, and I’m so grateful for the experience.

Check out our photo albums!