NBMS Fall wrapup with NBMS FFA chapter Te Future Farmers of America


chapter at North Buncombe Mid- dle School had a successful fall. At the North Carolina FFA


State Convention held June 22-24 in Raleigh, the FFA received rec- ognition for being one of the top three teams in the state in livestock judging, dairy judging, parliamen- tary procedure and creed speaking. Students attended workshops and seminars, competed in the state level quiz bowl competition and took part in a career show that highlighted potential careers and future educational opportunities.


Tis was the second year that


NBMS entered a Career & Tech- nical Education display booth dur- ing the Mountain State Fair. Te NBMS Career & Technical Edu- cation booth was recognized as an honorable mention in the Moun- tain State Fair Career & Technical Education display booth class. Te chapter officers, FFA members, and other CTE students helped build this display. During the first weekend of the


fair, FFA members represented their school and communities very well. Courtney Clark showed a com-


mercial beef heifer in the Western District Junior Beef Cattle Show. Clark finished fifth in class and fifth in her heat of the junior show- manship class. Bradley Elkins, Dylan Bullman, Madison Fender, Olivia Payne, Julie Maxwell and Stephanie Shields exhibited lambs and each placed in the top ten of their respective class. Fender won her class and competed in the championship drive. Previous to the Mountain State


Fair, the FFA attended the Madi- son and Haywood county fairs exhibiting their livestock. Clark,


Payne, Maxwell, Shields, Fender, Bullman, Andrew Tomas, Ricky Trash and Selena Garcia partici- pated in these fairs. Seven students competed in the


Western Regional FFA Forestry Competition on Oct. 3. Tese stu- dents were Maxwell, Payne, Jacob Burleson, Tyler Robinson, Dylan Kiser, William Clinton and James Metcalf. Tese students completed four of the different sections that make up the Forestry Career De- velopment Event. Tese sections are tree identifi-


cation, forestry tool identification, pulp wood estimation and saw tim- ber estimation. In the pulp wood and saw timber estimation sections, students must properly use a Bilt- more stick to estimate the amount of marketable timber in standing trees. Te team placed fourth in the Western Region in the middle school division Kiser represented the North


Buncombe Middle School FFA Chapter in the Blue Ridge Federa- tion (Buncombe County Schools) tractor driving competition. In this event participants must exhibit safe operating techniques and ex- cellent maneuvering skills through a challenging course that required the members to back down a 40 foot alleyway and complete a figure eight pattern with a trailer attached to the tractor. Kiser finished third in the federation and fifth in the Western Region while competing against high school-aged students. Te FFA had a strong showing


at the N.C. State Fair as well. Tis show served as the grand finale for the show season. Troughout the fall show season, more than 11


students participated in showing projects at five different weekend shows. As part of any show, stu- dents create opportunities to mar- ket their animals, secure a sound financial value for their animals and exhibit a year’s worth of hard work and effort by comparing their animals to other youths’ livestock from across the state. Fender and Jacob Burleson competed in the market lamb show and the show- manship class. Fender also compet- ed in the ewe (female lamb) class. Clark showed a commercial (cross bred) beef heifer. One of the difficult things about


showing livestock is the process of getting the animals ready for any show ring. Te animals must be checked in and weighed before the competition begins. Each of the heifers had to be groomed by wash- ing, blow-drying, clipping, comb- ing and sheening before entering the show ring. Te lambs had to be washed well and sheared. Just before the show, they get washed and blown dry again before enter- ing the ring. Justin Gillespie, who heads the


NBMS chapter, and all the mem- bers would like to thank Christy Cheek, the Career & Technical Education Coordinator for Bun- combe County Schools, and Vicki Biggers, principal of NBMS, for their continuous support for the students and to this program. Interest is growing, and the stu-


dents are excited about the oppor- tunities offered to them through the FFA program. Contact Gillespie for more information at 645-7944.


Tis special to the Tribune.


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December 9 - December 15, 2010 - THE TRIBUNE/LEADER 5


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