On Tuesday, February 7, ten members with the Big Flat Chapter of the FFA departed at 5:00 a.m. and travelled to Hobson with their Advisor, Mr. Nathan Urie for the Judith Basin District FFA Spring Competition. The top competitor from Turner at Spring Districts was sophomore Cassidy Grabofsky, who won fourth place in the Prepared Speech Competition.

Grabofsky wrote and delivered a prepared speech entitled “Animal Rights Versus Animal Welfare.” In it she defines Animal Welfare as pro-animal ownership and recognizes the human-animal bond, as well as the value of quality animal care. Further recognizing the importance that human-animal relationships have in cultures and economies around the world, Grabofsky argues that asking the world to end their relationships with animals after centuries of working and living alongside one another is not the most effective way to end the suffering of animals. Grabofsky additionally favors advancing science to ensure the health and well-being of both humans and animals. To close, she asserts: “If agriculture were to go extinct today, 21.1 million people would be unemployed. It is imperative that we do not let the ag industry go extinct.”

In other contests, freshman, Joe Trautmann competed in Employment Skills. The event required him to prepare a cover letter, job description, and résumé. While in Hobson, Trautmann used these documents and engaged in a mock interview.

About his experience, he commented, “It wasn’t my best showing since nerves caused me to stutter and to ask some obvious questions. But it was a learning experience; I’ll be better next time.”

Two more freshmen, Bridget Reed and Landon Hickel participated in Creed Speaking. To prepare for that competition, the pair memorized the five paragraph FFA Creed, watched videos of past deliveries, and answered questions related to the Creed.

A group of four additional FFA members: Trent Billmayer, Ryan Doyle, Carson Maloney, and Tate Beck demonstrated their abilities in Farm and Ag Sales. The professional sales process called on the group to develop product knowledge, to build and deploy customer relations, and to promote a product through advertising and displays. Working both individually and in a group, the young men had to sell Purina Pro Feeds as well as complete a test to demonstrate their knowledge.

Finally, sophomore JR Brown and senior Charlie Calvert both competed in Extemporaneous Speaking. Calvert spoke on the topic, Why does the American public believe that agriculture is bad for the environment? Brown’s topic related to the various pathways available to an individual seeking a career in agriculture.

Four other members, Caleb Zellmer, Dakota Krass, and Meridian King-Snider had planned to compete in Farm and Ag Business Management, but that event was cancelled as an in-person one. Instead, those students hope to complete an online module with questions and surveys.