Walla Walla High School FFA students strong showing at 2013 Fair
Walla Walla High School had 42 Future Farmers of America members participate in this year’s Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days. All of the swine, steer, goat and sheep participants sold their market animals during the Sunday auction at the Walla Walla County Cattlemen’s Youth Market Sale, according to FFA advisor Jessica Johnson.
“If we added up all the checks they received from selling their animals, it would amount to $57,056,” Johnson said. “Of this amount, approximately $31,000 of that amount is profit for the students.”
The Wa-Hi FFA chapter won herdsmanship awards in four areas: Beef, Sheep, Swine, and Horse. This award goes to the FFA chapter that keeps its pens and aisles clean, and have members share information about their projects to fair guests.
“I had the kids complete a post-fair survey and found that each student put in an average of 50 hours with their animal over the time they owned them,” Johnson said. “Almost all of the money the members invested stayed here locally, supporting our local economy, at businesses such as PGG, Bordertown, NorthWest Farm Supply, Ranch & Home, the Walla Walla Farmers Co-op and many others.”
Johnson says 95 percent of the students stated that they would like to show again in 2014. FFA Advisors Arch McHie, Lindsey Butcher and Johnson spent time with the members over the year and invested many hours working with the students.
“We helped students with the selection, feeding and care of their animals as well as their preparation for the fair,” Johnson said. “We also entered projects in the ag mechanics division and coached teams tractor driving and livestock judging.”