Copperas Cove FFA members advance to the area contest
Special to Leader-Press
Texas ranks number one in the nation for the most farms and ranches, covering 127 million acres. But the farming way of life is changing. Copperas Cove FFA Chapter members shared the one of the most unique ways that farmers are adapting to remain profitable in the field of agriculture: aquaponics.
FFA members Brittney MacMurray, Haylee Jennings, Jesse Chaco, Serena Resh, and Noah Nelson are members of the agriculture advocacy team and presented at the Bosque District FFA Leadership Development Event about the new opportunities Texas farmers are taking advantage of.
“Aquaponics is the combination of two separate systems, aquaculture and hydroponics. The goal of this combined system is to simultaneously grow plants and fish in the same system,” team members explained to the judging panel. “The main advantage of doing this is because it allows the nutrients produced by fish waste to be used by the plants, which in turn help filter the water making it suitable for the fish.”
The team’s creativity and research paid off as the team along with 21 other members advanced to the area contest held this Saturday in Waxahachie. In total, 26 FFA members advanced in the categories of Public Relations, Greenhand Quiz, Senior Quiz, and Ag Advocacy.
Resh had a second qualification for the area contest when she and her team qualified in the Greenhand Quiz category. Serving on the team with Resh are Janessa Castillo, Kyleigh Mata, and Matai Anzaldua. Members take an exam to evaluate their understanding of the FFA organization, agricultural education, current agricultural events, and parliamentary procedure.
Copperas Cove FFA Senior Quiz team members Alexis Butler, Abigail Richmond, Sami Lingo, and Melissa Jackson also qualified for the area contest.
FFA member Abigail Valdez was nervous before heading into her competition of Job Interview.
“You basically have to sit down and have a one-on-one conversation with the judge and basically persuade him why you would be a good fit for the job,” Valdez said, understanding that the skills she is learning now she will use when applying for jobs as an adult.
The Copperas Cove FFA Public Relations Team was the final group to qualify for the area contest. Team members Amanda Jones, Lynnsey Terry, Mya Rogers, and Naysa Anzaldua developed a five- to eight-minute presentation to inform a specified target audience about the
FFA organization including information about the local FFA chapter and the Texas FFA organization. The presentation is developed assuming that the target audience has no knowledge of FFA.
Entrants must place first or second in their respective categories to advance to the state contest. Copperas Cove High School FFA advisers are teachers Katie Grigsby, Kristin Kasper, and Richard Ellis.
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#3200: Twenty-six Copperas Cove FFA members advance to the area contest in Waxahachie on Saturday in the categories of Public Relations, Greenhand Quiz, Senior Quiz, and Ag Advocacy.