The following is a press Release for the Chelan High School Agriculture Education Department and the Chelan FFA. We would appreciate any and all coverage of our events and student successes. For more information, contact our Chapter Advisor, Rod Cool, or Chapter Reporter, Chelsea Gocke at (509) 682-4061 ext 129 during school hours.

Thank you for your time and consideration and for your continued support of the Chelan FFA and high school agriculture education.

Chelan High School

Agriculture Education DeparmentDepartment/Chelan FFA

News Release

10 Sep 0729 Oct 07

For Immediate Release—Beautiful fall days and cool crisp mornings were the setting for the 2007 edition of the Chelan County Fair in Cashmere. The Chelan FFA was represented by over 250 exhibits in the FFA Horticulture, Agriculture Mechanics, Agronomy, Home Produced Products, Educational Display, Beef, Poultry. and Swine Classes, as well as, Open Class Horticulture.

Seven members exhibited Market Hogs including Dia Galvan, Briceida Blanco, Breanne Hanson, Chelsea Gocke, Tyler Clark, Wesley Field, and Ross Young. All of them received blue ribbons in the market class judging on Thursday signifying that all their pigs were US No. 1 Market Hogs. Wesley, Chelsea, and Breanne won their classes and moved into the Championship Drive at the end of the day. In the Fitting and Showing Classes on Friday, all exhibitors earned blue ribbons, with Tyler, Chelsea, and Breanne all making the finals and Breanne making the cut from 28 to 6 ending up third overall in Swine Showmanship. Saturday morning prior to the sale Breanne Hanson was awarded the FFA Swine Supreme Showman award which is determined by how each showman places in three

Five members of the Chelan FFA Chapter traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana to represent their Chapter at the 80^th National FFA Convention. While at the convention members attended convention sessions, award programs, the FFA Career Show, and FFA shopping mall, as well as, touring the areas in and around Indiana and Northern Kentucky.

Members attending were Ross Young, Tucker Cool, Kacie Rahm, Dia Galvan, and Chelsea Gocke. The Chapter received a 2-star National Chapter Award which places them in the top 4% of over 7500 FFA Chapters based on the Chapter Program of Activities and how well they met the needs of the student, community, and chapter.

Pat Chism and John Guimond also received their American FFA Degree the highest degree that the FFA can bestow upon members. They have had to earn or productively invest over $7500 from their Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) projects and have worked over 2000 hours in that same SAE project.

On Tuesday prior to the Convention, members traveled South to Louisville, Kentucky and toured the Falls of Ohio State Park, the Lewis and Clark Commencement Park, Louisville Slugger Factory, Frazier Historical Museum, Churchill Downs, and Bass Pro Shops. At the Convention members attended the FFA Career Show with over 1300 booths from all aspects of the agriculture industry. Tucker Cool competed in the National FFA Agriculture Knowledge Bowl sponsored by the National Farm Bureau. He won his preliminary round and advanced to the finals where he was the first competitor to correctly answer three questions correctly winning the National Champion for Wednesday and a custom jacket from Dodge Trucks and Farm Bureau prizes.

The members and advisor Rod Cool also competed in “Are you smarter than your Ag Teacher” winning t-shirts sponsored by the National Association of Agriculture Educators.

On Wednesday evening all members attended the National Chapter Awards Dinner, a formal dinner sponsored by Toyota. They attended the Opening Session of convention with the keynote speaker Rick Rigsby, the Chaplain of the Texas A and M football team and motivational speaker. Kacie Rahm and Ross Young went on stage during the second session of the convention to accept the National Chapter Award. Members also worked the Washington booth in the Hall of States, promoting Washington State Agriculture Commodities.

Members also attended a Montgomery Gentry Concert and Beach Boys with John Stamos Concert and the PRCA Extreme Bulls Finale. You can catch the Chelan Chapter on National TV on rebroadcasts of the National FFA Convention on RFD-TV (check your local listings for Session 2 and Convention Highlights) and on ESPN on November 23^rd, and 25^th for the PRCA Extreme Bulls Finale.

Photo Caption: (National Chapter Dinner) Left to Right Ross Young, Kacie Rahm, Dia Galvan, Chelsea Gocke, and Tucker Cool attended the National Chapter Awards Dinner during the 80^th National FFA Convention

Photo Caption: (Ag Knowledge Bowl) Tucker Cool, center, was the Wednesday National Champion in the Ag Knowledge Bowl Contest sponsored by the National Farm Bureau.

Photo Caption: (Hall of States) Back Row: Tucker Cool, Chelsea Gocke, Front Row Ross Young, Dia Galvan, and Kacie Rahm. Chelan FFA members manned the Washington State Booth in the Hall of States promoting Washington State Agriculture Commodities and the Washington State FFA Association