The North Hall High FFA (Future Farmers of America) program recently won 1st Place in the Dairy Cattle Evaluation during Career Development Events (CDE) at ABAC (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College) in Tifton.
The four-student team comprised of Will Strickland, Katie Pitchford, Karlie LaFerrara and Katelyn Smith competed against 20 other teams from across the state.
In addition, Will Strickland was rated highest overall among the all participants and Katie Pitchford was rated 3rd. The NHHS FFA 1st Place team has now qualified to compete in the National FFA Career Development Events to be held October 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
As described by the Georgia FFA website, the Dairy Cattle Evaluation Event helps students develop skills in dairy cattle selection and herd management. Participants evaluate the cattle’s physical characteristics, explain their various classes and analyze a herd record as a team.
Mitch Davis, the North Hall FFA sponsor, had high praise for his team members.
“These students have worked for three years to build their knowledge and skills for this contest. This will be our second group to advance to national competition in two years. They are the first four-member FFA team to finish first in state," Davis said.
