Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at WHS claims State Runner-Up honors at Agronomy CDE
Reserve State Champion Agronomy CDE team ... Left to right: Olivia Marti, Alaina Gebel, Sarah Stock, Caleb Helgerson. Submitted photo.
NE District Agronomy CDE championship team ... ... Left to right: Sarah Stock, Olivia Marti, Keagan Palmer, Alaina Gebel. Submitted photo.
NE District Agronomy CDE fourth-place team ... Left to right: Mallory Berns, Kendra Gibbs, Ethan Gibbs, Caleb Helgerson. Submitted photo.
by Alaina Gebel
May 16 of this year, eight members of the Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School under the guidance of advisor Jessica O’Connor traveled to Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo to participate in the Northeast District Agronomy Career Development Event (CDE). The team of Alaina Gebel, Olivia Marti, Ethan Palmer and Sarah Stock brought home team champion honors with Gebel placing as the champion individual for the event. Waukon’s second agronomy team of Mallory Berns, Ethan Gibbs, Kendra Gibbs and Caleb Helgerson brought home a fourth-place finish overall out of 29 teams and 116 individuals participating in the contest.
The 2023 State FFA Agronomy Career Development Event contest was then held at Iowa State University in Ames June 8, with 81 individuals participating in the contest from 22 chapters from across the state. Participants were judged on their ability to work as a team to complete an Agronomy-related math problem, and identify crop and weed seed, machinery, diseases, grain defects, and live crop samples. Contestants also completed a common knowledge test.
The Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School earned the Reserve State Champion Agronomy team title at the State event. Team members consisted of Alaina Gebel, Caleb Helgerson, Olivia Marti and Sarah Stock. Gebel placed third individually.
