by CrownRandall | Apr 14, 2025 | Agriculture
ANSONIA – Numerous awards were bestowed upon various members of the Ansonia FFA when an estimated crowd of 300 people recently gathered at the school for its 88th annual banquet.
“Come Home to Ansonia FFA” was the theme.
Opening ceremonies were performed prior to the meal, with the 2024-25 officers in charge of the opening ceremony. President Avalyn Locke gave the welcome and Kiera Spencer, the blessing.
After the meal, guests were introduced, and guest speaker Ty Higgins of the Ohio Farm Bureau spoke to the group.
From Licking County, he said Ohio Farm Bureau’s focus for this year is an action plan for 2025.
“There are lots of things happening in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “What we do for Farm Bureau works. We talked about the Farm Bill. We’d love to get one in place soon. There is a lot of farmland involved. Eighty percent of the Farm Bureau is for nutrition and 20 percent for income from trade deals. We brought in new partners to give us guidelines.”
Featured throughout the program was the annual Silent Auction. This was followed by the presentation of various awards.
The recipient of the $2,000 Ben Overholser Scholarship was Sophia Aultman, accepting it from Overholser’s widow, Gail and son Josh. According to the Overholsers, Ben worked for Sisco and so far, $94,000 in scholarships have been given out to deserving students. He was 58 years of age at the time of his death in 2021.
Additional awards included: Star Greenhand, eighth-grader Wyatt Homan and sophomore Sloane Gariety; and State Chapter Farmer, sophomore Kensey Homan.
In the Greehand and Chapter Degree ceremonies, others honored were:
*Greenhand: Owen McGuire, Ava Thatcher, Cadence Burke, Annabelle Billenstein, Addison Gelhaus, Lynne Lerock, Jacob Macnutt, Carson Winner, Jake Pierre, Graham Coppess, Tanner Moody, Brooke Harter, Savannah Hall, Kaylee Schlechty, Lillian Perry Kaden Brookhart, Reese Everman and Alexis Moody.
*Chapter: Alexa Kreiner, Elly Locke, Kaitlyn Barga, London Reichert, William Aultman, Emma Brown Benjamin Barnt, Mathieu Baldridge, Aidan Barber and Troy Stuck.
Proficiency Award winners were Poultry Production Placement, Kensey Homan; Emma Brown, Ag Mechanics Repair and Fabrication; Diversified Ag Production, Jayda Mangen; Diversified Crop Production, Grace Graf; Ag Mechanics Repair and Maintenance, Avalyn Locke; Beef Production Placement, Austin Singer; Special Crop Entrepreneurship, Sophia Aultman; Specialty Crop Placement, Troy Stuck; Poultry Production Entrepreneurship, Avalyn Locke; Equine Science, Kiera Spencer; Fruit Production, Avalyn Locke; Best Production Entrepreneurship, Grace Graf; Vegetable Production Entrepreneurship, Emma Brown; and Agricultural Services, Alexa Kreiner.
FFA Advisors Jennie Bohman and Emily Williams presented some of the awards.
The new officers for 2025-26 were announced. Installed were: President Troy Stuck; Vice President Kensey Homan; Secretary Austin Singer; Treasurer Keira Spencer; Reporter Wyatt Homan and Sentinel William Aultman.
Retiring officers are: Avalyn Locke, president; Sophia Aultman, vice president; Kiera Spencer, secretary; Austin Singer, treasurer; Jayda Mangen, reporter; Kensey Homan, sentinel; Troy Stuck, student advisor; Kaitlyn Barga, historian; Grace Graf; parliamentarian; Kaitlyn Tollefson, chaplain; and assistant student advisor, Benjamin Barnt.
by CrownRandall | Apr 14, 2025 | Agriculture
VERSAILLES – Colin Batten is a senior at Versailles High School and participates in the Agriculture Education Capstone Program and has been selected as the capstone highlight student of the month. The Versailles Agriculture Education Capstone Program is in its 13th year of existence. Colin is the son of Suzanne Batten and Chris Batten of Versailles, Ohio. Capstone is a program that gives Versailles High School Junior and Senior Students who are enrolled in agriculture education an opportunity to gain real-world employment experiences and opportunities while in high school.
Colin started working in 2021 and has continued to work throughout his senior year and has worked over 3,000 hours. Colin’s primary roles are milking, feeding the calves, general farm work, and ensuring the health of the animals. Colin prepares milk for baby calves and, putting it into bottles, he makes sure the calves are healthy and drinking properly. Colin assists with chopping during summer and fall, where he hauls silage wagons and assists in packing silage piles. Colin treats cows, does immunization of calves, completes ear tagging in calves, and assists with keeping the cows comfortable in the free stall barn.
Ryan Schmitmeyer, the owner of Owl Creek Dairy, is quoted as saying, “Colin has become a valuable asset to our farming operation; no matter the task asked of him, Colin will get the job completed to the best of his abilities”. Ryan further stated that “ Colin is well-mannered and respectful, he is punctual, communicates well and takes on many responsibilities around the farm”.
Owl Creek Dairy Farm is owned and operated by Ryan and Krista Schmitmeyer and they started their farming operation in 2013. The farm consists of 385 dairy cows with the milk being marketed to Dannone and over 500 acres of cropland in which they raise corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa hay.
This year, 53 students are enrolled in the Versailles Agriculture Education Capstone programs and are leaving school after their daily required courses are complete and working at area businesses. The goal of the spotlight is to highlight each month one of the students who participate in the capstone program and highlight the skills/knowledge they are gaining, the roles/assets they are bringing to their business. The students enrolled in capstone also use their employment as their Supervised Agricultural Experience Program. As part of their grade in capstone, students are required to keep detailed records of their hours worked, earnings and skills performed. In addition to the record books, capstone students are being evaluated at the end of each nine weeks by an evaluation completed by their employer.
Congratulations to Colin Batten, and thank you to Owl Creek Dairy Farm for this opportunity!
by CrownRandall | Apr 14, 2025 | Agriculture
I hope this Newsletter finds you well. Cooler temperatures and rain have been prominent recently, finally bringing Darke County out of the abnormally dry classification for now, but also continuing to limit the amount of field and garden work that can be done (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?fips_39037. Another update on the weather will be shared in the attached Newsletter, providing more specific details.
Yesterday, April 10th, was National Farm Animals Day. Livestock production is extremely valuable to Darke County and to the world as a whole. Farm animals of all types, on all sizes of farms, help to feed the world, so let’s celebrate our local livestock producers.
While there haven’t been any officially confirmed cases recently, it is important to remain aware of HPAI in Darke County and the surrounding region. Continue using proper biosecurity measures when working with backyard flocks. More information on biosecurity, as well as the latest numbers of Bird Flu, can be tracked at the ODA website: https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/animal-health/hpai/01-poultry
I’ll be at Worch Library on May 15th at 4:00 p.m. to conduct the program Spring Into Gardening. We’ll discuss the makings of a spring garden, what plants to grow, and how to help them be successful. I hope to see you there!
The next Darke County Garden Roundtable will be April 23rd at 6:00 p.m. The agenda is attached.
The next Darke County Ag Breakfast will be April 25th at 7:30 a.m. at Jack’s Cabin in Greenville.
This week’s Newsletter topics include:
· Ag-Related Bills in the Ohio State Legislature
· Alfalfa Weevil Scouting
· Deciding When to Start Grazing
· Nutrient Content of Poultry Litter Compost
· US Dairy Export Destinations
· Weather Update
I hope you enjoy this week’s Newsletter, and as always, never hesitate to reach out to me and let me know how I can best serve you and all of Darke County.
by Caden Buschur, Darke County Extension Educator
by CrownRandall | Apr 10, 2025 | Agriculture
VERSAILLES – The Versailles FFA Floriculture Team, consisting of members Paige Gehret, Lucy Schmitmeyer, Margaret McGlinch, and Alayna Dirksen, achieved remarkable success in their recent competition. Paige Gehret earned 12th place overall, while Lucy Schmitmeyer secured 15th place out of a total of 282 participants.
The Floriculture Career Development Event (CDE) includes a rigorous set of challenges, such as an online exam, plant identification (including insects, diseases, supplies, and equipment), placing floral classes, and a practicums of making a bud vase and planting young plants.
This marks the first time the Versailles FFA has competed in this CDE, and the team placed an outstanding 7th overall out of 42 teams.
The team would like to thank Susan Ballinger of Nature Reflections for helping the team with bud vase practicum and supplying them with needed supplies for the contest and special thanks to Kim Cromwell of the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs for helping the team learn about their plants and placing classes.
Congrats to the Floriculture Team on their success!
by CrownRandall | Apr 10, 2025 | Agriculture
ARCANUM – Arcanum MVCTC FFA members recently competed in the Ohio FFA Grain Merchandising Contest. The purpose of the Grain Merchandising Contest is to stimulate interest in the area of grain merchandising and to make students aware of the complex decision-making process associated with merchandising agricultural products.
Arcanum MVCTC FFA members, Charlie Weiss, Lance Brinksneader, Katelynne Michael, Carrie Denlinger, Brooke Anderson, Seth Fearon, Ethan Hartman, Cheyenne Swisher, Landon Miller, Danicka Michael and Avery Bowser completed the online test portion of the contest in January. During the online test, students were given 50 general knowledge questions about Grain Merchandising and 5 problem-solving questions. The questions included puts, calls, basis, and hedging. The team finished in the top 10 in the State and qualified for the State Finals on April 2nd.
Charlie, Lance, Katelynne, and Carrie traveled to Wilmington College, where they completed a simulation in which they were tasked with marketing 20,000 bushels of grain across a calendar year using different grain marketing contracts.
At the end of the contest, the team from Arcanum was 2nd in the State.
The team members would like to thank Janelle Bell for coaching the team.
by CrownRandall | Apr 10, 2025 | Agriculture
ARCANUM – The Arcanum MVCTC FFA held its annual banquet on Sunday, March 30. The banquet celebrated the accomplishments that the FFA members accumulated over the past year.
To begin the ceremony, Lance Brinksneader, Sentinel, introduced and thanked all of the guests of the Arcanum MVCTC FFA. Included in the list of guests were teachers, staff members, board members, and administration from Arcanum and MVCTC. Members were recognized for their participation in various chapter activities and new levels of degree membership attained.
The Officer team presented the CDE plaques for the 2024-2025 School Year. The first CDE of the school year was Rural Soil Judging, with the team consisting of Henry Weiss, Danicka Michael, Moxon Gilpin, Alaina Brown, Zion North, Bohdan Menzie, Tripp Rimmer, Matthew Denlinger, Noah Egnor. The Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems Team members were Charlie Weiss, Matthew Denlinger, Noah Egnor, Lance Brinksneader, Henry Weiss, Weston Stephens, Ethan Hartman, Landon Miller, Ben Hartman, Cody Werling, Robby Denniston, Landon McVey, Hudson Knaus, Sean Madigan, Seth Fearon, Colton Pool and Zion North. Charlie, Matthew, Noah, and Lance qualified for the Ohio FFA State Finals and placed 5th in the State.
The Food Science Contest allowed members to complete product development, taste testing and food safety. Members taking the Food Science online test were Kamryn Beisner, Danicka Michael, Mora Menzie, Cheyenne Swisher, Marli Morris and Katelynne Michael.
The Officer Team highlighted the CDEs that are life skills for everyone. The Job Interview Contest requires members to complete a resume and then complete an in-person mock interview. The Job Interview participants were Aly Abelquist, Katelynne Michael, and Danicka Michael. The public speakers for Arcanum were Seth Fearon and Katelynne Michael in Extemporaneous Speaking and Cheyenne Swisher in Advanced Prepared. Seth was 2nd in the county contest and moved on to districts, where he was 3rd.
The Ag Biotechnology Contest participants were Landon Miller, Katelynne Michael, Mora Menzie, Carrie Denlinger, Cheyenne Swisher, and Danicka Michael. The team qualified for the state finals and finished 11th in the State
The 2025 Grain Merchandising Team members were Charlie Weiss, Lance Brinksneader, Katelynne Michael, Carrie Denlinger, Brooke Anderson, Seth Fearon, Ethan Hartman, Cheyenne Swisher, Landon Miller, Danicka Michael, and Avery Bowser. The Grain Merchandising Team qualified for the State Finals. Charlie, Katelynne, Carrie and Lance traveled to Wilmington College to test their grain marketing skills in the finals, where they finished 2nd in the state.
The Farm Business Management Team also excelled at the State Level, finishing 1st in the Ohio FFA. Team members were Charlie Weiss, Katelynne Michael, Landon Miller, Ethan Hartman, Lance Brinksneader, Seth Fearon, Carrie Denlinger, Cheyenne Swisher, Dane Byers, Matthew Denlinger, Danicka Michael and Tripp Rimmer.
Even though the Spring Judging Contests didn’t feel like Spring weather, members were excited to evaluate livestock animals. Members of the General Livestock Team were Lance Brinksneader, Seth Fearon, Charlie Weiss, Katelynne Michael, Cheyenne Swisher and Carrie Denlinger, Dane Byers, Danicka Michael, Avery Bowser, Mackenzie Subler, Cooper Shilt Kennedy Freeman, and Gabby Nottingham. The General Livestock Team finished 14th in the State Prelims. The Equine Judging Team Members were Ethan Hartman, Ben Hartman, Ashlynn Tegtmeyer, Katie Bradford, Zion North, Moxon Gilpin, Aly Abelquist, and Tripp Rimmer. The Dairy Judging Team Members were Lance Brinksneader, Charlie Weiss, Robby Denniston, Katelynne Michael, Bohdan Menzie, Henry Weiss, Mora Menzie, Danicka Michael, Carrie Denlinger, and Donnie Hathaway. The Dairy team finished 2nd in the State Prelims and will compete in the State Finals
The second half of the school year offered multiple members the opportunity to compete in agricultural mechanics contests. The first was the Ag Power and Industrial Diagnostics contest, with team members Weston Stephens, Matthew Dennlinger, Henry Weiss, and Moxon Gilpin troubleshooting farm equipment. The Ag Mechanics Skills contests test members on various activities including welding, soldering and tool identification. Team members were Henry Weiss, Weston Stephens, and Matthew Denlinger. The Ag Mechanics team placed 3rd in the district. Finally, the Outdoor Power Contest involved everything small engine-related. Members competing were Hudson Knaus, Weston Stephens and Matthew Denlinger. The Outdoor Power team finished 2nd in the district and qualified for the state finals
The Chapter recognized members for earning membership degrees within the organization. After the Greenhand and Chapter Degree recipients were recognized, the officer team handed out plaques to this year’s 5 State FFA Degree Recipients: Lance Brinksneader, Ethan Hartman, Landon Miller, Cheyenne Swisher, and Charlie Weiss
Special Awards were also given to members who excelled throughout the past year. Top fruit sales persons’ awards were presented to Robby Denniston – 3rd, Katelynne and Danicka Michael – 2nd, Cheyenne Swisher – 1st. The top strawberry sales persons were presented to Noah Combs – 3rd, Cheyenne Swisher – 2nd, and Katelynne and Danicka Michael – 1st.
Mr. Brian Pohlman then addressed the crowd and gave an appreciation to the Arcanum – Butler Local School and Miami Valley CTC Administration and Boards of Education. The Chapter Advisor then presented the top awards for the evening. FFA Members are tasked with taking on various roles within the organization and leading in numerous events and activities. Members recognized for placing in the district with their proficiency awards were Katelynne Michael – Small Animal Care, Seth Fearon – Swine Production, and Ethan Hartman – Equine Science. Members recognized with the Leadership Award were Henry Weiss, Mora Menzie, Matthew Denlinger and Carrie Denlinger. The top members in each grade were presented with the Outstanding Member Awards. Chapter Advisor Mr. Brian Pohlman talked about each member’s involvement and then presented him or her with a plaque commemorating his or her hard work. They were: Freshman-Moxon Gilpin and Zion North, Sophomore-Danicka Michael, Junior-Cheynne Swisher, Lance Brinksneader and Charlie Weiss, and Senior-Seth Fearon. Star Awards recognize members’ accomplishments.
The Star Greenhand award winners were Katie Bradford and Hudson Knaus. The Star Chapter Farmer award is given to the member who has excelled in a SAE that is related directly to the Farm; this year’s recipient was Brooke Anderson. The Star Chapter Ag Placement award is given to the member who works in an Ag placement area. This year’s recipient was Landon Miller. The Star in Agri-Business award is given to the member who has successfully run their own business; this year’s recipient is Ethan Hartman. The Ag Accomplishment Award is awarded to the member who has excelled in Ag and FFA. This year’s Ag Accomplishment Award winner was Katelynne Michael.
Senior chapter Officers were recognized for their years of service. The officers were Chaplain – Ethan Hartman, Reporter- Mora Menzie, Treasurer- Carrie Denlinger, Secretary – Katelynne Michael, Vice-President- Seth Fearon, and President – Brooke Anderson.
During the banquet,t the chapter was honored to have the Overholser Family present the Ben Overholser Memorial Scholarship to 3 graduating seniors – Seth Fearon, Katelynne Michael, and Ethan Hartman.
The final award of the night was the Honorary Chapter Degrees. This honor is bestowed on members of the school or community for their contributions to the success of the chapter. This year’s Honorary Chapter Degree was presented to Mr. Chris Michael.
The ceremony was concluded with the induction of the 2025-2026 Arcanum MVCTC Officer Team. President Lance Brinksneader, Vice-President Charlie Weiss, Secretary Cheynne Swisher, Treasurer Kamryn Beisner, Reporter Danicka Michael, Sentinel Ben Hartman, Student Advisor Robby Denniston, Historian Mackenzie Subler. The Arcanum MVCTC FFA would like to thank everyone for their support of the chapter.
