This fall some of the Covington FFA officers have been very active in some of the regional and state level 4-H competitions.
On Sept. 24 the team competed in the Western Region 4-H Forestry Contest. Team members were tested based on knowledge of tree identification, tree insects, disorders, diseases, wood identification and tree measuring. The group placed first in the Western Region and may get to compete in the state finals this spring.
On Oct. 17 the group traveled to Murfreesboro to compete in the State 4-H Dairy Foods and Poultry Contests. The students were challenged to identify milk disorders, cheese characteristics and ice cream qualities. The team finished as the 2020 state runner-up in this contest.
In the poultry contest, students had to judge a class of hens, interior eggs, exterior eggs, identify parts of a chicken and grade chicken caraccas. The group finished 1st in the Western Region and 7th in the state.
Also recently members of the Covington FFA Chapter competed in the Western Region 4-H Livestock Judging Contest in Decatur County. Team members had to evaluate multiple classes of livestock, including market lambs, commercial ewes, two classes of breeding heifers, breeding does and market hogs. Students had to give reasons and also answer questions on two of the classes of livestock.
The Tipton County group placed second in the region and will now move on to the state finals this June at UT-Knoxville. Individually, Thorne Turner was the high individual for the team. Team members are Madison Rowland, McKenzie Delashmit, Ethan Scherffius, William Martin, Savanna Long, Zandor Morris, Leanna Gray, Nick Morris, Thorne Turner, and Jhonnaya Wilcox.
The Covington FFA has also competed this fall in two virtual competitions with the FFA, where the group finished both first in the state in land judging and first in the state in poultry judging.
In the land judging contest, students had to evaluate four different pits and determine soil texture, drainage, erosion, slope, landscape position, land capability class, crop yield, recommended conservation practices and homesite evaluation. In the poultry contest the team judged a class of broilers, hens, ready to cook carcass, carcass grading, exterior eggs, interior eggs, bone-in poultry products and boneless products.
Members of the land judging team include the following: Madison Rowland, Mike Hopkins, Leanna Gray, Mitch Hopkins, William Martin, Savanna Long, Logan Wildes, McKenzie Delashmit and Clay Hartsfield. Members of the poultry judging team include the following: Savanna Long, Madison Rowland, Leanna Gray, Ethan Wilson and McKenzie Delashmit.
