The Covington FFA recently had a phenomenal showing at the 2022 State FFA Convention held in the Smoky Mountains in beautiful Gatlinburg.
Mitch Hopkins, a senior at CHS, was awarded the 2022 Tennessee Star Farmer Award, which is the highest award that an individual can win in the state of Tennessee. Mitch had to complete a rigorous application and interviews both in Trenton, Tennessee in January and at Gatlinburg in March. Mitch has an outstanding SAE Project in row crop production and will represent the chapter well as he will be on the State Star Tour in July of 2022. Mitch earned a prestigious scholarship and other acknowledgments through hard work and determination.
The chapter was well represented in a plethora of competitions, as they brought home a State Runner-Up in the Dairy Foods CDE and regional championships in Food Science and Meat Judging. The chapter was well represented by individual as well, as the group brought home 9 individual state titles, and they are as follows: Mitch Hopkins in Fiber and Oil Crop Production, Mike Hopkins in Diversified Crop Production, Carson Ruffin in Agriculture Services, Leanna Gray in Agriculture Communications, Madison Rowland in Agriculture Mechanics, Avery Roach in Environmental Science, Hunter Sartain in Agriculture Processing, McKenzie Delashmit in Nursery Operations, and William Martin in Fruit Production. These nine students will go on to Nationals and be evaluated this summer for “the Final Four” in the nation! The chapter was well represented in the Agriscience Fair as well. McKenzie Delashmit and Ethan Yarbro were State Runner-Ups in the Plant Systems project, while Clay Hartsfield, Mike Hopkins, and Mitch Hopkins each finished 3rd in the state with their science fair projects in Power and Technical Systems. Also, the chapter had two members receive a Tennessee FFA Scholarship. Mitch Hopkins received the Ted Turner Scholarship and Mike Hopkins received the West TN FFA Scholarship.
“Congratulations to all of the FFA members for an amazing convention,” sponsor Jerry Johnson said. “We also would like to thank Level 5 Covington High, Covington FFA Alumni, our community, and the Tipton County Board of Education for continuing to support these students every single day.”
On Monday April 11, the Munford FFA Chapter claimed the West TN FFA Regional Championship for the eighteenth time. Since its inception in 1950 the West Tennessee FFA Regional Championship has been won by 18 different schools/FFA chapters, but the eighteen championships by the Munford FFA is second only to Dyersburg FFA, who has won the championship twenty times. The Munford FFA won the championship in a dominate fashion; claiming a championship cup in each of the three divisions of the West TN FFA Awards Program.
The West TN FFA Awards Program is composed of three divisions; the Leadership Division, the Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) Division, and the Instructional Division. The Leadership division focuses on leadership development of the chapter’s members. The SAE division encourages students to develop high quality SAE programs. And the Instructional Division focuses on the chapter’s success in FFA Career Development and Leadership Development Events that highlight skills and knowledge taught in the agriculture education curriculum. Being named the champion in all three areas is a testament to the quality of the Ag Ed program at Munford High and signifies that the chapter is excelling in each area of Agriculture Education.
While at the West TN Awards Program Banquet, Munford FFA members were recognized for their work this year that has led to the chapter’s overall success. Munford FFA members were recognized for being the regional winner in 16 proficiency awards, the regional winner in 10 Agriscience projects, and the regional runner-up in 3 Agriscience projects.
The Munford FFA Chapter was the regional winner in the following CDEs and LDEs:
- Agriculture Sales
- Agriculture Marketing Plan
- Parliamentary Procedure
- Nursery/Landscaping
- Agriculture Issues Forum
- Agriculture Communications
The Munford FFA Chapter was the regional runner-up in the following CDEs and LDEs:
- Agriculture Mechanics
- Meats Evaluation
- Extemporaneous Speaking
- Floriculture
The Munford FFA Chapter also placed in the top six schools in West Tennessee in the following CDEs and LDEs:
- Conduct of Chapter Meetings – 3rd in West TN
- Prepared Public Speaking – 4th in West TN
- Employment Skills – 3rd in West TN
Jada Curlin, MHS senior, was recognized for her year of service as the West Tennessee FFA Regional Sentinel. Jada was awarded the Neisler Agriculture Education Scholarship in the amount of $500.
Also at the awards banquet Munford FFA Advisors Kelsey Swirka and Ann Johnson were honored by the Tennessee Association of Agriculture Educators. Swirka received the Teacher Turn the Key Award and Johnson received the Teacher Mentor Award.
This year the Munford FFA Chapter has been led by a 14-member Chapter Officer Team. Chapter President is John Dylan Conrad and Vice-Presidents are Jada Curlin, Brooke Joyner, and Brooklyn McWilliams. Chapter Secretaries are Jocelyn Brummet and Peyton Whitehead. The Chapter Treasurer is Katie Greuling, Chapter Reporter is Abigail Hamm, Chapter Sentinel is Houston Null, Chapter Historian is Sarah Ault, Chapter Communications Coordinator is Cali Broom, Chapter Recreationalist is Bryson Brewer, Chapter Degree Coordinator is Jace Nelson, and Chapter PLOW Coordinator is Avery Pike. Chapter Advisors are Jeremy Fair, Claire “Missy” Hammond, Ann Johnson, Bill Newsom, and Kelsey Swirka.
