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With efforts spanning all aspects of agriculture, Cape Henlopen High School’s Future Farmers of America members and their teacher brought home statewide awards and recognition at the conclusion of the Delaware State Fair.
Cape student Future Farmers of America (FFA) projects included individual research regarding alternative fuel sources, creation of a patriotic wreath, construction of a landscape display honoring the state fair barnyard beach party theme and show presentation of hogs, pygmy goats and horses.
“This is the culmination of a year of hard work and commitment,” said Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, as she welcomed statewide FFA members to the awards presentation ceremony Friday, July 27.
State Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse praised the outstanding displays. “Your focus on agriscience puts Delaware in the forefront of the national shift of agriculture into the areas of science, research and technology,” he said.
Cape winners
Cape teacher Heather Hastings, Delaware’s agriscience teacher of the year, was presented with a plaque for excellence in the study and application of scientific principles and emerging technologies in agriculture.
Beth Goering won first place in the food science, microbiology and biochemistry division for her project regarding biofuels. Goering said she tested sugar, molasses and corn to determine corn and corn syrup are the best fuel source alternatives.
Goering also earned a third-place ribbon with her pygmy goat. She has been involved with goats for one year and plans to attend Delaware Technical & Community College or Delaware Valley College to study veterinary technology.
Samantha Burton, who said she has been attending the state fair for as long as she remembers, won second place for a patriotic wreath she created, and she garnered additional ribbons exhibiting her hog, Inferno. Burton said she has been raising and exhibiting hogs since she was in the ninth grade.
Burton, who is Cape’s FFA treasurer, said the group is encouraged by the support of Principal John Yore. “John Yore’s first act as principal was to come to our FFA awards breakfast last year. And he’s here again,” Burton said. “No other administrator has showed support for FFA except for Brian Conrad, who came four years ago while he was the ninth-grade assistant principal.”
Looking forward
During the awards breakfast Hastings also officially assumed her position as president of the Delaware Association of Agriscience Educators. For two years she will oversee the group’s monthly meetings regarding matters such as curriculum and student development and will represent the state nationally.
“In a short period of time Cape’s program has made tremendous accomplishments and I am very pleased,” said Scuse.
Hastings will be joined at Cape this school year by teacher Ryan Pepper, a Cape graduate and original officer of Cape’s FFA.
The Cape FFA team placed second in landscape display, fifth in the national dairy cattle competition and sixth for its Delaware agriculture products display.
Individual FFA placement ribbons were also presented to Jackie Deckelman and Sara Frohman.
Contact Georgia Leonhart at g.l.leonhart@comcast.net
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