Waukon FFA Agronomy Team wins State, competes at Nationals …

This past summer four members of the Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School participated in the State Agronomy Contest at Iowa State University in Ames. Pictured above, left to right, Austin Day, Jacob Dougherty, Kyle Gordon and Michael Schulte spent the day being tested on their knowledge of the agronomy industry. Included in the competition was the judging of hay, silage and seeds, placing classes of various crops, identification of seed, plants and insects, a general knowledge exam, and finally a team practicum completing a crop budget. At the end of the contest the team was recognized as the Iowa FFA Agronomy Champions. The team was led by Austin Day, who placed sixth individually, followed by Michael Schulte in ninth. The team was also recognized as the top team overall in crops judging, identification and the team event.
Due to its first-place State finish, the team then traveled to Indianapolis, IN to compete at the National FFA Convention and Expo in October. Due to scheduling conflicts, Austin Day passed the torch to Emma Johnson, who joined Jacob Dougherty, Kyle Gordon and Michael Schulte at the National contest. While at the National contest, the team competed in similar activities as those conducted at the State contest. However, the number of items they had to know grew significantly as the National contest includes all agronomic products grown in the United States. The team received a bronze rating at the contest. Individually, Johnson received a bronze rating and Dougherty, Schulte and Gordon all received silver ratings. The team was coached by Nikki Meyer, who is an alumnus of Waukon High School and its Little Switzerland FFA program. She was also involved in the agronomy contest in high school and currently serves as a seed dealer and agronomist with DuPont Pioneer. Her knowledge and know-how of the industry provided the team with significant help when preparing for this contest.
Pictured above, left to right, after winning the State Agronomy Contest are Austin Day, Jacob Dougherty, Coach Nikki Meyer, Kyle Gordon and Michael Schulte. Pictured below, left to right, at the National Agronomy Contest are Waukon High School FFA Advisor Jessica O’Connor, Michael Schulte, Jacob Dougherty, Emma Johnson and Kyle Gordon. Submitted photos. Article by Emma Johnson, FFA Chapter Reporter.