FFA

Students from Bald Eagle School District Busy Preparing for the 2023 Centre County Grange Fair 

The start of the school year is preceded by the Centre County Grange Fair.  Bald Eagle Area 4-H and FFA members enjoy exhibiting prize livestock/community projects and showcasing their skill development as they learn how to make the best better or prepare for career success.  

Large numbers of students representing different school buildings across the district will be represented this year. Elementary school principal, James Orichosky, shares, “The livestock projects we do in the elementary, especially the kindergarten classrooms, set up students for a lifetime of learning about Agriculture. The raising of chicks sets students on the path of inquiry as well as the importance of the agricultural business and model in our community.”  Hopefully, the infusion of agriculture at all levels of our curriculum will encourage more students to participate in the future.  As you will see in the student list below, there are many clubs/chapters in our community for students to get involved.

Lots of hard work is put into the preparation of these entries as they compete for the fair’s top prizes ranging from cash and blue ribbons to banners and silver belt buckles. Jack Tobias, High School Principal shares, “As a parent of a former FFA student that had livestock projects and a High School Principal, I have gotten the opportunity to experience and witness firsthand the value that livestock projects provide students.  A few life skills that participants learn are responsibility, self-discipline, time management, communication, teamwork, setting and achieving goals, meeting deadlines, and the value of hard work to achieve a final product that creates confidence and pride.  Livestock projects are not stand-alone projects; they are an integration of education, agriculture, and life skills that prepare students for lifelong success beyond the classroom.”  The work of our 4-H and FFA chapter members can be seen throughout the fair from livestock barns to exhibit buildings.  

This year’s fair starts on Thursday, August 17, 2023, and will conclude on Saturday, August 26, 2023.   Here is a list of entries to look for on your fair visit. 

Below is a list of Bald Eagle FFA exhibitors/entries:

Bald Eagle FFA-FFA Display

Riley Bartley-FFA silk flower arrangement

Grady Boone-FFA poster, FFA rabbit, and FFA record book

Hannah Briner-FFA hardscape miniature landscape display and FFA silk flower arrangement

Caleb Cain-FFA market goat, FFA market rabbit, and FFA record book

Kaden Clark-FFA poster

Gracie Collins-FFA poster and FFA silk flower arrangement

Maddie Confer-FFA silk flower arrangement

Faith Crestani-FFA hardscape miniature landscape display, FFA live flower arrangement, and FFA silk flower arrangement

Isaac Dechow-Two FFA posters, FFA record book, FFA hardscape miniature landscape display, and FFA  live flower arrangement

Kailey Eckert-4-H Dairy beef (Penns Valley 4-H club), 4-H Market lamb (Penns Valley 4-H club), Ellis Hall Market Swine Nomination, FFA poster, FFA record book, and FFA market swine

Kayla Fitzgerald-4-H market goats (Eagle Valley) FFA market rabbit, FFA record book, and 4-H market swine (Eagle Valley)

Martina Hartman-Ellis Hall Market Goat Nomination, FFA live and silk flower arrangements, FFA market goat, and FFA record book

Hunter Ishler-FFA poster

Alabama Jukes-FFA poster and FFA silk flower arrangement

Shawn Knepp-FFA breeding rabbit, FFA market rabbit, FFA market swine, and FFA record book

Wyatt Knepp-4-H (Mount Nittany) market goat, 4-H (Mount Nittany) market lamb, FFA breeding rabbit, FFA market rabbit, and FFA record book

Michael Lewis-FFA record book and silk flower arrangement

Conner Maney-FFA hardscape miniature landscape display and FFA silk flower arrangement

Kaden Markle-FFA silk flower arrangement

Emma Mondick-FFA poster

Adra Spotts-FFA service-learning poster

Trevor Tice- FFA market goat, and FFA record book

Samantha Trigg-FFA dairy goats, FFA breeding rabbit, FFA market rabbit, and FFA record books

Blake Wagner-FFA poster, FFA rabbit, and FFA record book

Eagle Valley has the following members (living in BEASD) exhibiting:

           Kyra Berger-4-H breeding rabbits and 4-H community projects 

           Owen Kelley-4-H market goats (Centre County 4-H Goatee Club) and 4-H       community projects

           Abigail McCloskey-4-H market goats and 4-H community projects

           Levi McCloskey-Cloverbud

           Colbie Rogers-Cloverbud

          Henry Rogers-Cloverbud

          Levi Rogers-4-H market swine and 4-H community projects

          Hannah Trigg-4-H dairy goats, 4-H market rabbits, 4-H breeding rabbits,    

          and 4-H community projects

         Autumn Yoder-4-H market goats

         Alexis Yoder-4-H market goats

         Maelee Yoder-4-H market goats 

         MacKenzie Yoder- 4-H market goats

Below is a list of Mount Nittany 4-H Ag Club participants:

           Angie Greib-4-H breeding and 4-H market rabbits

          Garret Knepp-4-H breeding and market rabbits and 4-H market swine

          Coleman Liner-4-H dairy beef, 4-H market steer, and 4-H market swine

Penn’s Valley 4-H club participant:

           Rylee Maurer-4-H dairy cattle, 4-H market lambs, and 4-H market steer

Sausage Stuffer’s 4-H member participant:

          Cameron Corl-Alton-4-H market swine

A complete listing of events and their times can be found on the Grange Fair website, https://grangefair.com/ .  Hopefully, you will have the opportunity to visit these students/their work and cheer them on to victory.

“Agriculture is such a vital business in our school district and community.  Our students continuing to shine brightly in the area of agriculture will help the Bald Eagle Area School District prosper for years to come.” --Curtis Whitesel, Bald Eagle School District Superintendant.