By Laura Moss Paris FFA Advisor
Paris, Tenn.–Paris FFA history was made last Thursday September 25th at Lone Oak Farm in Middleton, TN as the Henry Middle and Harrelson Middle FFA chapters competed in their very first regional competitions.
The Land Evaluation contest teaches FFA members how to evaluate the quality of the soil to determine whether it would be best used for crops, pasture or a homesite. Students will judge the soil texture, drainage and erosion and then calculate water holding capabilities and slope.
Henry Middle was named the Regional Runner Up in the middle school division with Kelly Savage leading the team as the 5th high overall individual. She was joined by teammates Lorelei Yeomans, Jensen Brown and Jackson Blackwell.
Harrelson Middle was 3rd in the contest. Curtis Bomar was the 2nd high individual overall and was joined by teammates Luke Moore, McKenzie Mittel and Jude Lamberth.
The Paris FFA and 4-H teams also saw much success that night. The FFA team of Dallas Bomar, Grey Armstrong, Gabby Young and Hayden Long placed 4th out of 22 teams and will advance on to the state contest on Oct 20th. Dallas was the 10th high individual.
On the 4-H teams, Layne McKinley was honored as the overall high individual of the entire contest, scoring a 343 out of 400. Others judging on 4-H teams were Hayden Hughes, Sevens Clendenin, Knox Lamberth, Shea Crockarell, Brooks Parker, Emerson Vick, Cody Long, and Dalton Gasper.
The teams would like to thank everyone who assisted in preparing them for the contest, especially those who dug pits for practice. Thank you to Tri-Turf Sod, Stewart Farms and Rolling Acres Farms for all your help!
Photo: Paris FFA Alumni Blake Stewart helps to critique a pit with the Paris, Harrelson Middle and Henry Middle FFA chapters. Blake was able to teach all team members how to judge a pit more efficiently while giving them tips and tricks of what to look for at a contest.