Participants make new friends, talk with adults about the future of ag

Published in the August 29 – September 11, 2018 issue of Morgan Hill Life

Photo courtesy Sobrato FFA
Sobrato FFA members pose with their awards from the 2018 Santa Clara County Fair.

For Sobrato High School students involved in the Future Farmers of America program, spending a few hot days showing off their livestock at the Santa Clara County Fair this summer gave them plenty of fond memories.

This year’s fair was held Aug. 1-4 at the county fairgrounds in San Jose and brought FFA members together from throughout the county for fun and friendly competition. Among them was Kennedy Heninger, a senior who serves as the vice president of the Sobrato chapter. Involvement in the FFA is a longtime family tradition. Growing up with an agricultural background, she was inspired to join FFA as a freshman by her parents and her uncle who participated when they were in high school.

“Agriculture education is a great experience, and I think every student should be involved in an agriculture class,” she said. “What puts an ag class above regular high school courses is that ag education focuses on hands on-learning, enhancing the educational experience.”

At the fair, Heninger showed off nine “meat pen” rabbits, a market hog, and a breeding doe. Her rabbits won FFA Champion, FFA Reserve Champion, and Supreme Champion, allowing her to sell six rabbits and the hog at the auction.

Sean Nuttall, a 17-year-old senior and a sentinel in Sobrato’s FFA chapter, joined “by mistake” when he was placed in an agriculture class. He found he liked the program and got more involved.

“I grew to like it since I realized what good I could do with the FFA,” he said.

At the county fair, he showed a 235-pound pig named Piper. He cleaned and groomed Piper daily to make sure she was ready for the public.

“At the farm, I learned how to run my swine project independently from everyone else,” he said. “But at the fair, you have to get used to the fact the Sobrato FFA Chapter is a team and we help each other out along the way.”

He encourages other students to join the Sobrato FFA because of the camaraderie and fun of working on projects.

“Even if you don’t want a career in agriculture, the  FFA organization will help you grow,” he said.

Jillian Wood, an 18-year-old senior, joined the Sobrato FFA club late in her high school years.

“I had just moved into this community halfway through the past school year and had never heard of this organization,” she said. “When my counselor informed me about FFA, I was excited to give it a try. During the short time that I have been here, I have been more involved with my school than I have ever been. I have been given opportunities for my future and education, along with skills needed for after high school.”

Wood had “an amazing experience” this year at the Santa Clara County Fair. When she was not with her hog, she enjoyed time having the best of times with her fellow member friends as well as students from other schools.

“It was great seeing all our hard work pay off in the end as we all competed and cheered each other on,” she said.

The Sobrato students met FFA members from many other chapters and made new friends. Much of their time together was spent in the barn during “barn duty.” During these shifts, they would share a spot down their row and take care of the pigs as the public came through. They also spent this time playing card games or taking a nap on a couch made of wood shavings.

“The Santa Clara County Fair gave all of us a chance to grow and learn with each other and our community,” Wood said. “I was able to make new friends and talk to important adults about my future.”

Sobrato FFA advisor Samantha Lima says the chapter’s members learned much from their involvement at this year’s county fair. Raising an animal provides many opportunities for the students to get real life experience in the production agriculture and business sectors, she said.

“Students learn many skills during their projects such as responsibility, financial planning, and marketing which can be applied in any industry,” she said. “Each student is responsible for their entire project, from the daily feeding and care to the exercise and training involved with a successful fair animal. Students quickly learn the value of a good work ethic.”