Platte Valley FFA members excel at state convention

PUEBLO, Colo. — Platte Valley FFA members achieved top honors at this year’s State FFA Convention. McKenzie Schneider was selected State Star in Agribusiness, state winner in Wildlife Management Entrepreneurship and won the State FFA Prepared Public Speaking Contest.

Brody Chestnut was the state winner in Diversified Agricultural Placement and Alyssa Deporter was the state runner-up in Beef Production Entrepreneurship. Platte Valley’s team won the Quiz Bowl competition and will be representing Colorado at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis this fall. Team members included Rhys Maxey, Kaleb McClain, Kassandra Shoemaker and Amanda Terrell. This year, Platte Valley was honored to have six recipients of the coveted State Farmer Degree including Gavin Amen, Brody Chesnut, Alyssa DePorter, Bailee Hatch, Tristan Forsythe and McKenzie Schneider. Platte Valley was also recognized for its achievements at the Colorado State Fair including Overall State Fair Sweepstakes, State Fair Sweepstakes Crops, State Fair Sweepstakes Swine, State Fair Sweepstakes Beef, State Fair Sweepstakes Sheep, and State Fair Sweepstakes Dairy.

Boulder County horse judging team state champs

LONGMONT, Colo. — The Boulder County 4-H youth horse judging team dominated the state competition the end of June held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., and it was named overall state champions. This honor gives the team the privilege to represent Colorado 4-H at various national competitions, including the national 4-H competition Western National Roundup on January 5, 2018 in Denver. Teams from counties across Colorado competed in the day-long contest and the Boulder County team came out on top in each category: halter, performance, reasons and overall. The Boulder County 4-H Team members included Katherine Cannady of Erie, Colo., Bennett Groshong of Boulder, Colo., and Melanie Hansen of Longmont, Colo. Katherine was third in halter, third in performance, second in reasons and reserve champion individual overall. Bennett was fifth in halter, seventh in performance, sixth in reasons and fifth individual overall. Melanie was ninth in halter, sixth in performance, seventh in reasons and seventh individual overall. The team won each team division and was named overall state champion team by more than 100 points. Boulder County 4-H was also represented by two other team members competing as individuals: Amber Nusser of Longmont, Colo., and Lydia Groshong of Boulder, Colo. Amber was sixth in halter, first in performance, first in reasons and champion individual overall. Lydia was second in performance, fifth in reasons and fourth individual overall. Competitive horse judging offers an exciting and challenging opportunity for 4-H members to further their knowledge of horses. Team members learn to evaluate horse conformation and performance, while developing skills such as critical thinking, public speaking and team building. Contestants were scored based on how close their placings of mock classes of four horses are to the official panel. They were also asked to deliver a two minute, memorized oral defense of their placing of certain classes. To support travel expenses, the team will host a Benefit Horse Show July 22 in the Indoor Arena at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont, Colo. It is an open and 4-H show where any age horses and riders are welcome.

Colorado Wheat Organizations hire executive director

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The three Colorado wheat organizations, Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee, Colorado Association of Wheat Growers, and Colorado Wheat Research Foundation, announcee that Brad Erker, of Fort Collins, Colo., has been selected to serve as the next executive director for the organizations. Erker comes to Colorado Wheat from Limagrain Cereal Seeds, where he worked for seven years as the company’s product development manager. Having been raised on a dryland wheat farm in eastern Colorado, Erker brings a great deal of knowledge and passion of the wheat industry to the table for Colorado’s wheat farmers. Erker said, “I feel very honored and humbled to be given this opportunity. I’ve watched the activities of these organizations my whole life, and I know the proud history that exists. I look forward to building on Colorado Wheat’s strong foundation and making the organizations even stronger.” Erker will start in his new position on August 1, 2017. ❖