By Kate Dau – South O’Brien FFA Reporter
The South O’Brien FFA Chapter recently competed at the SDSU Little “I” event, which hosted 1780 individuals from teams across Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Members showcased their skills in a variety of contests, achieving impressive results.
Seventh grader Brennan Negus, who competed in Meats Evaluation and Poultry Judging, reflected on his experience, saying, “Meats Evaluation was fun but challenging. Thankfully, Mr. Kumm’s sayings stuck with me and helped during the competition. Poultry Judging was really fun too — especially judging chicken nuggets! I plan to compete again next year as an 8th grader.”
Team Placements–Livestock Evaluation (28th and 29th); Horse Judging (25th); Milk Quality & Products (22nd and 23rd); Poultry Evaluation (19th and 22nd); Floriculture (14th); Natural Resources (10th); Ag Mechanics (9th) and Reese Lundquist (9th individually); Dairy Cattle Judging (9th): Austin Negus (17th individually); Meats Evaluation (3rd, 13th, and 37th): Ethan Schwarz (Reserve Champion Individual), Austin Negus (12th individually); Range Plant ID (Reserve Champion and 3rd place teams): Abby Nelson (4th individually), Reese Farquhar (5th), Tricia Kilts (6th), Bode Bailey (7th), Ashton Hunt (8th), and Hailey Wallinga (9th).
Seventh grader Jaelyn Wallin also shared her thoughts, “I competed in the Milk Quality contest and Horse Judging. It was very fun, and I look forward to participating again next year!”
South O’Brien FFA Advisor Eric Kumm added, “This was by far the most members we’ve had compete at Little “I” and they did a fantastic job representing our chapter and school. It is always a great event for our members to compete in. For our younger members, it’s a day where they can try a few different events to see what it’s all about.”
The South O’Brien FFA Chapter is proud of its members’ dedication and outstanding performances. Congratulations to all participants for representing their chapter and community with excellence in agriculture!