A bus of Fairfield FFA members left Leesburg on May 4 headed to Columbus for state convention.
The members stopped at Sugar Creek packing and watched how bacon is cut, cured and packaged. At the end of the tour the plant gave all the members free bacon bits and a few slices of fried bacon. The members said that was the highlight of the day.
After that they headed to Grove City for a meal and then to the Ohio State Fairgrounds. When they arrived at the fairgrounds the students went to the trade show to see all the vendors and colleges that had set up in the Bricker Building.
At the end of the first session the next year’s state officers were slated and Fairfield’s Ryan Mathews was slated for state president. When that was over they went back to the trade show for a while to see the sights and stretch out a little.
The second session began with the recognition of the honorary state degree. Jeff Cloud, a local farmer and businessman from Leesburg, received the degree. After that session they boarded the bus and headed for home.
The next morning they were on the bus by 7:30 a.m. headed back to columbus. They stopped at Twin Oak Dairy for a tour of the farm. The kids got to see dairy cows, dairy calves and the various types of machinery that is needed for a dairy farm to work efficiently. After that they headed to Grove City for a meal and then to the fairgrounds.
They attended the fourth session to start the day at convention. During the fifth session nine members of the Fairfield FFA chapter received their state degree and their golden charm. At the end of the fifth session the students watched Mathews get named president of the Ohio FFA Association. After that the students rode the bus home for the final time, marking the end of state convention.
Submitted by Dale Back, Fairfield FFA reporter.
