Jasmine Magana, Odalys Martinez, Litzy Alonso, Jacqueline Camacho, Vrisa Garcia, Ivan Carranza, Stephanie Corona, Monica Novo, Back Row. Mr. Mark Powell (Coach). Courtesy photo.
SANTA MARIA — The Santa Maria High School FFA Milk Quality & Dairy Foods, Nursery Landscape, Poultry, Veterinary Science and Vegetable Crops Evaluation teams attended the Annual UC Davis Field Day on March 2nd in Davis, California.
The Santa Maria FFA Milk Quality and Dairy Products team placed 1st. The team included Ivan Carranza, Jacqueline Camacho, Stephanie Corona and Vrisa Garcia.
Junior Stephanie Corona, “We were very fortunate to take home 1stplace in the Milk Quality and Dairy Food Competition. While at UC Davis, I enjoyed seeing the positive atmosphere on campus and the agriculture program. Davis is now a university that I am taking into consideration because of what I experienced this past weekend.”
In addition, the Poultry Judging team placed 4th, the Nursery Landscape team placed 5thand the Vegetable Crops Evaluation team placed 6th.
Each year, more than ten different teams and 70 students from the Santa Maria FFA attend judging competitions around the state, according to Agriculture Teacher Shannon Powell. The students and teachers travel from as far north as Chico State University to as far south as Cal Poly State University, Pomona and everywhere in between, she added. The majority of the events are hosted by 4-year and community colleges.
FFA Career Development Events allow students to gain hands on job skills in ranging from communications to mechanics,’’ Powell said. Students compete both as a team and individually against FFA Chapters from across the state of California, with the hopes of winning the State Championship at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in early May, she added.
More than 2,000 FFA members from California completed in various competitions at the UC Davis Field Day.