Smith nabs state FFA award, others compete
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RONAN – Winning the state FFA championship in beef production is something Cheyanne Smith hopes will be a stepping stone on the way to raising cattle as an adult.
The Ronan senior nabbed the top prize last month by completing a four-year long project that required her to document her work with cattle.
“It’s a real-life experience that helps train students in a career in agriculture,” said Reese McAlpin, vocational ag teacher and FFA adviser for Ronan High School. “She kept track of feed and expenses and financial records. She explained what she learned and what she did.”
Smith said her interest in beef production began at a young age. Her family has ranched cattle since before she was born.
“Just being out there working with the cows is a fun experience,” Smith said. “It teaches you a lot. We vaccinate them, feed them, and make sure they are well taken care of and healthy.”
Smith is excited to represent the state of Montana in the National FFA competition for beef production. If Smith’s project is chosen as a national finalist, she’ll travel to Louisville, Ky. to receive her award at the end of October.
She intends to continue her work with cattle post-graduation.
“I want to get a job and one day have a ranch just like all the rest of my family has done,” Smith said.
Smith said working with her classmates on other FFA projects will also be beneficial in her future. Students Micah McClure, Laurel Rigby, Korrie Frisk, RJ Clairmont, Troy Barney and Levi Couture competed with Smith at the state meet.
Different events required students to use teamwork and individual skills to tackle agriculture-based problems. Some tests asked about obscure livestock diseases. Other tasks included planning a budget for a farm, identifying plants and seeds, reading pesticide labels and performing a mock USDA grade inspection.
“You have to know a lot of stuff for each animal and species,” junior Laurel Rigby said.
Rigby placed 33rd in Livestock Judging, which McAlpin pointed out was not a small feat, considering 1,750 students from across Montana competed at state.
“It’s kind of her little niche,” McAlpin said. “Kids can kind of pick up as much or as little as they want. There’s an opportunity to excel at a lot of things or be strong and be focused in their one career interest.”
Rigby and Smith said they would like to see more students join the FFA Chapter in the future. The small group of students was comprised mostly of freshman this year, but the new faces quickly became a part of a tight-knit family that works, has fun, and volunteers together. The group recently spent an afternoon scrubbing potatoes for the Mission Valley Agriculture Appreciation Banquet.
Because the FFA chapter receives no funding from the school budget, the students involved have to work to raise monies for activities. This year the group sold raffle tickets for a tractor to earn their fare to state. Members also used their nimble fingers and eye for design to create holiday wreaths to sell in sub-freezing temperatures in an annual Christmas tree sale fundraiser. Generous alumni also help boost the group’s budget.
It might take a bit more elbow grease to scratch up funding, but Rigby said it is worth it. Unlike sports programs that rarely produce professional athletes, Rigby said most of the students could go onto professional careers in agriculture.
“You could be a rancher,” Rigby said. “You could be a grain inspector.”
There’s a misconception that FFA members always come from families with farms, but that isn’t the case, according to Rigby.
“You can do floriculture and work with flowers,” Rigby said. “There’s something for everybody.”
