48 West Central FFA members traveled to Chamberlain to present 34 projects for the State FFA AgriScience Fair. Members had been working on background research, project selection, experiment design, data collection, and analysis since mid-September. Final abstracts were due to the state on March 15th. Members could choose to conduct their research in the following categories: Animal Systems, Environmental and Natural Resources Systems, Food Products and Processing Systems, Plant Systems, Power Structural and Technical Systems, and Social Systems. Members compete individually or in pairs against members in their similar age group. Divisions 1 and 2 are for students in 7th and 8th grade. Divisions 3 and 4 are for 9th and 10th graders and Divisions 5 and 6 are for students in 11th and 12 grades. The State AgriScience Fair included 130+ projects this year.
The FFA Agriscience Fair recognizes students who gain real-world, hands-on experiences in agricultural enterprises. Students use scientific principles and emerging technologies to solve complex problems related to agriculture, food, and natural resources. The agriscience fair is for middle and high school students. Participation begins at the local level and progresses to state and national levels.
After the completion of scoring both the written abstract and the face-to-face defense of the project, scores are tallied and the top three in each division are announced as state finalists. The following 23 projects have been named state finalists.
Animal Systems
Ali Zacharias – Division 3
Chase Olson and Dalton Mulder – Division 4
Chandler Carda and Fisher Flanagan – Division 4
Maddie Leasure – Division 5
Emma Kuhlman and Madison DeMent – Division 6
Keighlor Nolz and Maia Kennedy – Division 6
Environmental Natural Resource Systems
Jude Jarding – Division 3
Andrew Rick and Bennett Sebert – Division 6
Jack Linneman and Zach Madsen – Division 6
Food Products and Processing Systems
Lexi Nichols and Kelsey Vockrodt – Division 4
Grace Harden – Division 5
Emma Grocott – Division 5
Sammie Malinger and Hannah Davis – Division 6
McKenna Sichmeller and Josslin Jarding – Division 6
Plant Systems
Connor Siemonsma and Dylan Stromer – Division 4
Faith Hallem – Division 5
Connor Person – Division 5
Clayton Starnes and Micah Mellema- Division 6
Power Structural Technical Systems
Cian McMillin – Division 5
Hanna Lee and Jesse Kline – Division 6
Noah Pressler and Luke Nichols – Division 6
Social Systems
Jazelle Jarding – Division 3
Kiara Ebbinga – Division 5
Members will learn their final placings and receive their plaques and cash awards of $100, $50, and $25 for first through third places sponsored by the South Dakota FFA Foundation on Tuesday, April 13 at the State FFA Convention. State winners in each category and division advance to the national level competition.
