FFA Advisor and Officer Team return from Fair Week with Optimistic Ambitions

By: Donya Hassanshahi

Future Farmers of America [FFA] officer team and advisor reflect on their participation in the Tulare County Fair week from September 12th to 18th.

The FFA officer team and members recently showed and sold their animals during the 2022 Tulare County Fair Week from September 12th to the 18th.

Students also participated in assisting the livestock department manage weigh in procedures, set up show rings, clerk the 4-H show, set up for the sale, and load all of the trucks after the fair.

Among the officer team, Lillie Wasem, ’23, Madison Andrade, ’23, Sadie Hemphill, ’25, and Marileigh Coon, ’25 participated in showing their animals.

Since May, Wasem, Hemphill, and Coon had worked with their lambs. Andrade is the only member who prepared with her four heifers starting in January.

For Redwood, there was one champion, four showmanship finalists, and multiple class winners. Redwood placed third overall in penafive.

Four-year member Reagan Richard, ’23 holds the position as Secretary. This role organizes meetings, corresponds meeting agendas, and completes paperwork.

Although Richard was not a participant during Fair Week, she says that the competitions the officers and members are partaking in this year are fundamental to advancing the FFA program.

Sentinel Ella Olsen, ’23 is a four year member responsible for welcoming incoming freshmen and new members of FFA. “I just make people feel more comfortable in FFA and I’m always there for any questions or anything like that,” she says.

Although Olsen was not in attendance at the fair, she says that she is “very proud of [the officer team] and [she] know[s] that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. It’s not only a time commitment, but mentally and physically they have to prepare themselves.”

Coon is a two-year member who handles “the Remind, Instagram, and all announcements that need to go out so people are aware of all meetings and events,” as Reporter.

At the fair, Coon showed two market lambs. Coon placed second in her weight class with one of her lambs, and received first place in her weight class for her other lamb.

In reflection of the eventful week, Coon says that she and fellow members have had “a lot of fun…[they’ve] really worked as a team.”

Hemphill has been involved with FFA for two years and is currently the Treasurer. Her job regards handling finance, reviewing budget improvements, and taking care of supplies bought for meetings.

At the fair, Hemphill says her experience with showing her lamb went well. “She behaved very well [and] placed third in her market class,” she says.

Wasem is a four-year member. As President, she says she “oversee[s] everything that happens. [She] manage[s] and plans meetings, head-start[s] everything, and also collaborate[s] with all of [her] teammates for all of [their] events.”

This is her third year showing sheep with the Redwood FFA program. Due to the pandemic, Wasem was unable to show during her freshman year.

She placed fifth in advanced showmanship and first in marketing in her lamb’s weight class.

In reflection of the fair, Wasem says that the participants executed their showings wells both in showmanship and market. “It was really fun to be there, and it’s definitely stressful, but it’s always fun. We definitely represented Redwood well,” she says.

Considering this is her senior year, Wasem says that “FFA fair is a big part of my high school experience, so it was bittersweet. I was definitely very sad that it was over, but I was glad that I got to end it on a good note. We had a great group of people showing this year, and everyone was so supportive.”

Vice President Madison Andrade, ’23 is a four year member of the Redwood FFA program, though was active in 4-H from ages nine to fifteen before attending high school.

Andrade says, “Once COVID was over, [she] started showing dairy with Redwood FFA from junior year to senior year.”

Her position on the officer team ensures the success of meetings pertaining to the format and contents covered. She says that she and the president “work really closely when developing meetings, what we want to get out of it, and what our goal is.”

At the fair, Andrade worked with four heifers. She placed first place with three, and her little heifer placed seven out of thirty competitors. In advanced showmanship, she placed first with the same heifer she took to the fair in the previous year, Mocha.

Last year, Andrade was not intending to bring Mocha for showmanship. Instead, Andrade says she planned to take her replacement heifer. This year, she says she also debated taking Mocha again, although the event was “special because it is [her] last year and [she] got first place again, back to back, which made it even extra-special.”

Andrade says that she feels “the Redwood FFA officers did really well at the Tulare County Fair. I think this was one of our greatest years. I’m really proud of all the officers that were able to handle the fair and school altogether.”

In June, she was crowned Dairy Princess of Tulare County as a part of the California Dairy Princess Program after undergoing an application and interviewing process. This role advocates for the dairy industry and the Real California Milk Seal.

Mr. John Coon is the advisor of FFA and teaches courses one through four of Agriculture Mechanics at Redwood High School.

Coon says that he was astonished by this year’s fair showing. After returning to a new form of normalcy, he says that this “showing was probably the best showing [they’ve] had to date in the 23 years [he] has been at Redwood.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of them; they’ve worked so hard…You put all that hard work and all those long hours in the summer together and you go up there and you finish strong, it’s just in true ranger spirit just how wonderful the whole thing is.”

Mr. John Coon on the participation of members

Tags: clubs & lifestyles, Donya Hassanshahi, fair week, ffa, FFA 2022-2023, ffa officers, rangers, Redwood, redwood ffa, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, rhs ffa, visalia ca