FFA goes to national convention

Tell Tavegie
Saddle & Sirloin FFA Chapter Reporter
 
The trip is often referred to as “Once in a lifetime,” and seven Newcastle Saddle and Sirloin FFA members checked attending the National FFA Convention off their bucket lists.
On Oct. 25, seniors Josh Womack, Rachel Sweet, Callie Hiser, Rilee Lewis, Bailey Benshoof, and juniors Tell Tavegie and Quint Perino, left the school shoved in a suburban with their adviser Jill Pischke, to travel to the 94th annual National FFA Convention
and Expo. 
Monday was filled with travel and driving, and the group didn’t arrive in Sparta, Wisc., for their first night until 7 p.m. central time. The next morning was an early one as they headed to the Weatherby Cranberry Company to tour the facilities and learn about the process of growing cranberries. The afternoon was filled with a stop in the capital city of Madison, Wisc., for the finest cheese in the country. The crew continued their trek east and south and spent the night 30 miles from the host city of the convention, Indianapolis, in Kokomo, Ind., in the eastern time zone. 
Wednesday started in the dark with a rush to finally get to the convention and expo. The Expo was filled with amazing vendors that the students spent the morning and early afternoon touring, shopping, visiting with colleges and businesses, and hanging out with celebrities like Dale Brisby! 
The opening session began at three inside the Indianapolis Colts’ famous Lucas Oil Stadium. The convention was hosted by the national officers and Saddle and Sirloin members listened to speeches from Dr. James Woodward, the National FFA advisor, Bruce Kettler, the director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, and keynote speaker Courtenay DeHoff. 
The cavalcade mixed in some fun at an Indianapolis haunted house and hayride, then headed back to Kokomo. 
Thursday began in the rain on the road as the students headed back west to Dubuque, Iowa, the location of the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. The students spent the afternoon discovering catfish, otters, snakes, alligators, and other aquatic species that live in the river. Along with the aquarium the museum had many other interactive exhibits and the students favorite was the William Black. The William Black was a dredging ship designed for cleaning the mud from the river and the students were free to tour it as well.
They pushed westward for a few more hours and settled in Fort Dodge, Iowa, for the night. Friday was filled with naps, driving, farm ground, and a stop in Chamberlain, S.D., for lunch. The trip was concluded back at the ag shop. They had officially come full circle, what an experience.