By: Sydney Bartels
I believe in the future of agriculture… The FFA Creed was written by E.M. Tiffany in 1929 and was adopted by the National FFA Organization in 1930. FFA members take this creed to heart because it expresses the organization’s values and beliefs regarding agriculture, FFA membership, citizenship, and patriotism. On February 2, five Silver Lake FFA members went to Aurora for Leadership Development Events, or LDE’s. These are contests that help students develop skills needed later in life for a career. Of these five students were Samantha Bonifas, Sydney Bartels, Ashley Bonifas, Savanna Junek, and Maddie Karr. Sydney, Ashley, Savanna, and Maddie competed on the Agricultural Demonstration team. Their demonstration was about how to make and preserve salsa, and they received a blue ribbon. Ashley and Savanna also competed in Creed Speaking. This is reciting the FFA Creed from memory and answering some questions regarding themselves and the agricultural world. Ashley received a blue ribbon, and Savanna received a purple ribbon and came in as the second runner up. Samantha Bonifas competed in Agricultural Extemporaneous and placed third overall. This is a multiple step process. First, participants draw a random topic related to the agricultural industry. Next, participants will recieve 10 minutes to research their topic using an electronic device. After the research is conducted, students are allowed 30 minutes to write and rehearse their speech about their topic. Speeches are limited to 6 minutes and no less than 4 minutes. Finally, participants present their speech to judges. Congratulations to all participants on your hard work and dedication to your projects!