by JESSICA ANDERSON
National FFA Week 2022 proved to be a fun and exciting week for FFA members from various chapters to gather together and encourage each other in the largest student-led youth organization in the country. February 19-26, 2022, was designated as National FFA Week. This time each year allows students to share what FFA is and the impact it has on its members every day.
Polk County FFA members were no different. Our middle school students gathered on February 17 at Lake Bonny Park for games and outdoor activities to kick off the week. On February 22, middle and high school students competed in a friendly game of FFA Trivia where Frostproof Senior took home the win. Many schools held their own FFA events from Ag Olympics, teacher breakfasts, elementary ag lessons, and dress-up days at their own schools. The week culminated in hosting FFA contests at Karen Siegel Academy for our ESE students. These students competed in plant identification, potting cuttings, plant judging, and cart loading. Students from Jean O’Dell, Roosevelt, and Doris Sanders were also represented and had a great time competing.
We also hosted the Polk County Soil and Water Board Speech and Poster Contest on February 22. Congratulations go to Dustina Garcia of Haines City High School, who placed first at the county level and will be advancing to the next round. Students had to write a speech on the topic of “Healthy Soil, Healthy Life.” We appreciate our local Soil and Water Board for investing time and resources into our students.
Rounding out the month of February, we held a Nursery and Landscape Contest at Hollis Gardens in Lakeland. City of Lakeland Parks and Recreation employees helped to host this event and provided a quality competition for our students to prepare for the state event, which will be held in the coming weeks. Students competed in plant identification, pest and pathogen identification, and equipment identification. Our top three middle and high school teams are below. Congratulations to all who participated!
High School
1-Auburndale Senior
2-George Jenkins
3-Bartow Senior
Middle School
1-Bartow Middle
2-Westwood Middle
3-Winter Haven Christian