GRAVETTE -- Members of the Gravette FFA Chapter have participated in several activities since the 2022-2023 school year began. Some members participated in the Arkansas State FFA dairy judging contest in August and placed seventh as a team. Several members showed animals at the Benton County Fair and some went on to show at the Arkansas State Fair in Little Rock.
In September, they brought several animals to the high school campus and held a petting zoo before Gravette's first home football game, giving them the opportunity to tell many people about caring for livestock and their projects with animals. FFA members attended the September meeting of the Gravette school board and led the pledge of allegiance to open the meeting. Those students gave a presentation to the board about their projects, and the board voted unanimously to approve their attending the national FFA convention.
FFA members entered a float in the homecoming parade in October and sold Blue and Gold bacon, sausage and chicken tenders as a fundraiser. Also in October, they attended the national FFA convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, along with their sponsor, Justin Malott. In addition to their FFA activities, they got to see some of the sights around the city and reported they had "a wonderful trip full of lifetime memories."
Projects members have worked on this fall include refurbishing a smoker, building a trailer, custom raised garden beds, and designing and constructing a custom chicken coop. On Saturday, Nov. 4, they partnered with the Gravette Chamber of Commerce to install a ramp at Old Town Park to improve accessibility there.
In December, FFA again set up a petting zoo, this time at Gravette's "Hometown Christmas on Main" celebration. A couple of days later, FFA members held their first FFA chili cooking contest with several entrants. The evening also included a gingerbread house contest. FFA president Ashlyn Fox was honored as Benton County Ag Student of the Month by the Arkansas Farm Bureau.
Officers of the Gravette FFA chapter are Ashlyn Fox, president; Clayton Nall, vice-president; Autumn Fisher, secretary; Jacob Curtis, treasurer; Hailey Harris, sentinel; Lansten Edgar, reporter; Jake Mayo, parliamentarian; Kassi Bird, historian; Dakota Crawford, chaplain; and Perri Miller, junior advisor.
Levi Brandon, of Gravette FFA, shows his Kidded by Exhibitor, Grand Breeding Goat at the Benton County Fair last fall.
Westside Eagle Observer/SUSAN HOLLAND Members of the Gravette Future Farmers of America chapter and their sponsor, agri teacher Justin Malott (right), pose for the camera after making a presentation at the September 19 meeting of the Gravette school board. Board members approved the students' request to attend the national FFA convention in Louisville, Ky. Pictured are Autumn Fisher, Kassi Bird, Ashlyn Fox, Clayton Nall, Jake Mayor and Malott.