ANSONIA – Numerous awards were bestowed upon various members of the Ansonia FFA when an estimated crowd of 300 people recently gathered at the school for its 88th annual banquet.
“Come Home to Ansonia FFA” was the theme.
Opening ceremonies were performed prior to the meal, with the 2024-25 officers in charge of the opening ceremony. President Avalyn Locke gave the welcome and Kiera Spencer, the blessing.
After the meal, guests were introduced, and guest speaker Ty Higgins of the Ohio Farm Bureau spoke to the group.
From Licking County, he said Ohio Farm Bureau’s focus for this year is an action plan for 2025.
“There are lots of things happening in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “What we do for Farm Bureau works. We talked about the Farm Bill. We’d love to get one in place soon. There is a lot of farmland involved. Eighty percent of the Farm Bureau is for nutrition and 20 percent for income from trade deals. We brought in new partners to give us guidelines.”
Featured throughout the program was the annual Silent Auction. This was followed by the presentation of various awards.
The recipient of the $2,000 Ben Overholser Scholarship was Sophia Aultman, accepting it from Overholser’s widow, Gail and son Josh. According to the Overholsers, Ben worked for Sisco and so far, $94,000 in scholarships have been given out to deserving students. He was 58 years of age at the time of his death in 2021.
Additional awards included: Star Greenhand, eighth-grader Wyatt Homan and sophomore Sloane Gariety; and State Chapter Farmer, sophomore Kensey Homan.
In the Greehand and Chapter Degree ceremonies, others honored were:
*Greenhand: Owen McGuire, Ava Thatcher, Cadence Burke, Annabelle Billenstein, Addison Gelhaus, Lynne Lerock, Jacob Macnutt, Carson Winner, Jake Pierre, Graham Coppess, Tanner Moody, Brooke Harter, Savannah Hall, Kaylee Schlechty, Lillian Perry Kaden Brookhart, Reese Everman ad Alexis Moody.
*Chapter: Alexa Kreiner, Elly Locke, Kaitlyn Barga, London Reichert, William Aultman, Emma Brown Benjamin Barnt, Mathieu Baldridge, Aidan Barber and Troy Stuck.
Proficiency Award winners were Poultry Production Placement, Kensey Homan; Emma Brown, Ag Mechanics Repair and Fabrication; Diversified Ag Production, Jayda Mangen; Diversified Crop Production, Grace Graf; Ag Mechanics Repair and Maintenance, Avalyn Locke; Beef Production Placement, Austin Singer; Special Crop Entrepreneurship, Sophia Aultman; Specialty Crop Placement, Troy Stuck; Poultry Production Entrepreneurship, Avalyn Locke; Equine Science, Kiera Spencer; Fruit Production, Avalyn Locke; Best Production Entrepreneurship, Grace Graf; Vegetable Production Entrepreneurship, Emma Brown; and Agricultural Services, Alexa Kreiner.
FFA Advisors Jennie Bohman and Emily Williams presented some of the awards.
The new officers for 2025-26 were announced. Installed were: President Troy Stuck; Vice President Kensey Homan; Secretary Austin Singer; Treasurer Keira Spencer; Reporter Wyatt Homan and Sentinel William Aultman.
Retiring officers are: Avalyn Locke, president; Sophia Aultman, vice president; Kiera Spencer, secretary; Austin Singer, treasurer; Jayda Mangen, reporter; Kensey Homan, sentinel; Troy Stuck, student advisor; Kaitlyn Barga, historian; Grace Graf; parliamentarian; Kaitlyn Tollefson, chaplain; and assistant student advisor, Benjamin Barnt.
