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National FFA Forestry Results (Pictures too)

Started by caveman, November 02, 2014, 12:58:02 PM

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OneWithWood

Time now for a well deserved rest.
Congrats on a job well done. 8)
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

caveman

I wish there was time to rest, our students participate in the state forestry contest next week.  They are working every day during class and after school and all day on Veteran's Day to prepare for the event.  The way it works, is that if a student wins a state contest, they cannot participate in another district or state contest.  They only get one shot at nationals, whether they win or not.  The group going to the state is relatively inexperienced.

Also, Saturday we will haul hogs to Tampa to get their ears tagged for the state fair show.  This week will be crazy-need to weigh all of the hogs at school and several that are raised at students' homes.  After the hog tagging Saturday and a U12 soccer game, JMoore and I have to saw a mystery log for a fellow who called me today during forestry practice.  Rest may occur during Thanks Giving week.
Caveman
Caveman

sandhills

A little late seeing this but CONGRATULATIONS!!! (once again I might add), it's great to hear this!

kiko

The FFA is very meaningful  to my daughter.  She did land judging in high school and her team made to the nationals in Oklahoma.  She represented Auburn University at the 2015 national convention.  She is studying agricultural education at Auburn.  Keep up the good work with the kids!

caveman

Kiko,
Your daughter may know Lauren Lewis Coe.  She now works at Auburn in the agriculture department and is an awesome individual.

  Our FFA chapter has competed at the national land judging contest in Oklahoma the past four years.  Two years ago, our students were fortunate enough to finish 2nd in land and 4th in homesite (one of my daughters was on that team).  I do not know much about land judging but I know how to drive the van, dig the holes and set up the slopes using the transit.  Last year we had several tornado sirens sound throughout the night-a new experience for a Florida boy.  The FFA
Caveman

caveman

The FFA has provided a lot of students a lot of opportunities that they would not have otherwise have had.  Last week, we took our forestry team to the state contest in Perry, Florida.  One of the students lives in a housing project and goes inside his apartment as soon as he gets home.  Taking him into the swamp near my house for practice, walking through O'Leno State Park and participating in the state forestry CDE was a great experience for this young man.  Another one of our students is currently living in the third residence since August has had the opportunity to learn about forestry and accompany the team to all of the practice and event locations has benefitted from the experience.  At the contest last week our kids finished 4th (we won the past two years at the state and national level).  They were disappointed in their performance but I was pleased with the progress they made in such a short time.  A team from Plant City, Durant FFA, will represent Florida next year at the national forestry CDE.


Caveman
Caveman

caveman

2018 National FFA Forestry Contest
The Kathleen FFA team from Lakeland, Florida placed 5th overall in the event that teams from 39 states participated in.  They exceeded my expectations for them.  The team from WV won and they were deserving champions.

The trip took a little over a week.  Last Saturday, October 20, students started arriving at my house around 5:30 a.m.  We left about an hour later.  My teacher friend who now teaches at my old school (Kathleen) arrived a little late due to an alarm that was set to p.m. instead of a.m.  I had not seen one of the students, Jacob, since last spring when he left to go to Gainesville to attend UF.  We were pushing to get to WDH's place to meet with him for a visit and to try to obtain a little bit of his vast knowledge of all things forestry related.  The students were incredibly impressed with Danny.  He spent over two hours of his busy day to show them around his place.  We had a long way to travel and he had to get to Customsawyer's birthday festivities.

A little after dark we arrived at my parents' place off of a forestry service road near Ivy Log, Ga.  The students settled in while I grilled some pork chops and Andrea, one of the KHS FFA advisors, fixed the other components of the meal.  Early the next morning we awoke to 34°F temperatures and a brisk north wind - perfect conditions for a group of young folks from the flatlands of Florida, where daytime highs have been in the mid 90's everyday for months to go for a walk along the ridge.  We took a three or four mile walk looking at white pines and a variety of hardwoods.  They were learning to timber cruise hardwoods for the first time.  After our walk they were given a team activity that turned out to be very similar to what they would get at the contest, fortunately.  I had them estimate a plot that I had staked off, determine the varieties and volume of all of the trees above 12" dbh, determine the size of the plot, estimate the steepest slope on the plot and a few other tasks to let them work through.  Later that afternoon, we walked through a park in Blairesville, Ga., to see some more of the trees on their dendrology list.

Monday morning we met with a forestry biologist from the Chattahoochee National Forest and two silviculturists who work with the Chattahoochee National Forest and Ocoee.  The students asked them questions about best management practices in their forests, endangered species, forest pests (native and invasive), urban forestry, and multiple use forestry.  Monday afternoon the group went to Brasstown Bald.  The weather was great and the Atlanta skyline could vaguely be seen in the distance.
That evening, they each compared their notes on the 10 possible forest interview topic that could be presented to them during the team interview portion of the contest, we partially disassembled a chainsaw (on the dining room table) and went over parts, techniques and safety and then each got ready for an early departure the next morning.

Tuesday morning we left a little after 7 a.m., fueled up the Suburban and I got the first of several cups of coffee.  We had reservations at Mammoth Cave for 3 p.m. (I have been wanting to go inside for many years).  We arrived early and they were able to change our tour to the 1 p.m. group.  The immensity of the cave was incredible.  The steps and handrails detracted from the experience - most of the two miles we walked had them.  There are evidently 410 miles of the cave we did not see during our two hour tour.  After a quick picnic lunch we loaded up and pointed the car north and headed for the hotel which was a half hour north of INDY.

Wednesday morning team pictures were taken, a contest meeting with all of the forestry teams took place.  Immediately following the meeting, the students took the written test and did the forestry team issues component.  Andrea and I met the team around 4 p.m. and headed back to the hotel change, eat and study for Thursdays events.  We spread out several USGS topo maps on the table in my room and reviewed legal land descriptions, elevations, map symbols and everything else we could think of that might be asked on a map test.

Thursday, at 6:10 I took them to the Indiana State Fairgrounds to board a bus with the 38 other teams for the trip to Morgan Monroe State Forest to complete the remaining contest components (which turned out to be forest products and wood i.d., dendrology, compass and pacing, and a team activity.  I caught a but at 1:00 p.m. to take the advisors to the contest for a review and to meet the teams.  We reviewed the challenging contest and made it back to the fairgrounds around 6 p.m.  The weather was phenomenal - sunny and cool all week until Friday.  Supper was eaten and the pressure was off.  I was proud of their efforts.

Friday at noon, the Forestry CDE banquet was held in the downtown Hilton.  The Florida team won the highest team event score and finished 5th overall.  I really appreciate the help from all of the folks who made this trip possible for these young folks.  Three of them graduated high school last year and are now in college and have jobs at Publix Supermarkets which made regular practices a logistical challenge.  The one who is still in high school transferred to the school where I now teach.  I left Kathleen after the 2016-17 school year but continued to work with some of the students with forestry, horticulture and occasionally a hog or two.

We left the hotel at 5:38 a.m. and began the drive back to Lakeland, Florida.  At 8:15 p.m. we pulled into the driveway after a 1000 mile drive.






Caveman

Ron Scott

Sounds like a great educational trip. Well done!
~Ron

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

samandothers

Caveman,
Once again congratulations on helping to lead a team to such a great showing.  You are very devoted to helping the youngsters, good for you.  Also cudos to WDH for his help and time.  What a difference you guys are making by helping these kids.

WDH

What a fantastic finish.  Finishing first in the Team event has to make you doubly proud as that speaks to the strength of the overall team.  You rigorous prep work and study really paid off.  I also really enjoyed meeting the team and being able to spend a little time with them. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

caveman

This was a great trip with some fabulous young folks.  They definitely benefitted from the practice and the exposure to experts on the way up.  
Caveman

Don P

Well how about that, John C just posted over on the countryplans site, the overall winners were from his neck of the woods. His family has been active with FFA for some years. The post is here;
https://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=15067.0

caveman

Scott Garber coached the Pocahontas, WV team.  His team finished 2nd behind ours in 2015.  When my team was practicing, I told them that if they beat WV and Ga. that they would be in good shape.  Scott is a good guy and I really enjoyed watching his reaction when he found out that his team had won.  That is a special feeling for the FFA members and the advisors too.  Most never experience a national championship.  

Thank you for putting that link on this thread.
Caveman

WLC

Congratulations!! Awesome experience for these young people.

Where you stopped in GA is my old stomping grounds.  Brasstown Bald is a short distance from my home town of Helen.  Interesting too that you met Jim.  I didnt know him well as he worked on a different district than I did, but have met him on several occasions.  Small world.
Woodmizer LT28
Branson 4wd tractor
Stihl chainsaws
Elbow grease.

gdaddy01


caveman

I am privileged to be able to take another Florida FFA team to the National FFA Forestry Contest next month.  This year it is different than any that I've previously been associated with.  There is a virtual component that will take place next Monday.  Some of the practicums are fair game for that online portion.  This is a huge step backwards in my opinion, but we'll play the game.  The general knowledge, USGS topo map interpretation, chainsaw safety, parts and maintenance, forest management, and wood products and wood ID are all potential online practicums.  I suspect they will have a general knowledge test and one of the others, but we have to prepare for all of them.  

After taking apart a Husquvarna 545, going through the procedures to start, run and shut of the saw, safety, and basic trouble shooting, I took a picture of the team holding some of our saws.


 
Caveman

samandothers


aigheadish

Man, that 2nd from the left is a beast of a saw!
New Holland LB75b, Husqvarna 455 Rancher, Husqvarna GTH52XLS, Hammerhead 250, Honda VTX1300 for now and probably for sale (let me know if you are interested!)

Andries

Let use know how they do at the Nationals, Caveman.
Being surrrounded by that much youth and enthusiasm would be inspirational.
Good luck!
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

caveman

Thanks for the encouragement.  We have our challenges with the weather, scheduling of the online portion and the fact that two of them are now out of school and I seldom see them.  The big saw is a 3120 Husqvarna.  It came into the country with Danish markings so it could not be sold retail.  We bought it to use to slab big stuff.  It still has not tasted gas.  I would not want to swing it all day.
The saws pictured are all Husqvarna.  From the left, a 572xp, 3120 xp, 359 and a 545.  We bought the 572's to replace the 365 that I killed by dropping a log on it while answering a phone call.  So far, the 572 has been a good saw but the 365 is still my favorite (I bought it for $100 off of a Maine transplant off of CL).  I did like the 572 enough to buy another two days after the first.
Caveman

thecfarm

Yes, that saw is a biggum!!!
It's good you are helping the young ones.
WDH is proud of you.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

caveman

The team completed the contest today at Morgan-Monroe State Forest in Indiana.  We'll find out tomorrow how they did.  We had a great trip practicing and being tourists on the way up.  We left my house a little after six on Sunday morning, picked up a former student at ABAC in Ga., then drove up to Blairsville, Ga.  There, we started walking trails doing tree i.d., working on TSI scenarios, compass and pacing, measuring trees and enjoying the cool weather and beautiful mountain views.

Monday, we visited the Chattahoochee National Forest ranger station and then a nearby park which had several trees that they needed to see in real life.  Later, we went to Brass Town Bald, working in my practice there and a picnic lunch before heading back to Gobbler Knob on Rocky Top to work on team activity scenarios and compass/pacing.

Tuesday morning we quickly winterized my folks' cabin and were on the road by 6:15.  We stopped in Mammoth Cave National Park and toured Diamond Caverns before heading towards Indy.  Just as we were coming by the Louisville Convention Center on I-65, the low tire air pressure indicator on the dash of the county's Expedition came on.  I pushed the OK button on the steering wheel and declared it fixed (sarcastically).  About 10 seconds later, the left front tire blew out while we were traveling in the center lane.  It took a quarter mile to make our way to the shoulder to unload all of the luggage, get the girls out of the car and determine that the jack engineering proficiency has diminished  since my truck was built.  We got the tire changed and the students logged on to catch the on-line orientation meeting while I stopped at the corner of Crack and Murder to air up the newly installed spare.

This morning the team boarded a bus at the Indiana State Fair Grounds to go to Morgan-Monroe State Park.  It was a challenging event and they all missed some tree i.d. that they should not have.  Results will be announced tomorrow night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The last picture is after the contest and after we walked through the dendro portion together.  They were exhausted, a little frustrated and relieved to be finished. 
Caveman

customsawyer

You did well my friend. Ole Danny is just a grinning that grin of his. The memories you have made over the years for those young minds is amazing. You should be proud.
Two LT70s, Nyle L200 kiln, 4 head Pinheiro planer, 30" double surface Cantek planer, Lucas dedicated slabber, Slabmizer, and enough rolling stock and chainsaws to keep it all running.
www.thecustomsawyer.com

Ron Scott

Well done! Great experience and natural resource education for these young people.
~Ron

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