Five North Gem students from the school's FFA range science team recently had the opportunity to travel to Elko, Nevada, to participate in the National Range Career Development Event.
With much success, the team brought back eighth place honors.
The FFA program's goal is to develop leadership, personal growth and career success among students.
FFA programs are heavily participated in across all 50 states. In a state so rich in agriculture, local students get involved to learn leadership and skills that will be useful in their future careers.
This particular event attended by North Gem students was all about teaching practical applications in the field of range science, which is the study of rangeland and how to manage and sustain land.
During the recent National Range Career Development Event, FFA students learned how to identify 65 different plants and whether grazers and/or browsers prefer them. The students were also required to know other facts about these plants such as whether they were perennials or annuals.
Heather Hendran, the North Gem FFA adviser, was proud of her students for participating and presenting so professionally at the event.
"They learned a great deal at this conference," she said. "They learned to calculate AUMs needed and the amount of forage available to determine how many cows can graze an area and for how long. Another aspect of the contest is calculating shrub cover which is an important area to learn for range managers as well. FFA offers many different career development events in several areas of agriculture to help students identify their strengths and interests."
Indy Hatch, a sophomore in the North Gem FFA program, said, "I just love FFA. Our North Gem chapter has a lot to offer and it was fun getting to attend nationals in range science this year. It was the coolest experience even though it was held in the nothingness of Elko, Nevada. It was fun to meet the greatest people ever. FFA really helps you branch out and meet so many amazing people."