WE'RE HERE IN THE LIVESTOCK PAVILLION FOR THE FFA PARADE OF
CHAMPIONS.
EACH PARTICIPANT IN TODAY'S PARADE HAS SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS
OF WORK ON THEIR PROJECTS AND, AFTER SELECTION BY JUDGES, THEY
GET THE HONOR OF WALKING AND RIDING IN TODAY'S PARADE IN
FRONT OF ALL THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
THERE ARE 12,000 FFA MEMBERS IN IOWA AND 2,000 OF THEM MADE IT
TO THE IOWA STATE FAIR WITH MORE THAN 8,300 PROJECTS.
IN THE AG MECHANICS DIVISION, THERE WERE 152 ENTRIES SHOWN BY
133 MEMBERS FROM 53 CHAPTERS ACROSS THE STATE.
THERE WERE NEARLY 1,500 ENTRIES IN THE PHOTOGRAPHY DIVISION TAKEN
BY THE 416 EXHIBITORS, REPRESENTING 73 FFA CHAPTERS.
NEXT UP IS THE FARM CROPS THE DIVISION WITH 50 STUDENTS WHO
PUT TOGETHER 288 EXHIBITS.
IN THE
FLORICULTURE DIVISION, THERE WERE 650 FLOWER DISPLAYS
CREATED BY 62 EXHIBITORS.
AND IN THE HORTICULTURE DIVISION, THERE WERE 691
EXHIBITS COMPLETED BY 67 MEMBERS.
IN THE RABBIT DIVISION, 176 ANIMALS WERE EXHIBITED BY 26
MEMBERS.
THE POULTRY DIVISION HAD 98 EXHIBITORS FROM 30 DIFFERENT
CHAPTERS ACROSS THE STATE WITH AN ASTOUNDING 464 EXHIBITS.
FFA STUDENTS ALSO ARE IN CHARGE OF THE AVENUE OF BREEDS, LOCATED
IN THE SWINE BARN.
THIS YEAR THERE WERE 60 BREEDS AND 80 DIFFERENT ANIMALS.
IN THE SWINE DIVISION, THERE WERE NEARLY 800 HOGS THAT WENT
TO THE RING FOR JUDGING.
WE TOOK A MOMENT TO GET SOME PERSPECTIVE FROM THE IOWA FFA
PRESIDENT STEVEN BROCKSHUS.
SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCE.
WALKING THROUGH HERE ALL OF THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, YOU'VE GOT
GRANDMAS AND GRANDPAS AND EVERYONE IN HERE SEEING ALL THE
THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THIS HARD-WORKING GROUP OF STUDENTS.
IT'S QUITE AN AMAZING FEELING, I'M SURE, GOING THROUGH.
NOT EVERYONE GETS THIS OPPORTUNITY.
IN THE SHEEP DIVISION, OVER 500 HEAD WERE BROUGHT IN FOR
COMPETITION.
IN THE BEEF DIVISION, MORE THAN 250 HEAD MADE IT TO THE IOWA
STATE FAIR FOR COMPETITION.
NINETY-SIX DAIRY CATTLE WERE LED TO THE SHOW RING BY 35 FFA
EXHIBITORS.
AND THERE WERE 710 HORSES EXHIBITED BY 129 MEMBERS IN
THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION.