NYSSA—For the 13th consecutive year, the Nyssa FFA chapter took the top prize in state farm business management competition at the Oregon FFA Convention.
The annual gathering was held March 16-19 at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center in Redmond.
Chad Cruickshank, agriculture science instructor and Nyssa FFA adviser, said the winning team would go on to represent Oregon at the National FFA Convention and Expo in November in Indiana.
Long a standout in the category, the team bested two dozen teams from across Oregon in the state championship, according to Cruickshank.
Cruicshank did not respond to requests for the team members’ names before press time.
Cruickshank, who participated in FFA at Ontario High School when he was in school, said the farm management class teaches students business skills and to apply economic principles to agriculture.
Cruickshank said farm business management is on par with a high-level economics course. Students c must demonstrate their ability to analyze agricultural business management information, apply economic principles and concepts of business management, evaluate business management decisions and work together as a team to complete a goal.
The students had near-perfect scores, with none dipping below 95%.
Cruickshank said his job as a teacher and adviser is made easy with such a group of high-achieving students. In addition, Cruickshank said that the Nyssa chapter had built a long tradition of earning top nods at state competitions.
Elayna Draper, a Nyssa senior, brought home a second-place ribbon for the state job interview. According to the Nyssa chapter’s Facebook post, competitors in this category walk away with a strong skill set as they head into a career in the agriculture industry.
The students submit cover letters and a resume, complete an application, and then participate in a networking activity, simulating a real-world job hunt, according to the Nyssa Facebook post.
According to Oregon FFA state results, the Ontario FFA chapter finished third in the state competition in farm business management.
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