Serving the High Plains

San Jon FFA takes top prize

Logan and Tucumcari chapters place in top-10 at national competition.

Area high school judging teams qualified for national competition and earned top-10 awards during the Future Farmers of America state competition on April 3-6 in Las Cruces.

Members of the San Jon, Logan and Tucumcari FFA chapters competed in event held at the New Mexico State University campus in Las Cruces.

The San Jon FFA chapter's Forestry team won first place and qualified for National competition in Oct. at Indianapolis, Indiana. The team members were Brevin Stoner (second high point), Tobe Slater (5th high point), Andrew Erwin and Robyn Evins.

"I am very proud of how our teams did at state," said Anna McCauley, San Jon FFA teacher.

McCauley said many of our students were entered in contests they had never competed in prior.

"The students' performance at state is a testament to the dedication they have shown all year," McCauley said.

The Tucumcari FFA Land team consisting of Kaleb Hayes, Jonathan Clark, Tianna Peterson, and Dyson Clark placed third and will be traveling to the National Land Judging Event in May at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

San Jon had two poultry teams, place eight and ninth at the competition. Member were Bailey Montoya, Dustin Bryant, Gracie Whitson, Kelsey Morrow, Allison Fryman, Aleena Quintana and Jonathon Quintana.

Fryman also placed second in the 2018 Beef Ambassador Contest.

Logan FFA had 10 teams compete at this years competition with eight placing in the top ten of the state, said Clay Lightfoot, Logan FFA teacher.

Lightfoot said two of the highest finishes for the program were the meats judging team placing fourth, horticulture produce team placing fifth and land team member, Robert Stringfellow, placing as third high point.

Teams that placed in top ten: 6. Pasture and Range, 6. Poultry, 6. Homesite, 8. Agronomy, 7. Land and 7. Livestock.

Tucumcari had its Agricultural Mechanics, Kaleb Hayes, Jonathan Clark and Eli Oliver place 11th; its Homesite team, Tiana Peterson, Brittany Benton, Dyson Clark and Joseph R. Martinez place 12th; and its Forestry team consisting of Joe Garcia, Eli Oliver and Dwight Brown placed 13th.