The FFA showed their appreciation to area farmers and businesses by inviting them to a pancake breakfast this morning. The smell of pancakes and sausage led guests to the correct location!  We would like to thank the businesses who sponsored this event: Eastside Feed & Supply, Farmers Supply Sales, Inc., Hills Bank & Trust, and Wellman Farm Center.

Spring is here and so is the opportunity for students to drive their tractors to school! It’s fun to see the tractors lined up in their honorary spot in the front row and then at noon they drive “around the section”. It’s our own little parade. There was even candy thrown out! FFA sponsors this event every year.

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2011-12 FFA: Back: Jesse Shetler, Spencer Schrock, Justin Boller, Levi Schrock, Randy Ropp, Jordan Miller, Joel Shetler, Artemiy Sayfutdinov, Nikhil Thacker. Middle: Brent Brenneman, McKayla Brush, Rex Yoder, Whitney Gibbs, Breana Stout, Riley Schmieder, Jacayla Litwiller, Kaycee Miller, Cris Lopez. Front: Sponsor Karen Van De Walle, Lane Schrock, Reggie Hostetler, Cody Miller, Quinlan Schrock, Cameron Gingerich, Elaine Ropp, Laura Yoder.

Thanks to a grant awarded from the Iowa Food and Family Project (Iowa FFP), the IMS FFA will be hosting a job fair on Thursday, March 15^th.  The job fair will showcase local businesses in various sectors of agri-business to our students.

Students will have the opportunity to meet local business representatives in the morning.  They will learn what each company does, the skills needed, skills they can acquire, and what job opportunities are available.  Following lunch, students can practice their interviewing skills by being interviewed by the job fair participants.

Karen Van De Walle, Iowa Mennonite Agriculture Instructor and FFA Advisor, is looking forward to the day as a cooperative learning event.  She feels the time the businesses put into volunteering on Thursday could have years of local impact.  The event will give students an opportunity to learn about the diversity of job opportunities in our local agricultural economy and could have an impact on their career choices in the future.

Businesses participating include:  Federation Bank, Gingerich Well & Pump Service, Hills Bank & Trust, Kalona Auto, Progressive Grower Solutions, Schnoebelen, Inc., BT Farms, Syngenta, and Wellman Farm Center.  The job fair will be held from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

Back: Advisor Karen Van De Walle, Riley Schmieder, Levi Schrock, Randy Ropp, Joel Shetler, Artemiy Sayfutdinov, Lane Schrock; Front: McKayla Brush, Breanna Stout, Rex Yoder, Quinlan Schrock, Jamilya Masylbekova

Saturday found FFAers picking up ears of corn on the Palmer Farm near Keota. The rock trap on the combine had opened while it was running and the corn dropped to the ground in six full and two partial rows. The Palmer’s generously offered our FFA the opportunity to pick up the corn and sell it. The Palmers are even paying to get the corn shelled. The kids worked hard on the beautiful Saturday morning and found that it was a really fun fundraiser!

Artemiy Sayfutdinov

Nancy Van De Walle