Zane Trace FFA Awarded Among State Top 10

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

The Zane Trace FFA Chapter was recently given a Gold Rating and named one of the top 10 chapters in the state of Ohio through the National Chapter Award Program. The National Chapter Award program recognizes FFA members and their chapters for the activities they plan. and conduct throughout the year.

Chapters submit an application outlining fifteen different activities they conduct that emphasize the areas of growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture.

The senior members of the chapter worked throughout the months of February and March to complete the application, which included detailed descriptions of activities such as the elementary Maple syrup lessons, the Sausage Breakfast, ZT courtyard construction, canning for a cause project, RCHS dog adoption day, Pioneer Pantry and more.

The honor of receiving a Gold Rating is reserved for the top 10% of all chapters in Ohio.

Zane Trace has earned a Gold Rating every year since 2015. In addition to this recognition the chapter was selected to compete for the top chapter in the state in the area of Strengthening Agriculture thanks to the Sausage Breakfast and Maple syrup production programs offered to members.

Seniors Briana Fetters and Taylor Brown presented the chapter’s plan, implementation and impact for these activities to a panel of judges via zoom meeting on Thursday, April 1st . The chapter will learn the results of the selection committee during the Ohio FFA Convention on Friday, April 30th .

The Zane Trace FFA would like to thank the entire Zane Trace community for their support of. the program throughout the years. Receiving a Gold Rating would not be possible without strong backing from supporters of our chapter. The Zane Trace FFA is a satellite of Pickaway Ross CTC.

(Picture: Senior Zane Trace FFA members Briana Fetters and Taylor Brown present their chapter’s program of activities to judges as part of their interview for the top chapter in Strengthening Agriculture competition in the National Chapter Award contest.)

Zane Trace FFA Senior Selected to Perform During Upcoming Ohio FFA Convention Laine Abbott has always loved to play his guitar. Last year he started bringing his instrument to school to play for friends as they enjoyed lunch in the Ag classroom at Zane Trace. Some of them suggested that Laine should submit an audition video for the 2020 Ohio FFA Convention.

They thought he might just have a chance to be selected as one of the talent acts to take the stage during the annual gathering of over 7,000 FFA members at the Ohio Expo Center. Unfortunately, like many other events in the spring of 2020, the Ohio FFA Convention was cancelled and along with it Laine’s opportunity to audition.

Fast forward to February 2021, when Laine learns that the Ohio FFA will be including a limited number of talent acts, four total, for their upcoming hybrid State Convention. Laine quietly prepared his audition video hoping for a second opportunity to showcase his gifts. Dozens members from around the state submitted videos and only four would be chosen. Would Laine be among them?

The answer came in the form of a text message from his FFA advisor showing that not only had he been selected as one of the four talent acts for the Convention, but that he was slated to perform during the final session, when the largest audience would be tuning in. “I was at work when I got the text and I was so excited I actually jumped when I read it” said Abbott. “I’m really honored to have this opportunity.”

Anyone interested in watching Laine perform during the 1:00 pm Convention session on Friday, April 30th can tune in live on ohioffa.org and on Ohio FFA’s social media outlets under the username @ohioffa.