By: Kaia Franzen, Reporter

October 1, 2021

On Thursday, September 16th, twenty-eight members of the Decorah FFA attended the Tri-State Dairy and Ag Expo at NICC in Calmar. This event attracted over 450 FFA members from 32 chapters across Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Chapter members attended workshops, competed in contests, and enhanced career skills while attending the expo. Members of the Decorah FFA competed in the following contests: dairy cattle evaluation with oral reasons, dairy cattle evaluation with no-reasons, and dairy products evaluation.

The dairy cattle evaluation with reasons contest involved eight individuals from our chapter. Decorah FFA members who competed in these contests include ​​Brody Courtney, Brittney Ehrie, Annica Hansen, Dalton Hemesath, Melia Kruse, Anders Lovstuen, Morgan Moen, and Addison Wemark. The team consisting of Courtney, Lovstuen, Moen, and Wemark received fourth place.  Decorah FFA’s top individual was Dalton Hemesath who placed sixth in the Tri-State dairy cattle evaluation contest. Both teams also competed in the district dairy cattle evaluation contest. The team of Courtney, Lovstuen, Moen, and Wemark received eighth place. Anders Lovstuen placed fourth in the individual contest.

Eight members competed in the Tri-State Milk Quality and Dairy Products Evaluation contest. Members were asked to evaluate milk quality, identify different types of cheese, and determine real vs imitation dairy products. These members include Kyleigh Batterson, Karter Einck, Grace Gerleman, Brendan Hunter, Maggie Lovstuen, Rachel

Mikkelson, Chezny Ryant, and Sage Wedmann. The team consisting of Batterson, Lovstuen, Mikkelson, and Ryant received third place. The Decorah FFA also placed seventh with team members consisting of Einck, Gerleman, Hunter, and Wedmann. Individually, two Decorah FFA members placed in the top ten: Rachel Mikkelson finished fourth and Chezny Ryant finished eighth.

The Decorah FFA also had twelve members participate in the dairy cattle evaluation contest with no-reasons. These members include Brooke Anfinson, Bridget Bentley, Kiele Eberling, Bryss Ehrie, Kaid Headington, Justin Nierling, Hunter Quandahl, Elora Schnitzler, Kayleigh Smith, Kolton Werges, Olivia Wyatt, and Dalton Zidlicky.

The Decorah FFA had twenty-eight members participate in Tri-State Dairy and Ag Expo at NICC in Calmar.

Front Row (l-r): Bridget Bentley, Elora Schnitzler, Olivia Wyatt, Brendan Hunter, Dalton Hemesath, Brody Courtney, Addison Wemark, Anders Lovstuen, Brooke Anfinson, Maggie Lovstuen, and Rachel Mikkelson

Back row (l-r): Melia Kruse, Morgan Moen, Brittany Ehrie, Annica Hansen, Karter Einck, Grace Gerleman, Sage Wedmann, Chezny Ryant, Justin Nierling, Dalton Zidlicky, Bryss Ehrie, Kaid Headington, Hunter Quandahl, Kolton Werges, Kiele Eberling, Kayleigh Smith, and Kyleigh Batterson