Fannin FFA Livestock Show Team Competes in State Event

The Fannin FFA Livestock Show Team recently competed in the State FFA Livestock Show. The event was held at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia February 20-23, 2019.

The Livestock Show Event allows agricultural education students the opportunity to exhibit their livestock in the areas of market beef, sheep, goats, and swine. Team members include Jacob Abercrombie, Brooke Crowder, Patrick Connor, Cody Dills, Blake Dockery, Noah Hess, Kayla Hipp, Layne Epperson, Ethan Long, Jordan Long, Samantha Patterson, Trinity Yohn, and Will Watkins.

In the area of market goats, Ethan Long exhibited his breeding doe in showmanship and the weight class. He placed 8th in his weight class.

In the area of market lambs, Cody Dills placed 9th in 12th-grade showmanship and weight class, Kayla Hipp placed 9th in 11th-grade showmanship and 10th in her weight class. Jordan Long placed 11th in 10th-grade showmanship and weight class.

In the state livestock show, there were 2,167 market hogs. This was the first time that students from Fannin County exhibited market hogs. A special thank you to the Fannin Board of Education for allowing us to house hogs in our new state of the art agriculture facility. Without proper climate controls, it would be very difficult to grow out and show hogs in our cold winter temperatures. The following students were first-time hog show exhibitors Jacob Abercrombie, Brooke Crowder, Patrick Connor, Noah Hess, Layne Epperson, Samantha Patterson, Trinity Yohn, and Will Watkins.

While students had 25 -30 exhibitors per heat per grade level in each class, all students gave a valiant effort showing their hogs in showmanship and weight classes.

FFA is a national organization of over 600,000 members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture. FFA is an integral part of the agricultural education program in public schools. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

Ethan Long and his goat

Kayla Hipp, Jordan Long, and Cody Dill

Jacob Abercrombie and his hog

Jordan Long and his sheep

Kayla Hipp with mother Londa Hipp and sheep

Samantha Patterson and her hog

Back row: Picture is of high school and middle school students  Left to right Ethan Connor, Jordan Long, Cody Dills, Patrick Connor, Blake Dockery, Ethan Long, Jacob Abercrombie, and Noah Hess
Front row left to right:  Blake Nicholson, Chelsea Frye, Zoe Putnam, Trinity Yohn, Samantha Patterson, Layne Epperson, and Brooke Crowder