At the FFA Show, March 23, there were many stations displaying various aspects of the agricultural, floral, machinery, welding and woodworking classes available that are available at Pitman. There were various types of animals, including sheep, rabbits, bulls, guide dogs, and cows.
Agricultural Science has many different opportunities; one aspect of this was shown as the straining of a strawberry’s DNA. In this process, we were given a Ziploc bag that contained one semi-frozen strawberry and a sugar water solution. The instructions were to crush up the strawberry until no chunks remained. Then, we poured the bubbly finish into a paper towel hung over a plastic cup in which ¼ of it was filled with water. The result was that the fluids all drained into the cup turning the water pink while the bubbles remained on the surface of the paper towel. To extract the DNA, our tour guide stirred the mixture with a bendy straw. She then searched for the snot-like Deoxyribonucleic acid to attach to the end of the straw. When she pulled it out, it was goopy and runny but still stuck to the end of the straw, and still in one piece. By the time the siren alarmed for us to switch stations, everyone was well informed on how to locate a strawberry’s DNA!
Floral design can be an easy I ‘A’ as long as you put in the time and effort. You can even become part of the floral design team, which allows you to compete in competitions all over the Central Valley. If you are interested in flowers and the different arrangements that can be made, then this class is for you. Along with all the various floral arrangements, floral design also makes corsages and boutonnières for prom and formal. If you are interested in competing and making floral designs, then this is a class you should look in to.
In small engines we were provided with an opportunity to see some of the engines power equipment that is used throughout the world of farming. When students of Pitman work with these small engines, they learn how they run and also how to diagnose any problems that may occur in the machine. The small engine set up in the tour consisted of some of the parts that run a lawn mower. Some of the Ag members maintain the varsity and the JV baseball fields by using the lawn mowers they sustain by understanding and repairing any problems in the small engines that work together to power the lawn mower. This valuable knowledge will lead them to careers in mechanics.
Next we arrived at the welding station—a table with two sheets of metal and a welding machine. We were told that the torch uses electricity to melt the metals and combine them. Students then demonstrated a welding technique. They instructed us to use welding masks in order to shield our eyes from the intense UV rays that the torch emits. A few bright shines later… and we were done.
In woodworking we learned that screwing fast is good. Another thing is that the wood needs to be sanded. When dealing with wood, you must be very careful so that you don’t get a splinter. Therefore, you must wear gloves. Then, you have to wear a full body suit so that you don’t hurt yourself. When you are working with wood, there are many dangers when splitting the wood into pieces. One must carefully deal with the wood so that they don’t ruin it or hurt themselves. Woodworking is a sort of art because you make things that are artistic out of wood. Woodworking is very fun and you should try to get into the class next year!
At the FFA exhibits, there were many animals and exhibits featuring animals. The sheep demonstrator was Jonathan Rodriguez; he showed us how to shear a sheep without hurting it because it is very easy for the sheep to get cut. The sheep had to keep getting shaved because it was being sold for how much meat it has, so the buyer has to be able to see the actual size of the sheep without its fur. However nothing goes to waist, everything can be sold including the fur and meat.
The students at the rabbit station explained that they present the rabbits at different farming events and fairs, specifically the Stanislaus County Fair, held every summer. They also explained how you check the rabbits. First, you set the rabbit on its back. Then, you check their eyes, teeth, paws, and nose. You also look at the tag on its ear with the rabbit’s number on it. After that, you check to see whether it’s a boy or a girl. Finally, you straighten out its legs, and you’re done! Everyone at that station was very dedicated to what they do, and we learned more about rabbits than we will ever need to know.
One of the many exhibits was a pen that was home to four small bulls. The bulls were only ten days old, so naturally they were very small. They were mostly lying around resting, but one of the bulls was hungry, so a student got to feed him a bottle. FFA was raising them so that they could be eventually sold for beef.
Becoming the owner of a guide dog is a very social-enhancing experience. As a trainer, one must turn an immature 10 month old puppy, into a well-rounded dog. The skills needed in order to transform the puppy into a guide dog are good manners, obedience, friendliness towards all other animals, and the ability to stay composed even in a chaotic environment. The only requirement to become an owner is you have to be nine years of age. Once being tested and having had “graduated”, the dog is handed over to professionals. However, if it, for some reason is not capable of passing, the dog can be kept as a pet. Owning and training a guide dog, overall is a rewarding experience.
There were many eye-catching stations, but among the most interesting, were the cows and heifers’. There were “AG” people washing their animals with special safe soap, and they were grooming them with combing and blow-drying. Probably the most “sentimental” thing was seeing the calf drink the mom’s milk while she was getting groomed. Overall everything received two thumbs up!
Throughout FFA day at Pitman; a huge, helpful part was the tour guides. About every 15 people had a different leader which helped us determined what station we went to next. Unfortunately a lot of people got mixed up, lost, or just went off and did whatever they wanted. This made it confusing to know exactly what station you were at. At some stations the organizer in charge made a great effort at trying to interest students on what exactly they were doing. Others had nothing to really say and just said what the station is and if anyone had any questions. Overall, the tour guides did well at rotating and teaching us about the different activities available at FFA.