MT. VICTORY, Ohio – Ridgemont High School FFA officers will have the opportunity during the upcoming National FFA Convention to make their case for their chapter to be named National Premier Chapter in the category of strengthening agriculture.

The chapter’s members organized a Commodity Christmas last year, which allowed them to teach elementary school students about commodities grown or sourced in Ohio and across the country. At the same time, those younger students made gifts using those commodities. For example, students studied soybeans and then made soybean candles and lip balm.

McKala Grauel, the chapter’s president, and Weston McKinley, vice president, will share information about the project with judges and answer questions during the final competition at the convention. The chapter was named a top 10 finalist nationwide in the category, and then a top three, after preliminary judging.

The convention is Oct. 26-29 in Indianapolis.

Regardless of how the chapter does at the convention, the chapter’s co-advisor said the goal of the project has been reached.

“We’ve already achieved our outcome, which was to teach kids about agriculture,” Stephanie Jolliff said. She and Lori Romie are the chapter’s co-advisors. “We set it up like a Santa’s workshop, with the elementary kids working as the elves,” Jolliff explained. “We wanted to inform them about agriculture and excite them about Christmas. We also used it as a recruitment tool so they could see agriculture and FFA in a positive light.”

The National Chapter Award Program recognizes FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization, according to FFA. Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership.

The chapter taught 42 different lessons on 22 commodities to 315 elementary students in grades kindergarten through 6th. The younger students took home 550 gifts to their families.

The types of gifts made included reindeer food (oats, chocolate chips and marshmallows), snowmen constructed from wood, and peppermint bark, Jolliff said.

Chapter members also taught about coffee, which isn’t grown in Ohio but is roasted in the state, she noted. Cocoa isn’t grown in Ohio either, but having a Nestle plant in the state was a good opportunity to teach where chocolate comes from, Jolliff added. “We wanted to teach them a global view – that the United States imports as well as exports products,” she said.

The Ridgemont school building in Hardin County houses grades kindergarten through 12th. “One of the cool pieces is the high school kids will be walking in the hall and get a high five or a fist bump from the elementary students,” Jolliff stated. “This project has created a connection with all of them.”

The Commodity Christmas project was 100 percent chapter led, Grauel said. The elementary students stopped at each learning station for about eight minutes. The chapter created poster boards with information about each commodity.

“This was an opportunity for us to give back to the community after COVID,” she noted. “We wanted to have that connection, and create bonds with, the elementary students. Everyone is very supportive of us. Everybody is close, and everyone is excited (about going to the national convention).”

Grauel and McKinley are both seniors.

The FFA members taught the elementary students about how the commodities are grown or raised and then become finished products, McKinley said. “Some of the students hadn’t thought about or weren’t aware of the different commodities. We talked about trees. They hadn’t thought of that tree in the backyard as a commodity.”

The project helped chapter members learn about planning, time management and responsibility, he added.

Grauel and McKinley said they’re looking forward to sharing their chapter’s project with a national audience at the convention.

“I definitely think there are some nerves in going from a Zoom interview to an in-person interview at the convention,” she said.

McKinley said the presentation will help them improve in public speaking. “Everyone always wants to be a better public speaker,” he explained. “It helps to know our chapter is behind us and supports us.”

The chapter hopes to do the project again with possibly more of a global focus, Jolliff said. The chapter may look at how other countries celebrate Christmas and the commodities grown in those countries.

In addition to placing in the top three in the strengthening agriculture category, the Ridgemont chapter was one of 10 finalists for both Model of Excellence and National Premier Chapter – Growing Leaders.

In the Farm World primary readership area, Central Burlington FFA and Streator FFA, both of Illinois, and Versailles FFA, of Ohio, are the three finalists in the Model of Excellence category. Cambridge FFA, of Illinois, is a finalist in the growing leaders category, and Felicity-Franklin FFA, of Ohio, is a finalist in the building communities category.