Plymouth FFA chapter tests corn, soybean seeds
The Plymouth High School FFA chapter has released the results of its 2009 Corn and Soybean Plot.
For the past 15 years, the chapter has grown various varieties of corn and soybeans in organized plots, with the cooperation of the Adell Co-op.
A committee of six to eight students oversees management of the 16 rented acres.
Participants earn ½ credit for being on the committee for two years.
“The project gives agricultural students in Plymouth High School an opportunity to learn more about the proper way to select crops, manage the growing season and market the results of their work,” according to agriscience teacher Don Mier.
Equipment is donated by Plymouth FFA Alumni members and interested parties. Students read soil samples, till, arrange for the planting of many different varieties of corn and soybean, pick rocks and hire a combine to harvest the crops.
They also host a Plot Day in September, where local farmers and seed company representatives get together to discuss the varieties, the challenges to that year’s season and to better see how each variety has performed.
Students also weigh the harvest, calculate the yield and the drying costs, and then rank the various seeds by expected profit. The information is summarized and given to any interested party.
The top corn hybrid on this year’s plots was Nothrup King’s 27B CB/LL/RW with an adjusted yield of 181 bushels per acre. The top soybean variety was LG’s 1910 RR2 with an adjusted yield of 46.9 bushels. Complete data can be found on the district’s Web site, www.plymouth.k12.wi.us. This year’s plot was managed by Plymouth FFA members Brad Laack, Jackson Wimmler, Spencer Theil, Andrew Michaels, Chris Reichert and plot advisor Justin Hopf.
More about Plymouth FFA
This is the 80th year of FFA in the Plymouth School District, one of the original 18 charter chapters in Wisconsin, according to Mier. The chapter has about 100 members, about 10 percent of the high school population, making it the largest year-round organization in the school.
Students must be enrolled in at least one ag class to join FFA, but membership is not limited to would-be farmers. Only about 15 percent of students in Plymouth’s
agriculture classes live on working farms, according to Mier.
The agriscience curriculum is intertwined with FFA programming, particularly the introduction to agriculture class.
Tiffany Born, a senior and current FFA president, fondly remembers that first ag class.
There was lots of food — including ice cream and cheese — and students raised chickens, dying the eggs to produce different colored chicks.
Brad Laack, also a senior and FFA officer, also enjoyed the introductory class.
“You can learn a lot, but it’s not hard-core bookwork,” said Brad, who plans to attend Fox Valley Technical College to get a three-year degree in farm operations. “It’s a good class for anyone who wants to learn something new.”
FFA focuses on building leadership. It also provides experience with evaluation and judging, which is where Plymouth shines, winning 11 state awards since 2000, Mier said.
In dairy cattle judging, for example, students are presented classes with four animals, which they have to place and explain their placing to judges, as well as
evaluate pedigrees and take a written exam.
Tiffany has enjoyed similar horse judging competitions. The experience will help her get a judge’s card, allowing her to judge 4-H and breed shows, which she said can be lucrative. Her parents have always had horses, and she is considering attending UW-River Falls to major in animal science with an equine emphasis.
FFA also sponsors a safe tractor-driving contest. Participants, who need certification from Lakeshore Technical College, try their hands at a four-wheel-drive course, a two-wheel-drive course and a safety check. The top two go to district competition, with the winner there going to state competition at Farm Technology Days. Plymouth’s Chelsea Bartz placed second last year at sectionals.
FFA also offers trips, workshops and chances to meet people all over the state and the country, Tiffany said.
“It’s what you want to make out of it,” Brad said, who also has enjoyed FFA dodgeball and basketball tournaments. “You will meet people and make memories that will last a lifetime.”
