Manor FFA members earn multiple awards at PA Farm Show

Penn Manor High School students won several awards recently at the Pennsylvania Farm Show representing Manor FFA.

Agriscience Fair

Arilyn Tegtmeier-Oatman placed first in the state in the Animal Systems Division of the Agriscience Fair for her project on the effect of diet on blood glucose levels and weight gain in rats.

Arilyn fed rats three different types of food and monitored their weight, general health and glucose levels to determine whether a homemade soy-based diet was preferable to a commercial feed diet or a non-soy diet.

She is now applying to present her project in national competition.

Other Farm Show honors for Penn Manor students include:

Keystone Degrees

Eight students – Alyssa Broderick, Michael Brumbaugh, Kyle Bushong, Alyssa Chalfant, Melodie Garrett, Rebecca High, Blake Rohrer and Arilyn Tegtmeier-Oatman – earned Keystone Degrees.

The Keystone is the fourth of five degrees FFA members can earn.  Only 409 members out of 12,771 in the state received the degree.

To earn a Keystone Degree, FFA members must hold the Greenhand and Chapter FFA Degrees; perform at least 25 hours of community service; earn or invest $1,000 or work 300 hours outside of school in their SAE program; participate in 15 FFA Activities, five of them above the chapter level; and demonstrate leadership and advocacy of agriculture and FFA.

Jacket recipients

Five students – Bobbie Ditzler, Emma French, Carter Hess, Laurel Mull and Danielle Oatman – earned a blue jacket, the iconic symbol of FFA membership.

The first-year member jacket campaign is sponsored by the Pennsylvania FFA Alumni, which provides the jackets and a scarf or tie free of charge.  To qualify, students must write about what the jacket means to them and what they plan to achieve while wearing it.

Livestock Showmen

Laurel Barley, Logan Eshelman, Lauren Sensenich, Jenna Smith and Arilyn Tegtmeier-Oatman showed livestock. Jenna Smith earned Reserve Champion Yorkshire and Master Showman honors for her hog, Nora.

Keystone Star

Arilyn Tegtmeier-Oatman was named Keystone Star in Agriscience. Arilyn will move on to the regional contest and compete at the Eastern States Exposition in Massachusetts in September.