In honor of National Agriculture Day on March 18, Manor FFA students drove their tractors – and a rig carrying a monster truck – to Penn Manor High School and held a Supervised Agricultural Experience Fair in the school lobby.
Nearly a dozen rigs of all shapes and sizes arrived at the high school around 8 a.m. and were on display throughout the day as students and staff stopped by to learn about the machines.
The tractors, nearly all used in family farming operations, ranged in size from a tiny 1963 Minneapolis Moline Jet Star 2 to several hulking six-wheeled rigs equipped with the latest GPS technology and air-conditioned cabs. Several were pulling harvesting implements and other attachments.
The big draw was Stinger Unleashed, a monster truck based at the Buck Motorsports Park, with wheels so huge students could sit inside them. Also on display were a couple of week-old goats from a family farm.
Inside the high school lobby, students showed displays of their SAE projects – independent research or work projects they must complete to earn FFA degrees.
Among the projects were a study of horse heart rates after different exercises, a toolbox customization business, a honey operation, and a study on how dogs and cats react to different stimuli.
Students who came out to see the displays and tractors were challenged to complete a scavenger hunt and a bingo card based on each display or rig. In addition, FFA members were available to answer questions and let students sit on their tractors for photo-ops.
The annual showcase is a longtime tradition at Penn Manor, where hundreds of families are involved in farming and related agricultural industries. It was great to see so many students sharing their enthusiasm about the importance of agriculture to our community!
