March 28, 2024

The Farm and The Furious: Baxter takes on FFA Week

Baxter FFA Students drove tractors and rode horses to school to kick off FFA week

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It’s FFA Week all across the nation, and the Future Farmers of Baxter are fully embracing it. They have a full week of activities planned, and Courtney Tingwald, Baxter’s FFA advisor and agriculture teacher, is excited to partake in the event for the first time as a teacher.

“I grew up on a family farm,” Tingwald said. “It’s my parent’s farm, and I was involved in 4-H and FFA when I was in high school. We’ve planned some new activities they haven’t done before, so I think they’re excited about that.”

They kicked off FFA week Monday with Drive Your Tractor to School and a Carhart Day. They also held a coloring contest for elementary school students.

Freshman Tucker Ziegman, drove his 1978 White Field Boss 2-70 Tractor to school.

“I just wanted to do it,” Ziegman said. “My dad was in FFA when he was in high school, and I just thought it would be kind of nice. And I live on a farm and everything, and FFA is mostly about agriculture, so I thought it would be nice to learn more about it.”

Tucker wasn’t the only Ziegman who took part in Drive Your Tractor to School Day. His sister, Katie, participated in a different way: she rode a horse to school.

“My friend McKenna Wigg and I drove old fashioned tractors to school today,” Katie said of the horses.

Senior Austin Eggers also took part in the festivities and drove his 1952 Allis-Chalmers W-D to school. The tractor, which is painted bright orange, was completely restored over the summer by Eggers as a project to “keep him out of trouble.”

“I just felt like taking it out for a spin,” Eggers said jokingly.

National FFA Week runs from Feb. 18 to 22 and events scheduled at Baxter are:

• Monday: Carhart Day, Drive Your Tractor to School Day, and the elementary school coloring contest.

• Tuesday: Cowgirl/Cowboy Day and the Build-A-Barn contest, where they make barns out of gingerbread.

• Wednesday: FFA Spirit Day, Greenhand Day for freshman, where they wear green gloves all day, and the crowning of Build-A-Barn contest winners.

• Thursday: Official Dress Day, where they wear their signature FFA jackets, black slacks and a white dress shirt. They also will partake in Sub-Districts in Colfax, and announce the winners of the coloring contest.

•Friday: They will provide the staff breakfast and it will also be FFA T-shirt Day.

Staff Writer Ty Rushing may be contacted at (641)-792-3121 Ext. 426 or trushing@newtondailynews.com