From L to R: Jayden Brown, Tre'Shaun Parks, Aydin Humphrey, Jerry Crosby, Cameron Ray, Douglas Farney, Chase Stollings, Erin Grisham, Connor Leland, Drake Watkins, Isaac Smith, and Matthew Kurrus

The Covington FFA had a very successful day in March as the chapter had two teams competing in both upper agriculture mechanics and lower agriculture mechanics contests at Haywood County High School.  The lower agriculture mechanics team competed in plumbing, electrical wiring, stud assembly, and small engine identification.  The upper agriculture mechanics team competed in welding, differential leveling, electrical wiring, and rafter construction.  The lower team finished 8th in West Tennessee and the upper agriculture mechanics team finished 2nd in West Tennessee.  By placing in the top 2, the team will move to compete in the state finals on April 26th at Tennessee State University.  Congratulations to an outstanding group of young people!

L to R: Baylea Walton, Matthew Kurrus, Sydnie True, and Whitten Matthews

The Covington FFA recently competed in the 2024 West TN Speaking Contests that were held at Crockett County High School.  Baylea Walton finished 5th in West Tennessee in Prepared Public Speaking Contest (6-8 minute speech on an agriculture related topic), Matthew Kurrus finished 8th in West Tennessee in Extemporaneous Public Speaking Contest (4-6 minute speech on an agriculture related topic with 30 minutes to prepare), Whitten Matthews finished 10th in West Tennessee in the FFA Creed Contest, and Sydnie True finished 20th in West Tennessee in the Job Interview Contest. Were very proud of all of their hard work and dedication!

The Covington FFA Agriculture Communications team recently competed in the 2024 West Tennessee Agriculture Communications Career Development Event on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin.  Team members participated in a press conference that was facilitated by Dr. Totten of UT-Martin, and then each student had a task to complete such as web design, a video production, journalistic writing, and opinion writing.  The team did extremely well in the contest, as they finished 3rd in West TN through hard work and dedication. 

         The Covington FFA had an outstanding fall semester of 2023.  The chapter stayed extremely busy from August through December.  The chapter began the year by exhibiting market lambs and breeding ewes at many shows throughout the state of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.  The chapter had great showings at the Eiffel Tower, Obion County, Delta Fair, West TN State Fair, North Mississippi Fall Classic, and the Arkansas State Fair among many others.  In all, the chapter attended 17  different sheep shows and have a plethora of memories to last a lifetime! 

                           The chapter also competed in many different Career Development Events in the fall on a regional, state, and national level. On a regional level, the chapter competed in Horse Judging (6th in West TN), Soil Judging (12th in West TN), Marketing Plan (5th in West TN), Ag Sales (7th in West TN), Livestock Judging (11th in West TN), and Parliamentary Procedure (9th in West TN).  The chapter also represented Tipton County 4-H in Soil Judging (Regional and State Champions in 2023) and in Livestock Judging (5th in the Western Region).  The Soil Judging team will move on to the National Competition this spring in Oklahoma.  Also, the chapter had a team compete in October of 2023 at the National FFA Convention in Dairy Foods, where they placed 31st in the country out of 48 teams.  We are extremely proud of all their hard work and determination in their areas.  

A special congratulations are due to Mr. Mike Hopkins, who was recently selected as the 2023 West TN Star Farmer! Mike will go on to the state finals, where he will compete against the Middle and East TN Star Farmers to see who will be selected as the Tennessee State Star Farmer.  Mike is a part of Hopkins and Hopkins Farms, which is located in Tipton County, but also farms some in Fayette and Shelby Counties.  Mike is a huge part of the farm, and does the very best that he can each day with lots of hard work and determination.  Mike's twin brother Mitch was also selected as the 2022 West TN Star Farmer, which is pretty unique in itself.  Mike is hopeful to bring home the title of State Star Farmer in March in Gatlinburg just like Mitch did in 2022.  The chapter is beyond proud of the guys, who act right, do right, and are a great example of what the future of agriculture will look like!

L to R: Vashti Butterly, Tess Kellum. Connor Leland, Erin Grisham, and Sydnie True

The Covington FFA recently competed in the 2023 West TN Ag Communications Career Development Event contest. Team members had

to take several tests on communications, develop a written media plan of 8-10 pages, and give a 10-15 minute presentation on their media plan. The chapter

did extremely well in their endeavors, and are looking forward to an outstanding spring semester.

Pictured: William Martin brings remarks to the group

The Covington FFA recently had its groundbreaking for the new barn on Friday, January 20^th at the new barn location which will be next to the Covington High School baseball field on Highway 59 in Covington.  The chapter was blessed to have a plethora of guests in attendance, from superintendent Dr. John Combs to county commissioners to school board members from the Covington area.  Also in attendance were CTE Director Mr. Harvey Witherngton and Covington High School principal Mr. Mark McClain.  The chapter has beyond blessed with an outstanding alumni group, which was well represented at the event as well.  Mr. Alan Walton, president of the Covington FFA Alumni, gave remarks along with Mrs. Liz Flanagan, one of the advisors of the Covington FFA Chapter.  The chapter is looking forward to 2023, as the dream of having a barn will finally become a reality!  We are looking forward to hosting a big barn-warming event once all of the construction is completed at the barn. 

CCM Team: Front Row (L to R): Baylea Walton, Caylie Allen, Chelsea Fleming, and Brooklynn Bearden

CCM Team Back Row (L to R): Issac Smith, Matthew Kurrus, Tristian Martin, and Cameron Ray

Parliamentary Procedure (L to R): Dakota Greve, Joshua Rose, William Martin, Robin Thoms, Conner Leland, and Erin Grisham

Congratulations are in order to members of the Covington FFA who recently competed in the West TN CCM (Conduct of Chapter Meeting) and Parliamentary Procedure contests held at Dyersburg High School.  The teams did really well through lots of hard work and dedication.  The Parliamentary Procedure team placed 3rd in the District. Team members were challenged with a parliamentary procedure knowledge exam, an 11 minute live presentation demonstrating Robert's Rules of Order, followed by a round of questions from a panel of outstanding judges.  The CCM team finished 3rd in the District as well.  In this competition, the first year FFA members were challenged with learning the opening and closing ceremonies of the FFA, a 5 minute live presentation demonstrating Robert's Rules of Order, followed by a round of questions from a panel of noble judges. The chapter is excited about these leaders and the future of FFA!

Front: Sydnie True 2nd Row: Lizzy Ballard, Erin Grisham, Dakota Greve, Josh Rose, Ethan Yarbro, Richard Fowler

3rd Row: Brandon Childress, Matthew Wilson, Nick Morris, TJ Jones, Tristan Martin, and Caylie Allen

4th Row: Robin Thoms, Issac Fields, Sarah Grisham, William Martin, Matthew Kurrus, and Chelsea Fleming

5th Row: Our Friends from Westview High School

The Covington FFA recently competed in two livestock judging contests on the regional level.  On November 3rd, the team traveled to Parsons, TN to compete in the Western Region 4-H Livestock Judging Contest.  The team finished 7th in the region through hard work and determination.  On November 8th, the team traveled to the University of Tennessee at Martin to participate in the West TN FFA Livestock Judging Contest.  The team finished 3rd in the District and 13th overall.  Livestock judging is a contest where students are asked to evaluate beef cattle, swine, sheep, and goats and then give oral reasons to defend their placing.  Congratulations guys!

Marketing Plan (L to R): Bella Scott, Dakota Greve, Baylee Walton, and Mrs Flanagan

Ag Sales (L to R): Joshua Rose, William Martin, Ethan Yarbro, Mason Sellers, Tristan Martin, Matthew Kurrus, and Mr. Johnson

The Covington FFA recently competed in the Marketing Plan and Agriculture Sales contests at Dyer County High School.  The Marketing Plan team finished 4th in West Tennessee. The team came with an marketing program for "A Plus Chickens" a small operation that is owned and operated by our principal Mr. Mark McClain.  The Agriculture Sales team finished  5th in West Tennessee in their competition, and they were tasked with selling Purina beef cattle feed.  The students really enjoyed these leadership contests. 

From L to R: Matthew Wilson, Joshua Rose, Matthew Kurrus, William Martin, and Mr. Johnson

The Covington FFA Land Judging team had a great fall competing in several competitions.  The first competition was the Lexington Land Invitational, which the chapter finished 2nd in the region.  The team finished 2nd again at the regional contest held at the University of Tennessee at Martin on October 4th.  The team qualified for the state event at this contest, which was held on October 17th at the University of Tennessee Lone Oaks Experiment Station in Middleton, Tennessee.  The team had an outstanding day, as they brought home the 2022 Tennessee FFA Land Judging Championship back to Covington High School.  The team will move on to the national event in Oklahoma in May of 2023.  Individually, Matthew Wilson was 2nd high in the state, William Martin was 4th high in the state, Matthew Kurrus was 6th high in the state, and Joshua Rose was 8th high in the state! We want to thank Martin Farms, Hopkins Farms, Daniel Farms, and Davis Farms for digging soil pits and allowing the students to get in some great practices. 

Agronomy (L to R): Mike Hopkins, Mitch Hopkins, William Martin, AJ Grott, Mr. Johnson

Environmental and NRM (L to R): Sydnie True, Dakota Greve, Josh Rose, Robin Thoms, Zaydon Morris, and Ethan Yarbro

Over the summer the Covington FFA had two teams compete in the State Agronomy Career Development Event and State Environmental and Natural Resources Management Career Development Event.  In the Agronomy CDE, students were challenged with crop, weed, seed, and plant identification, soil profiles, equipment identification, pest identification, and plant disorders.  The team finished 1st in the state of Tennessee and will compete this fall in Indianapolis, Indiana representing our state.  In the Environmental and NRM CDE, students were challenged with wildlife identification (mammals, fish, reptiles, birds, invasive species) with scat, fur, skulls, live speciman, ad pictures.  The team also had a soil componet and a test on Environmental Science.  The team finished 1st in West Tennessee and 4th overall in the state.  Congratulations to all!!

Front Row (L to R); Dakota Greve, Sydnie True, Ethan Yarbro, and McKenzie Delashmit

Middle Row (L to R): Joshua Rose, Zaydon Morris, Allan Turner, Hunter Sartain, Clay Hartsfield, and Mike Hopkins

Back Row (L to R): Mitch Hopkins and William Martin

The Covington FFA recently had a phenomenal showing at the 2022 State FFA Convention held in the Smoky Mountains in beautiful Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Mitch Hopkins, a senior at CHS, was awarded the 2022 Tennessee Star Farmer Award, which is the highest award that an individual can win in the state of Tennessee.  Mitch had to complete a rigorous application and interviews both in Trenton, Tennessee in January and at Gatlinburg in March.  Mitch has an outstanding SAE Project in row crop production and will represent the chapter well as he will be on the State Star Tour in July of 2022.  Mitch earned a prestigious scholarship and other acknowledgments through hard work and determination.  The chapter was well represented in a plethora of competitions, as they brought home a State Runner-Up in the Dairy Foods CDE and regional championships in Food Science and Meat Judging.  The chapter was well represented by individual as well, as the group brought home 9 individual state titles, and they are as follows: Mitch Hopkins in Fiber and Oil Crop Production, Mike Hopkins in Diversified Crop Production, Carson Ruffin in Agriculture Services, Leanna Gray in Agriculture Communications, Madison Rowland in Agriculture Mechanics, Avery Roach in Environmental Science, Hunter Sartain in Agriculture Processing, McKenzie Delashmit in Nursery Operations, and William Martin in Fruit Production.  These nine students will go on to Nationals and be evaluated this summer for "the Final Four" in the nation!  The chapter was well represented in the Agriscience Fair as well.  McKenzie Delashmit and Ethan Yarbro were State Runner-Ups in the Plant Systems project, while Clay Hartsfield, Mike Hopkins, and Mitch Hopkins each finished 3rd in the state with their science fair projects in Power and Technical Systems.  Also, the chapter had two members receive a Tennessee FFA Scholarship.  Mitch Hopkins received the Ted Turner Scholarship and Mike Hopkins received the West TN FFA Scholarship.  Congratulations to all of the FFA members for an amazing convention! We also would like to thank Level 5 Covington High, Covington FFA Alumni, our community, and the Tipton County Board of Education for continuing to support these students every single day. 

Upper Ag Mechanics Team (L to R): Mike Hopkins, Thorne Turner, Jackson McBride, Clay Hartsfield, Mitch Hopkins, and Christian White

Lower Ag Mechanics Team (L to R): Amy Hannah Andres, Connor Leleand, Myles Galbraith, and Cody Cross

The Covington FFA recently competed in the 2022 West Tennessee Agriculture Mechanics contests held at Haywood County High School on March 8th, 2022.  The Lower Agriculture Mechanics team had a phenomenal day, as they placed 2nd overall in West Tennessee through hard work and determination.   The team had to compete in individual contests such as plumbing, small engine identification, single pole electric wiring, and stud assembly. The Upper Agriculture Mechanics team had a really strong day as well, as they placed 4th overall in the region.  The team had to compete in individual contests such as arc welding, rafter construction, land measuring, and three-way electric switch wiring.  We are very proud of all of these students and look forward to the future in our agriculture mechanic classes. 

L to R: Daktoa Greve, Avery Roach (Not Pictured: William Martin)

Congrats to Dakota Greve who placed 6th overall in the FFA Creed Contest for West Tennessee, William Martin who placed 9th overall in the Prepared Public Speaking Contest for West Tennessee, and Avery Roach who placed 13th overall in the Job Interview Contest for West Tennessee.  These FFA members worked extremely hard in these competitons, and we are very proud of their drive to be the best that they can be. 

L to R:  Robbie Dohnken, Andi Dunavant, Sara Oliver, and Melea Edmonds

The Covington FFA recently competed at the 2022 West TN Agriculture Communications CDE that was held at the University of Tennessee at Martin.  The team had to create, write, and present a media presentation based on the establishment of a community garden.  The students were also challenged to take two tests over communications, and an editing exercise.  The team placed 5th overall in the region through hard work and dedication. Great job ya'll!

L to R: Robin Thoms, Zaydon Morris, Delaney Naifeh, Reese Weir, and Josiah Spitler

The Covington FFA brought home a regional championship on January 20th, 2022 by placing 1st in Horse Judging on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin.  Team members had to judge 5 classes of western pleasure and hunter under saddle classes and say oral reasons on two sets of classes.  The team also did well at the 2021 State Horse Judging Contest this past November in Middle Tennessee, where they also finished 1st in West Tennessee and 8th overall in the state.  The chapter is super excited about the future of this team!  Individually, Delaney Naifeh finished 1st overall and Josiah Spitler finished 3rd overall out of 64 students. 

Marketing Plan (L to R): Sara Oliver, Melea Edmonds, and Andi Dunavant

Ag Sales (L to R): Avery Roach, William Martin, Tanner Stewart, and Chris Godwin

The Covington FFA recently competed in both the West Tennessee FFA Ag Sales and Marketing Plan contests that were held on Saturday November 13th at Crockett County High School.  Both teams finished 5th in the region, and did a great job representing their school through hard work and determination.  In agriculture sales, the student has to work on a group sales project and an individual sales presentation on an agriculture related project.  In the marketing plan competition, students have to pick a local agribusiness and develop a marketing plan for their operation.  

Front Row (L to R):  Josiah Spitler, Sydnie True, Lizzy Ballard, McKenzie Delashmit, Ethan Yarbro, and Zaydon Morris

Back Row (L to R): Tristan Martin, William Martin, and Nick Morris.  Not pictured are Thorne Turner and Owen Griffin.

The Covington FFA Livestock Judging team had a successful competing in different contests through West Tennessee this fall.  The team competed in the West TN FFA Livestock Judging Contest on September 28th at the University of Tennessee at Martin.  The team finished 1st in the District and 6th in West Tennessee at the contest that day.  Individually, William Martin was the high individual in the entire region out of 78 students.  On November 11th, the team went to Parsons to the 4-H Western Region Livestock Judging contest as well.  Livestock judging involves students judging and giving oral reasons on cattle, swine, sheep, and goats.  The chapter is excited about the future of the livestock judging program. 

From L to R: Mike Hopkins, Mitch Hopkins, William Martin, McKenzie Delashmit, Madison Rowland, Savanna Long, and Mr. Johnson

The Covington FFA had an amazing showing at the 94th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Eli Patrick brought home a national championship in the Vegetable Production Proficiency Program.  Eli, who attends the University of Tennessee at Martin, has built and developed an outstanding SAE project in vegetables through his time at Covington High School.  Sammy Simmons, who is pursuing a Digital Agronomy certificate at TCAT in Covington, was recognized as a National Finalist in the Diversified Horticulture Proficiency for his work at Holly Grove Sod Farm.  The chapter was recognized as a three star chapter, which is the highest award that a chapter can receive.  The chapter was also recognized as the National Bronze Award in the National Poultry Judging Contest, where they competed against state winners from across the country.  Madison Rowland and Savanna Long were recognized as a National Silver Medalist in the competition.  Madison Rowland and Ethan Wilson was also recognized for being a National Finalist in the Agriscience Fair program, where they finished 10th in then nation in Power and Technical Systems.  The chapter is thankful for the support at Covington High School with the administration and faculty, the Covington FFA Alumni, and other supporters in the community.  We appreciate yall very much!

L to R: Mr. Johnson, Matthew Wilson, McKenzie Delashmit, Mitch Hopkins, Mike Hopkins, William Martin, Hunter Sartain, and Zaydon Morris

The Covington FFA had a phenomenal fall with different land judging competitions.  On Sept 28th, the teams competed in the Lexington Land Judging Invitational where the teams finished 1st and 3rd out of 30 teams.  Individually, Mitch Hopkins was 2nd, Mike Hopkins was 3rd, and William Martin was 4th.  On October 5th, the two teams competed in the West TN Land Judging contest at Ames Plantation in Grand Junction, Tennessee.  The FFA team finished 4th overall and qualified for the state competition.  Team members were Mike Hopkins, Mitch Hopkins, William Martin, and Hunter Sartain.  The 4-H team representing Tipton County finished 2nd overall and also qualified for state.  Team members were McKenzie Delashmit, Zaydon Morris, and Matthew Wilson.  On November 1st, the two teams competed at the State Land Judging contest in McMinnville, Tennessee.  The FFA team finished 4th overall and will now move on the National Land Judging contest in Oklahoma City in May of 2022.  The 4-H team finished 7th overall.  The chapter is very proud of these students, as they are working hard on the farm, in the classroom, in FFA, and in their agriculture projects.  

From L to R: Mitch Hopkins, Savanna Long, Madison Rowland, Leanna Gray, McKenzie Delashmit, Bobbie Sue Wilson, and Mike Hopkins. 

The Covington FFA was well rewarded for a year of hard work recently at the Tennessee FFA State Convention that was held June 28-30, 2021 at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  The chapter was awarded in the first session the following awards: 2021 Tennessee FFA State Poultry Judging Championship, 2021 Tennessee FFA State Runner-Up in both Agriculture Sales and Agronomy, 2021 State Superior Chapter, 2021 PLOW Gold Award, and the 2020 National 3 Star Chapter Award.  The chapter also 13 State Winners in their proficiency award areas, and they are as follows: Leanna Gray in Agriculture Education, Madison Rowland in Agriculture Mechanics, John Travis Turner in Beef Production, Mitch Hopkins in Diversified Crops, Mike Hopkins in Grain Production, Sammy Simmons in Diversified Horticulture, Thorne Turner in Diversified Livestock, Delaney Naifeh in Equine Science, Jesse Bryant in Forage Production, Bobbie Sue Wilson in Outdoor Recreation, Evie Turner in Small Animal Care, Eli Patrick in Vegetable Production, and Allan Turner in Wildlife Management.  These students will compete later this month at Nationals to compete as a National Finalist in August.  The chapter is very proud of every students hard work and determination.  We are looking forward to an exciting fall!

From L to R:  Christian White, Mitch Hopkins, Mike Hopkins, Zander Allen, Thorne Turner, Savanna Long, Jackson McBride, Marquan Jones, Leanna Gray, Marwin Jarrett, William Gay, and Madison Rowland (Not pictured Brandon Duffin)

The Covington FFA Agriculture Mechanics teams recently competed in the Bolivar Skills Showdown, which was the first live competition for FFA members in over a year in West Tennessee.  Team members were asked to compete in a variety of activities including the following: mig welding, rafter construction, switch and receptacle wiring project, differential leveling, and a team wood working activity where they had to construct some TWRA wood duck boxes.  The team finished 4th overall out of 14 teams.  Individually, Jackson McBride finished 2nd in mig welding, Mike and Mitch Hopkins finished 2nd in differential leveling, and Brandon Duffin finished 2nd in rafter construction.  The chapter is extremely proud of this group for their hard work and dedication in the agriculture mechanics field. 

From Left to Right:  Madison Rowland, Leanna Gray, Savanna Long, and Ethan Wilson (in the air)

The 2021 Tennessee State Champions in Poultry Judging reside at Level 5 Covington High!  The team competed on April 19, 2021 against schools from all three regions of the state.  The team placed 1st out of 17 high school teams, and will compete this fall at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Individually, each team member placed in the top ten in the state, with Leanna Gray leading the way as the overall high individual in the state.  The team has competed in many different poultry contests in the past few months, with having successes in 4-H (regional winner in march) state FFA invitational in November (state winner) and also competed in the state 4-H contest (5th high) and a contest put on by the University of Florida (1st place overall).  The team has worked hard and is looking forward to the opportunity to compete this fall in Indiana!

From Left to Right: William Martin, Delaney Naifeh, Joshua Rose, and Leanna Gray

The Covington FFA recently competed in the Agriculture Sales competitions on a regional and state level.  Team members are William Martin, Delaney Naifeh, Joshua Rose, and Leanna Gray. On March 15th, team members competed on a regional level where they finished 1st in both the region and in the district.  On March 24th, the same team competed in the state competition, where they finished 2nd in the state to the McEwen FFA Chapter.  Each student was asked to take a test on agriculture sales knowledge, go through a team activity, and make an individual sales pitch to a "customer".  These students were selling products that are offered by Bayer Crop Sciences.  Individually, Delaney Naifeh was the high individual in the West TN contest on March 15th and Leanna Gray was the second high individual in the state on March 24th.  We were very proud of their hard work and determination!

Agronomy Picture: (L to R) Leanna Gray, Mitch Hopkins, Mike Hopkins (Not Pictured Madison Rowland)

Environmental and NRM Picture (L to R): Savanna Long, Madison Rowland, Brandon Duffin, and William Gay

The Covington FFA was well represented on March 10, 2021 as the chapter competed in two state contest via the world wide web.  In the Agronomy CDE, the students have to learn about crop and seed identification, weed identification, insect identification, equipment identification, and pest disorders.  The team did amazing, as they are 2021 Tennessee State Runner-Up through hard work and dedication. They are also the West Tennessee regional champions.  In the Environmental and NRM CDE, students learn about wildlife identification through scat, tracks, fur, skulls, and hides.  Students also complete a waste management program.  The students did well in this contest, as they brought home another regional championship for the "woo club" along with a 5th place overall finish in the state of Tennessee. The chapter is very proud of how the students have worked and are willing to adapt to new ways of learning.

William Martin has done an outstanding job the past month representing the Covington FFA in two West Tennessee FFA public speaking contests. William first competed in the FFA Creed contest on March 2nd, where he finished 2nd in his flight and advanced to the finals where on March 4th he finished fifth in the region.  The competition requires the student to memorize and speak the FFA Creed, which was written in 1930 by E.M. Tiffany through hard work and dedication. The student must also ask questions about the creed and relate them to modern day agriculture, leadership, and the FFA.  On March 9th, William competed in the Prepared Public Speaking contest, where he finished 3rd in his flight and 9th overall in West Tennessee.  William had to write and memorize a speech of 6-8 minutes, followed by five minutes of questioning.  William's topic was on bees and colony collapse disorder, and he did an outstanding job.  The chapter is proud of his endeavors and is looking forward to him competing in more leadership events in the future. 

From Left to Right: Savanna Long, Ethan Wilson, Madison Rowland, Leanna Gray, and McKenzie Delashmit.

Covington FFA members have been busy this spring competing in virtual events.  The chapter has participated in two virtual events representing the Tipton County 4-H.  On January 23rd, William Martin, Delaney Naifeh, Evie Turner, and Thorne Turner competed in the 2021 Western Region Hippology contest.  The team finished 7th in the region, which is outstanding considering this is the first time that they competed in this type of event.  Students had to learn about horse breeds, horse parts, types of forages, horse systems. bones, judging of horse classes, and more.  On March 4th, members also represented the Tipton County 4-H in the 2021 Western Region Poultry Judging contest.  Team members had to evaluate hens, identify poultry parts, carcass grading, exterior and interior eggs, and boneless processed poultry defects.  The team finished 1st in West Tennessee and will move on to the state finals this fall at UT-Knoxville.  

From L to R: Madison Rowland, McKenzie Delashmit, Ethan Scherffius, William Martin, Savanna Long, Zandor Morris, Leanna Gray, Nick Morris, Thorne Turner, and Jhonnaya Wilcox

Recently members of the Covington FFA Chapter competed in the Western Region 4-H Livestock Judging Contest in DecaturCounty, Tennessee.  Team members had to evaluate multiple classes of livestock, including market lambs, commercial ewes, two classes of breeding heifers, breeding does, and market hogs.  Students had to give reasons and also answer questions on two of the classes of livestock.  The Tipton County group placed 2nd in the region and will now move on to the state finals this June at UT-Knoxville.  Individually, Thorne Turner was the high individual for the team. 

L to R: Ethan Wilson, Madison Rowland, Leanna Gray, Savanna Long, and McKenzie Delashmit.

This fall some of the Covington FFA officers have been very active in some of the regional and state level 4-H competitions. On September 24th, the team competed in the Western Region 4-H Forestry Contest.  Team members were tested based on knowledge of tree identification, tree insects, disorders, diseases, wood identification, and tree measuring.  The group placed 1st in the Western Region and may get to compete in the state finals this spring.   On October 17th, the group traveled to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to compete in the State 4-H Dairy Foods and Poultry Contests.  The students were challenged to identify milk disorders, cheese characteristics, and ice cream qualities.  The team finished as the 2020 State Runner-Ups in this contest.  In the poultry contest, students had to judge a class of hens, interior eggs, exterior eggs, identify parts of a chicken, and grade chicken caraccas.  The group finished 1st in the Western Region and 7th in the state.  Great job yall!

 

Dairy Team: Bobbie Sue Wilson, Leanna Gray, Dagan Schlauch, Madison Rowland, and Mr. Johnson
ENR Team: John Travis Turner, Ethan Wilson, Damon Boddie, and Wesley Morris

The Covington FFA recently had a strong showing at the 92nd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana from October 30-November 2nd, 2019. The chapter had two teams compete at Nationals this year.  The National FFA Environmental and Natural Resources CDE is a competitive event that allows students to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations. This event focuses on testing students' problem solving and decision-making skills in environmental and natural resources. These areas concentrate on wildlife management, soil profiles, water quality, waste management, and the use of global positioning units. Each team competed at local and state levels for the privilege of representing their home state at the National FFA Convention & Expo.  The team earned a National Silver Medal Award (24th in the Nation) with John Travis Turner and Ethan Wilson, each earning a National Gold Award Individually. The National FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management CDE is a competitive event that tests the student's ability to select and manage quality dairy cattle. Event components include six classes of dairy cattle, herd record evaluation and dairy management team activity. Each team competed at local and state levels to earn the privilege of representing their home state at the National FFA Convention & Expo. The team earned a National Bronze Award (37th in the Nation) with Madison Rowland earning a National Silver Award.  The chapter also was recognized for being a 2-star National Chapter Award participant through hard work and determination, and had 10 students receive their American FFA Degree, which is the highest award an individual can receive in the FFA.  Thank you to Covington High School faculty and staff, the Covington FFA Alumni, and all community supporters who continue to support these students reach their infinite potential through the blue jacket and have gold standards in all aspects of their lives. 

From L to R: Billy Thorn, John Travis Turner, Damon Boddie, and Ethan Wilson

The Covington FFA had an outstanding showing at the 2019 Tennessee State Environmental and NRM Contest, as they placed 1st in the entire state!  By winning the 2019 state title, these four young men will move on to nationals this fall in Indianapolis, Indiana where they will compete against 49 other state winners to determine a national champion.  The environmental and natural resources management consist of the students learning wildlife identification by fur, scat, hide, track, and other methods, completing a soil evaluation on a land pit, introduction to GPS, and a test on ecology and natural resources.  The chapter is extremely proud of them, and good luck to them at nationals!  Individually, John Travis Turner placed 1st in the entire state, Damon Boddie placed 4th in the state, and Ethan Wilson placed 5th in the state.  The chapter would also like to thank Jake Yoes with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency with his help each year as well.

COOKEVILLE, TN—Catherine Turner of the Covington Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter is Tennessee FFA’s 2017 Star Farmer. The Star Farmer is considered the highest recognition in the state for an aspiring young farmer. Star recognition is awarded to the top students in five areas who best demonstrate superior Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects, a requirement for all FFA members. Her SAE project is beef cattle production.

 Catherine works on her family’s beef cattle operation, Turner Angus Farm. She owns 10 cows, 10 calves, 3 yearlings, and 2 bulls, in addition to the larger cattle operation she helps run with her family. Catherine was an active FFA member throughout her high school career, serving as her chapter president, Western Region President and was a National Finalist with her Agricultural Communications Proficiency.

 For her achievement, Catherine will be honored during the weeklong 3^rd Annual Tennessee FFA Star Tour presented by Farm Credit Mid-America. The Tennessee FFA Star Tour offers the Stars a platform to share the work from their agricultural projects with supporters across Tennessee. The tour begins in Nashville where the stars will plan their presentation for the week. From there, the Stars will present at a luncheon for the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA). They will also attend a Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation reception in Cookeville where they will meet both the Tennessee and American Farm Bureau Presidents. Finishing off the first night, the Stars will make a stop at Tennessee FFA Leadership Training Camp in Doyle to make their presentation before fellow FFA members.

 Day two includes a breakfast with Farm Credit Mid-America (FCMA) in Cookeville where the Stars will meet several FCMA leaders, as well as government leaders. Next, they will visit Little Creek Produce and round out their time in Cookeville with a presentation at the Noon Rotary Club. Later that day, the Stars will meet former American Star Farmer and past Tennessee FFA State President, Joe Moore at his farm in Granville before traveling to Memphis.

 Since this award is the highest honor a young agriculturalist can pursue in this organization, a special Star Farmer Reception will be held at Catherine’s family farm, Turner Angus Farm in Covington, Tennessee. The reception will host guests from Catherine’s family members, fellow FFA members and advisors. It is an opportunity for the Covington community to celebrate their Star Farmer. While the Stars are in West Tennessee they will tour Graceland, and visit Thompson Machinery. Plus, the group will visit Century Farm Winery in Jackson and Tosh Farms in Henry to conclude the tour.

 FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Nationally, there are 649,355 FFA members, aged 12-21. The Tennessee FFA Association is comprised of 14,084 members from 214 high school chapters, 7 middle school chapters, and 8 collegiate chapters across the state of Tennessee. To learn more about FFA visit www.tnffa.org.

COVINGTON FFA MEMBER NAMED STATE STAR

 COOKEVILLE, TN—Will Turner of the Covington Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter is Tennessee FFA’s 2017 Star in Agricultural Placement. The Star in Agricultural Placement is considered one of the highest awards in the state bestowed on an FFA member. Star recognition is awarded to the top students in five areas who best demonstrate superior Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects, a requirement for all FFA members. His SAE project is outdoor recreation.

Will works on his family’s 60 acre hunting preserve, Turner Game Birds. He is responsible for guiding the hunts and helping with the day to day operations of the business. Will was an active FFA member serving as chapter treasurer and was a National Finalist with his Outdoor Recreation Proficiency.

 For his achievement, Will was selected to participate in the weeklong 3^rd Annual Tennessee FFA Star Tour presented by Farm Credit Mid-America. The Tennessee FFA Star Tour offers the Stars a platform to share the work from their agricultural projects with supporters across Tennessee. The tour begins in Nashville where the stars will plan their presentation for the week. From there, the Stars will present at a luncheon for the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA). They will also attend a Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation reception in Cookeville where they will meet both the Tennessee and American Farm Bureau Presidents. Finishing off the first night, the Stars will make a stop at Tennessee FFA Leadership Training Camp in Doyle to make their presentation before fellow FFA members.

 Day two includes a breakfast with Farm Credit Mid-America (FCMA) in Cookeville where the Stars will meet several FCMA leaders, as well as government leaders. Next, they will visit Little Creek Produce and round out their time in Cookeville with a presentation at the Noon Rotary Club. Later that day, the Stars will meet former American Star Farmer and past Tennessee FFA State President, Joe Moore at his farm in Granville before traveling to Memphis.

 Days three and four will be spent in West Tennessee as the Stars tour Graceland, visit and tour Thompson Machinery and stop at Star Farmer Catherine Turner’s farm (Turner Angus Farm) for a Star Farmer Reception. Plus, the group will visit Century Farm Winery in Jackson and Tosh Farms in Henry to conclude the tour.

 FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Nationally, there are 649,355 FFA members, aged 12-21. The Tennessee FFA Association is comprised of 14,084 members from 214 high school chapters, 7 middle school chapters, and 8 collegiate chapters across the state of Tennessee. To learn more about FFA visit www.tnffa.org.

INDIANAPOLIS (August, 2016/National FFA Organization) – The National FFA Organization announced today that Will Robert Turner of Aldrich was selected as a national finalist for the National FFA Proficiency Award in Outdoor Recreation - Entrepreneurship/Placement. Turner is one of only four people chosen to compete for this award at the national finals to be held this October during the 89th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.

The proficiency awards recognize outstanding student achievement in agribusiness gained through establishment of a new business, working for an existing company or otherwise gaining hands-on career experience. The Outdoor Recreation - Entrepreneurship/Placement award is one of 47 proficiency program areas FFA members can participate in to develop valuable experience and leadership skills at the local, state and national levels. (A description of each proficiency area is attached.)

Turner, a member of the Covington FFA Chapter, became eligible for the national award after winning the Tennessee state FFA competition earlier this year. In recognition of being a finalist, each of the four finalists will receive a plaque and $500. The national winner of the Outdoor Recreation - Entrepreneurship/Placement Award will receive an additional $500 during a special ceremony at the National FFA Convention & Expo.

The Covington FFA Chapter was named Outstanding Chapter at Camp Clements Leadership Training Camp for the sixth week. Covington FFA had seventeen members attend camp. Chapter officer teams must be active in officer classes, public speaking classes, the rifle range, an extemporaneous public speaking contest, a camp-wide quiz bowl contest, various sporting events, and have a large sum of their members qualify for the gold leadership award to be considered for the Outstanding Chapter Award. Covington FFA was in competition with 14 other FFA chapters who also attended camp. In addition to winning Outstanding Chapter, Covington FFA member Hannah Turner was elected as Camp Council Secretary. Cj Cunningham was a finalist in the quiz contest, and the quiz bowl team that consisted of Hannah Turner, Tyler Rowland, Averi Cole, and Ryan Wick participated in the competition. Averi also competed in the extemporaneous public speaking competition, where she placed second out of seven other well-prepared competitors. The Covington FFA officers are: President, Hannah Turner; Vice President, Sarah Kate Poole; Vice President, CJ Cunningham; Recording Secretary, Ryan Wick; Corresponding Secretary, Catherine Turner; Alumni Treasurer, Madison Miller; Fundraising Treasurer, Tyler Rowland; Reporter, Averi Cole; Sentinel, Nathan Oliver.

Kneeling: Mr. Johnson and Mr. Cole
Front Row (L to R): Averi Cole, Molly Flanagan, Aaron Rogers, Catherine Turner, and CJ Cunningham
Back Row (L to R): Alex Daniel, Tyler Rowland, Ryan Wick, Kevin Pilkington, Sam Wauford, Sam Daniel, and Jon-Thom Chaney


The Covington FFA had an outstanding showing at the 2014 Tennessee Land Judging Championships, as they finished 2nd in the entire state, only losing to Wilson Central from Middle Tennessee.  The team was lead by Tyler Rowland, who had a score of 353 out of 400 and was the 5th highest individual in the entire contest.  Also, on the FFA team were Sam Daniel, Sam Wauford, and Molly Flanagan.  This team has qualified for the 2015 National Land Judging and Home-site Championships that will be held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in May.  In addition, the chapter had two additional teams that competed in the 4H Division on the state level.  Representing Tipton County A team was Alex Daniel, Jon-Thom Chaney, Kevin Pilkington, and Aaron Rogers.  Aaron Rogers was the high individual on the team with a score of 333.  Representing the Tipton County B team was Averi Cole, Catherine Turner, CJ Cunningham, and Ryan Wick.  Averi Cole was the high individual on the team with a score of 284.  

GATLINBURG- Sean Donaldson of the CovingtonFFA Chapter earned top honors at the 84th Tennessee State FFAConvention when selected as the State Star in Agribusiness on April 3.

The State Star inAgribusiness is one of the highest honors given by the Tennessee FFA. Donaldson’ssupervised agricultural experience, or SAE, was rated the best agribusinessprogram in the state. The Star in Agribusiness award is the second oldest staraward in the state and is given to a student whose SAE project involves workingin one of many business occupations in agriculture other than productionagriculture.

The Covington FFA member’s agriculturaleducation instructors and FFA advisors are Bryan Cole, Elizabeth Flanagan andJeremiah Johnson. This award is sponsored on the state level by Farm BureauInsurance.

FFA is an integralpart of the Agricultural Education Program Area within the Tennessee Career andTechnical Education Division. The Tennessee Association FFA is the thirteenthlargest state association in the nation with more than 13,000 members. The FFAmission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developingtheir potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career successthrough agricultural education. For more information about Tennessee FFA, visithttp://tnffa.org.