Outstanding
Chapter
Las
Plumas
The Las Plumas FFA Chapter from Oroville,
California is home to 392 FFA members and four ag
teachers. The program offers courses in Ag Physical
Science, Ag Biology, Horticulture, Forestry & Natural
Resources, Floriculture, Animal Science, ROP
Veterinary Skills, Ag Leadership, Intro & Advanced
Ag Mechanics, and ROP Ag Heavy Equipment &
Construction. All four agriculture teachers share a
passion for their students and their success. The
team of Agriculture Teachers include Mr. Knapp,
Mrs. Earley, Ms. Aldridge, and Mr. Darrach. The
department shares
a common theme
that it takes hard
work, dedication,
and passion to
become successful
at
anything,
including
having
an
outstanding
agriculture program.
This hard work,
dedication
and
passion has been
the driving force in the program flourishing.
Las Plumas students made some improvements to
their school farm this past year in their plant sale
region and their new livestock barn. Just outside the
two greenhouses at the school farm, students cleared
the old retaining wall, poured new concrete, built
two pergolas, and did some brick laying between
the new and old concrete to give the plant sale
area a fresh, new look and improve its functionality
for upcoming plant sales. Plant sales at the local
farmer’s market have also become a major project
classes who graded the area, installed water lines
for troughs, poured concrete, and welded all the
pipe to make the pens. Working with the Animal
Science students, they also installed rubber stall mats
throughout the entire barn, in the pens, and in the
hog and sheep/
goat facility. The
Veterinary
Skills
students started a
monthly dog bath
fundraiser
where
students
secured
subscriptions from
staff members to
have their dogs
washed
every
month in the new
dog washing area
installed this year, adding to experiences students
may encounter in the veterinary field.
The Las Plumas CDE teams competed at the
2014 State Finals competition and brought home
ribbons in Horticulture (4th place), Forestry (4th
place), and Livestock (5th place and Annie Belden
“The department shares a common theme that
it takes hard work, dedication, and passion
to become successful at anything, including
having an outstanding agriculture program.”
4
California FFANEWS • Fall 2014
for several students in the Horticulture classes.
The Ag Mechanics classes and Animal and
Veterinary Science classes worked collectively this
year to finish up their new steer pens and show/
demo facility. The pens were built by the Ag
Mechanics and Heavy Equipment and Construction