Lindsay Academy FFA Celebrates Milestones in Its First Year
Written By: Cooper Herchenbach & Max Stenger
Lindsay Academy has recently started its own FFA chapter as of this year. Before this year we went over to Newman Grove and participated in FFA with them. With the new school being finalized, we decided to start our very own FFA chapter. This makes it easier for the students to learn and prepare for contests such as CDEs and LDEs. The advisor for the new chapter is Miss Chelsa Reardon. Miss Reardon graduated from Lindsay Holy Family in 2022 and recently completed her student teaching at Lutheran High Northeast in Norfolk, Nebraska. She attends the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and will graduate in December with a degree in Agricultural Education. She is returning to her hometown to spark a new chapter, and we are very grateful for her and wish her the best with the FFA chapter in the years to come.
Starting a new FFA chapter comes with a lot of challenges, and one of these challenges is raising the funds needed for our first-year FFA chapter. It is important for us to raise enough money to help send members to state and national FFA to compete and participate in educational opportunities. One of our biggest fundraisers this far has been our labor auction. Mark Stock with BigIron Auctions came in and auctioned each FFA member off to people from around the community. Each purchase came with 8 hours of labor, and the average cost was around $500 per purchased member. We roughly brought in $10,000 into our chapter’s account in exchange for the labor, and the money raised from this fundraiser has helped start our year of attending FFA events off strong.
We are also doing fruit sales to help us raise money. Each member was given a packet with all the sales information and was asked to sell as much fruit and goods as they could. The members then went out and sold items to family, friends, and anyone else that was interested. Some members really went above and beyond and sold as much as $1,000, and altogether we ended up selling $15,000 worth of fruit.
Another challenge that starting a new FFA chapter causes is the branding. We needed all new FFA jackets and shirts to match with our new chapter. Luckily, there was a scholarship sent out to us that gave us the chance to receive a free corduroy jacket with Lindsay Academy FFA written on it. A total of seven of the members were rewarded with a free jacket. This helped our new chapter out a lot. We were able to try on a variety of random jackets to figure out what sizes we needed.
We have been trying to have an FFA meeting once a month so that all of the members are up to date on what contests and events are coming up within the next month. Our November meeting included Casey’s pizza so that the members wouldn’t have to eat supper before coming in. The pizza is bought using the money that we have raised through various fundraisers like the fruit sales and the labor auction.
Once next semester rolls around, our meetings will also be a time where we can sign up for district CDE’s and line up times to practice either before or after school if the members want. This year, there are 28 active high school members involved in FFA, along with the junior high getting involved and slowly doing things.
Back in September we had our annual farm safety day. Members of the chapter brought in different animals, equipment, and items to show the Lindsay Holy Family elementary students how to be safe on and around the farm. Along with farm safety day, we also went out and helped with Richard Bender's annual picking days. The members got to run his fancy equipment, for example corn pickers and corn shellers. They also got to run old John Deere tractors on three-bottom plows.
Another opportunity members have had this year is to attend the National FFA Convention, an event that takes place in Indianapolis where people from schools all around the world meet to compete in events such as CDEs or LDEs. The FFA members that attended from Lindsay Academy were Isabella Gasper, Haydan Beller, Briley Dohmen, Paisley Weeder, Max Stenger, Kody Sueper, Brody Weise, Callista Reichmuth, Sierra Reardon, and Jessica Priester. This year there were a total of 73,000 FFA members in attendance, which was a new record-breaking high. In Indiana there were over 100 hotels completely booked for FFA members. Sessions took place in Lucas Oil Stadium, where big NFL games are held. These sessions are like small FFA meetings that focus on career success in agriculture and parliamentary procedure. One of the opening sessions had a total of 69,000 FFA members in attendance at the same time.
Lindsay Academy FFA members left at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 29th, and returned on November 1st. The drive to Indianapolis was the longest part of the trip, a 20-hour round-trip drive not including all of the stops along the way. On the first day of the National FFA Convention we attended the first group session and toured a local dairy in the afternoon. The dairy was a great place to learn and expand our knowledge of the dairy industry. Lindsay Academy was introduced to a few three-week-old Holstein calves that we were able to bottle-feed. We were also shown the different feed ratios for the cows. Learning about the ratios was important in helping us understand the daily ins and outs of a dairy farm. We fed the bottle calves, and even though most of us have done this before, it was still a fun experience that reminded us of our childhoods. After showing us around the farm, the owners demonstrated how the cows are milked and let each of us take a turn milking them. They also have a kitchen connected to the barn where they make all their products on site. We tried their homemade yogurt, cheese, and warm condensed milk, all of which were very delicious.
After that, we ventured to Kentucky and toured the Louisville Slugger facility. They sell and make all kinds of baseball bats, and we were shown the entire process of how the bats are made. When the tour was finished, we were each given a small baseball bat as a souvenir.
Lindsay Academy livestock judging teams also traveled to Wahoo, Nebraska, to participate in district livestock judging. Max Stenger placed 60th in the senior division. In the junior division, results were: Kody Sueper placing 4th, Brody Weise placing 18th, Kaden Sueper placing 58th, Alex Priester placing 69th, Breckin Weeder placing 98th, Connor Klassen placing 108th, and Nolan Klassen placing 121st. The junior team placed 5th overall and will compete at the state convention this coming March.
State FFA is right around the corner. It will be held in Lincoln, Nebraska, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. All FFA members have a fair chance at making it to state through this year’s districts, which are being held in Columbus, Nebraska, at CCC. Members must place in their CDEs or LDEs in order to qualify for state. CDEs and LDEs are agriculture-related quizzes or tasks that cover many areas of agriculture. Students compete against more than 100 other kids packed into a room, all hoping to make it to state. It is usually an all-day event, and members are typically fed Subway provided at the competition.
This month has been going very well, and very busy, for Lindsay Academy students. From fruit sales to meetings to national FFA, the students have been working hard and raising a lot of money for our new FFA chapter. The labor auction and fruit sales were both a huge success, bringing in a substantial amount of money to help members attend state and national FFA conferences without having to pay out of pocket. Members are preparing and getting excited to compete in districts next semester. Overall, everyone is very happy with how the new chapter has been going and how far we have grown in the past year.
December Teacher Spotlight: Miss Chelsa Reardon
Lindsay Academy’s first-ever Agriculture Education teacher, Miss Chelsa Reardon, will be getting classes started after Christmas break. She will be teaching a variety of classes, including Intro to Agriculture, Junior High Ag, Ag Business, Horticulture, and Natural Resources. We recently had the opportunity to interview her and learn a little more about her and what she plans to bring to the table here at Lindsay Academy.
Q: How does teaching agriculture in your hometown community feel meaningful to you?
A: “It feels meaningful because ag education is a part of who we are as a community. When I’m teaching students about livestock, crops, or FFA leadership, it’s not just classwork, it's the same skills and values their families use every day. Everything we talk about ties right back to the local farms, shops, and operations they grew up around.”
Q: What inspired you to go into teaching Agriculture education?
A: “I chose agricultural education because agriculture has always been a huge part of my life, and it’s something I’ve always been passionate about. Teaching ag gives me the chance to share that passion with students and help them learn things they can actually use in their everyday life.”
Q: What part of starting Lindsay Academy’s first FFA chapter are you most looking forward to?
A: “I am most looking forward to giving students new opportunities that they’ve never had before. Even in just one semester, they’ve already gotten to experience so many things, and it’s been awesome to watch them grow. I’m excited to keep expanding the program, and opening doors for them that they might not have realized were possible.”
Q: What is your favorite hobby?
A: “I love to read!”
Q: What is your dream vacation?
A: “My dream vacation is going to Greece!”
Q: What is one goal you have for next semester as you join the teaching staff at Lindsay Academy?
A: “One goal I have at Lindsay Academy is to grow alongside the staff and become a strong part of the team. I’m excited to learn from everyone, contribute where I can, and work together to create the best opportunities for our students.”
Q: What hands-on learning activities do you hope to provide for students in your classroom?
A: “Some activities I already have planned include growing micro-greens in the classroom, planting potatoes, and setting up a grow tower. I’m excited for students to get hands-on experience with these projects and see their work come to life.”
Q: What FFA event or contest did you love most as a student and why?
A: “I loved getting to do Employment Skills at LDEs in FFA. It really helped me as I moved into the real world with interviews and building important life skills. That experience gave me confidence and prepared me for situations I still use today.”
Q: What are you most excited for with starting your teaching career?
A: “I am most excited about being back in my hometown and getting to teach the students I’ve known my whole life. It feels special to come full circle and give back to the community that raised me. Most of all, I’m excited to give these students the best opportunities I can and help them experience things they may not have had before.”
We are grateful to welcome Mrs. Chelsa Reardon as our first agriculture teacher and excited for the opportunities her leadership will bring to Lindsay Academy's new FFA program.