A sea of Blue and Gold jackets descends upon Indianapolis Oct. 24 - 27
 
MADISON, Wis. [October 18, 2018] – Indianapolis will be buzzing with the excitement of FFA members from all over the country Wednesday, Oct. 24 – Saturday, Oct. 27. Advisors, parents, alumni and hundreds of Wisconsin Association of FFA students are setting travel plans and preparing for the 91^st National FFA Convention, a highly-anticipated annual meeting of the Blue and Gold corduroy jackets.   
 
Tours, workshops, awards, speakers, national competitions, and many other opportunities are available for all attendees at National FFA Convention. A concert from country star Garth Brooks and National FFA Organization’s newest initiative, the Blue Room, are highlights of the event. The 17,000-square-foot Blue Room is a cutting-edge, interactive educational opportunity to expose FFA members to innovations within agriculture, technology, health, engineering and more. Through a partnership with AgriNovus Indiana, the Blue Room brings the world’s agricultural leaders directly to FFA members while they are in Indianapolis. 
 
“We are so proud of the many Wisconsin FFA members, advisors, chapters, alumni and supporters that are competing, being recognized and volunteering at the 91st National FFA Convention,” says Cheryl Zimmerman, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of FFA and Wisconsin FFA Center. “To get to this level of recognition takes many hours of hard work and dedication. These achievements start at the local level in schools and communities around Wisconsin.”

“The positive impact that FFA has for both students and adults is tremendous in growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture,” she adds. “National FFA Convention is a time to celebrate achievements, but also to motivate and provide world-class leadership training for thousands of individuals across the nation, including those of us from right here in Wisconsin.”
 
Listed below are the Wisconsin FFA members competing for national titles, recognition of Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association, and those receiving honorary awards. All times Central and coverage can be seen at convention.ffa.org.

• Second Session – Thursday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. – National Chapter Awards
  • Three Star Chapters – Badger, Cochrane-Fountain City, Deforest, Denmark, Freedom, Manawa, Waupaca, Weyauwega-Fremont
  • Two Star Chapters – Amery, Barron, Beaver Dam, Big Foot, Columbus, Granton, Kiel, Mishicot, Pardeeville, Prairie Farm, Sauk Prairie, Shullsburg, Stanley-Boyd, Tomah, Waupun, Whitehall, Winneconne
  • Model of Excellence National Finalist – Waupaca
• Third Session – Thursday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. – Stars over America
  • American Star in Agriscience Finalist - Katheryn Vacula, Big Foot FFA
• Fourth Session – Friday, Oct. 26 at 7 a.m. –  Honorary Awards
  • Distinguished Service Citation
    • Culver Franchising System
  • VIP Awards
    • Paul Larson, Freedom FFA
    • Glenn Simms, National FFA Foundation, Mukwonago
  • Honorary American Degrees
    • Carla Gunst
    • Don Josko
    • DeWayne Fossum, Bloomer FFA
    • Dan Ziegler, New Glarus FFA
  • National Outstanding Achievement Awards
    • Greg Lincicum, Juda FFA Alumni
    • John Arneson, Stoughton FFA Alumni
  • Regional Finalist for the Outstanding Chapter Award
    • Marshfield FFA Alumni
  • Regional Finalist for the Outstanding State Association Award
    • Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association
• Fifth Session – Friday, Oct. 26 at 11 a.m. – National Officer Candidate and Agriscience Fair
  • National Officer Candidate
    • Meikah Dado, Amery FFA
  • National FFA Agriscience Fair Recognition
    • Animal Systems
      • Division 1 – Ella Woodworth, Shullsburg FFA
      • Division 2 – Sierra Steele and Hannah Walters, Tomah FFA
      • Division 3 – Madison Russell, Shullsburg FFA
    • Environmental Services/Natural Resource Systems 
      • Division 1 – Kylee Traaseth, New Auburn FFA
      • Division 2 – Caleb Gotham and Wyatt Gotham, New Auburn FFA
      • Division 3 – Kayla Reed, Pulaski FFA
      • Division 6 – Lyndsey Mickelson and Ervin Kraft, Barron FFA
    • Food Products and Processing Systems
      • Division 2 – Matthew Elmhorst and Jackson Skaw, New Auburn FFA
      • Division 3 – Melissa Konkel, Big Foot FFA
    • Plant Systems
      • Division 1 – Kennia Nedland, New Auburn FFA
      • Division 2 – Ryan Boeder and Devin Nowak, Wrightstown FFA
      • Division 4 – Trinity Foster and Alexis Voigt, Wausau FFA
      • Division 5 – Taylor Hanley, Cashton FFA
    • Power, Structural and Technical Systems 
      • Division 2 – Mikey Lauterbach and Collin Sykora, New Auburn FFA
      • Division 3 – Connor Esch, Union Grove FFA
  • Social Systems
    • Division 5 – Gracie Morrissey, Shullsburg FFA
• Sixth Session – Friday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. – National Agricultural Proficiency Awards
  • Agricultural Education – Amelia Hayden, Big Foot FFA
  • Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Placement – Logan Paul, Randolph-Cambria Friesland FFA
  • Dairy Production Entrepreneurship – Mikayla Endres, Lodi FFA
  • Diversified Horticulture – Jakob Gmur, Whitewater FFA
  • Forest Management and Products – Conrad Domine, Cochrane-Fountain City FFA
  • Landscape Management – Jeremy Hoekstra, Randolph-Cambria Friesland FFA
  • Poultry Production – Katie Ann Sievert, Bonduel FFA
  • Specialty Crop Production – Connor Kurtzweil, Edgar FFA
•  Seventh Session – Friday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. – Leadership Development Event Award Winners
  • Creed Speaking – Libby Hasheider, Sauk Prairie FFA
  • Employment Skills – Alexis Schank, Arcadia FFA
  • Extemporaneous Speaking – Anna Kitzerow, Plymouth FFA
  • Parliamentary Procedure – Pardeeville FFA
  • Prepared Speaking – Dylan Clausen, Amery FFA
• Eighth Session –  Saturday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 a.m. – American FFA Degree Ceremony
  • 150 Wisconsin American FFA Degrees

• Ninth Session – Saturday, Oct. 27 at 12:30 p.m. – Delegate Reports, Leadership Development Event Award Winners  and Nominating Committee Recognition
  • National FFA Delegates
    • Olivia Schlesser, Arcadia FFA  
    • Nichole Catts, Clear Lake FFA
    • Samantha Hanner, Oregon FFA
    • Riley Anderson, Ellsworth FFA (1^st Alternate)