The contest requires students to evaluate three soil profiles and one homesite location. On the soil component, students must identify factors such as seasonal high water table, rooting zone, soil permeability, organic content and slope. Using these factors combined students had to classify land into a capability class and a soil order. Once the soil factors have been identified, students are required make recommendations for vegetative practices, mechanical practices and fertilizer recommendations to improve the site.

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Florida agriculture is evident in our daily lives and at Central Florida’s newest theme park. The Fresh From Florida Greenhouse exhibit at Legoland displayed the vast diversity of Florida’s agriculture. The exhibit contains citrus trees, complete with fruit and hauling equipment, animals and honeybees. The Fresh From Exhibit held its grand opening on Thursday, March 29, 2012 with Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam leading the ceremony, along with FFA students from across the county.

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FFA recently named Bartow Middle School the state winner in the 2011 Food Science & Technology Career Development Event (CDE) held December 3, 2011 at the University of Florida.

The 2011 BMS team members are: Emily Grant, Katy Locke, Devin Dye, and Rebecca Ruffi. In individual competition, Devin Dye placed 2nd place and Rebecca Ruffi placed 3rd.

Fourteen middle schools competed in the event. Held annually, the competition is designed to stimulate learning activities in the food science and technology areas.

Bartow Middle School FFA State Champion team members from left to right:
Emily Grant, Katy Locke, Devin Dye, and Rebecca Ruffi.

On the farm, lessons for life: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

LAKELAND - FOX 13's Rick Hardman follows a group of GJHS Academy of Veterinary Science students taking care of their animals, getting important lessons on leadership and personal growth in the process.

Congratulations to the Bartow Middle FFA Chapter for winning the 2011 State Food Science & Technology Career Development Event (CDE). The event was held December 3, 2011 at the University of Florida. Twenty-six high school teams and fourteen middle school teams from throughout Florida gathered to compete for the top spot. The purpose of the Food Science CDE is to stimulate learning activities in food science and technology related to the food industry and to assist students in developing a good working knowledge of sound principles used in a team decision-making process.

Congratulations to Devin Dye and Rebecca Ruffi for received the second and third highest individual scores for the middle school division.

Tuesday January 4, 2011 was an exciting day in our state’s capital as Florida’s 45^th Governor, Rick Scott, was inaugurated, along with Polk’s Adam Putnam as Florida’s new Commissioner of Agriculture.  Four FFA members, Morgan Carlton and Taylor Walker from Kathleen FFA and Shelby Oesterreicher and Wes Fussell from Bartow FFA were there to witness the historic event.

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This year district eight held their second annual Christmas food and toy drive. Many of the schools in the district participated. The officer team at Bartow Sr. FFA had the privilege of wrapping the presents and boxing up the food. “Not only did we have fun wrapping the presents and boxing the food it also felt good to serve others,” says Jenna Ann Waters, the Bartow Sr. FFA Vice President.

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Ten students used their speaking ability to convince the judges that they were the best speaker with their speech entitled “What opportunities and/or challenges exist for Florida agriculture in regards to renewable energy and climate change legislation?” at the Polk County Farm Bureau Youth Speech contest.

Miss KT Spencer, a junior at George Jenkins High School, was announced the winner and will represent Polk County in the upcoming regional contest. KT is an active member of FFA and has been very successful in all of her activities. She has won numerous dog shows with her Austrailian Shepard, Suede, including being named a “Champion of Champions” at the Florida State Fair and has qualified for the national Eukanuba dog show. She was a state finalist creed speaker in 2008 and also placed 2nd in the state FFA Veterinary Assisting contest in April of 2010. She currently serves as an FFA senator for the George Jenkins FFA chapter.

Pictured left to right are Lexie Booher of Haines City High School - third place; Brett Wasden of Bartow High School - second place; and KT Spencer of George Jenkins High School - first place.