Cashmere FFA to send 4 teams to National Convention

Top Photo - Food Science: Sydney Young, Alayna Groce, Eli Lyons, Adria Torrence, Jordan Holladay Second photo - Meats 1: Kimmy Dodson, Isabel Fadenrecht, Debra Dodson, Greg Worley, Maggie Finch, Not Pictured - Jonah Groce Third photo - Meats 2: Maddie Hammond, Cameron Phillips, Mac Kelly, Alayna Groce, Grady Zimmerman Bottom photo - Milk Quality: Madison Jaeger, Isabel Fadenrecht, Tristan Hoffman, Riley Johnson, Payten Heyen, Mac Kelly Photos submitted by Rusty Finch

Posted Wednesday, June 16, 2021 9:20 am

Rusty Finch Cashmere High School Agriculture FFA Advisor

Cashmere FFA ended the year by qualifying 3 additional teams for National Competition this fall. Cashmere will have 16 students composing 4 teams heading to Indianapolis in late October.

Meats Evaluation

Eleven Cashmere students competed in the State FFA's 2nd in-person event of the year at the Grant County Fairgrounds on June 3rd. Out of 9 total teams, Cashmere went 1st and 3rd, with the first team winning by over 200 points. Cashmere landed 6 kids in the top ten individuals.

Students had to identify 30 retail cuts from a list of 120, quality and yield grade beef ribs according to USDA standards and select/rank different meat cuts based on quality, cutability, workmanship and color. They also took a written test, performed a least cost formulation calculation and identified muscle and skeletal anatomy. This is the 5th Meats team Cashmere has taken to Nationals.

Meats Evaluation - 1st

Maggie Finch - 1st

Debra Dodson - 2nd

Greg Worley - 3rd

Jonah Groce - 4th

Isabel Fadenrecht - 10th

Kimmy Dodson

Meats Evaluation - 3rd

Grady Zimmerman - 9th

Maddie Hammond

Alayna Groce

Cameron Phillips

Mac Kelly

Milk Quality

On May 20th, the Milk Quality team outperformed 8 other teams to earn the right to represent Washington at Nationals. In a modified virtual format, the team dropped less than 50 points and outperformed the closest school by over 200 points. Students were assessed on milk production, processing and marketing with a 60 question written exam. The event also required students to analyze and solve milk production statistical data problems. Finally, they had to identify cheese samples and the accompanying characteristics through a virtual platform. This will be the 4th Milk Quality team Cashmere has taken to the National Convention.

Milk Quality -1st

Tristan Hoffman - 1st

Mac Kelly - 2nd

Riley Johnson - 5th

Payten Heyen - 6th

Isabel Fadenrecht - 7th

Food Science

Cashmere's Food Science Team placed 1st out of 17 teams earning a trip to Nationals. Students completed a 50 question knowledge test covering food processing, food safety, food chemistry and microbiology. They also evaluated customer complaint scenarios to determine if the issue was a food safety or food quality concern and in turn had to diagnose whether the problem was biological, chemical or physical in nature. Contestants observed photos for food production sanitation violations and performed mathematical food processing calculations. Eli Lyons and Adria Torrence tied for 1st in the competition individually. This is the 7th Food Science team Cashmere has taken to the National Convention.

Food Science - 1st

Eli Lyons - 1st

Adria Torrence - 1st

Jordan Holladay - 4th

Sydney Young - 7th

Alayna Groce - 10th