Berks County FFA members receive Keystone Degrees

Hundreds of FFA students, including many from Berks County, gathered for the 91st Annual Mid-Winter FFA Convention during 104th PA Farm Show in Harrisburg.

“As a former FFA student, I know firsthand the transformative power of the blue corduroy jacket,” said Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “The opportunities provided to me through the FFA, and in the show ring, are what framed who I am and being Secretary of Agriculture today,” he said, according to a press release.

Redding mingled with more than 5,000 FFA members during the convention, which recognized the leadership and field experiences of 405 Keystone Degree recipients.

“The Keystone Degree is the highest degree that the Pennsylvania FFA Association can bestow upon its members and requires students to invest over 300 hours in their Supervised Agricultural Experience programs, complete 25 hours of community service, participate in over 15 FFA events, and more during their time in FFA,” posted the Kutztown FFA on its Facebook page.

Kutztown Area High School Keystone recipients were Ellissa Kunkel, Ethan Sanner, Ashleigh Moss, Thea LaMastra, and Owen Stemko.

Conrad Weiser High School Keystone recipients were Rachel Kesselring,

Anna McNutt, Abigail Schaeffer and Emma Schaeffer.

Oley Valley High School Keystone recipients were Hollie Bower, Matthew Conrad, Andrew Kline, Paige Rohrbach Andrew Schaeffer, Katelyn Smith, Danielle Trimbur, and Haley Weidman.

Tulpehocken High School Keystone recipients were Austin Deck, Seth Etchberger, Natalie Grumbine and Stephanie Younker.

Twin Valley High School

Keystone recipients were Alexis Cochran, Abigail Baumgard, Triniti DiSilvestro, Madison Rice and Emma Burry.

Also, the Pennsylvania FFA Alumni Association awarded 420 FFA jackets to first-year members. Getting their blue jackets has been a milestone for FFA highschoolers for decades.

In other youth-related Farm Show news, $500,000 in agriculture and youth grants were announced, to provide improved access to hands-on agriculture education experiences.

Farm Show visitors ate a whopping 19,000 gallons of ice cream in milkshakes and cones during the eightday Farm Show, according to Press Secretary Shannon Powers. Fulfilling pre-show predictions of two births per day, the Calving Corner welcomed 16 calves. And the half-ton butter sculpture was torn down by 4-Hers so it can be fed to a methane digester and converted to renewable energy.

Tulpehocken High School Keystone recipients were Stephanie Younker, Seth Etchberger, Austin Deck and Natalie Grumbine.

Twin Valley High School students received Keystone Degrees at the 2020PA Farm Show: from left to right: PA Sec. of Education Pedro Rivera, Triniti DiSilvestro, Emma Burry, Madison Rice, Abigail Baumgard, Alexis Cochran, and PA Sec. of Agriculture Russell Redding.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Kutztown Area High School Keystone recipients were, left to right, Ellissa Kunkel, Ethan Sanner, Ashleigh Moss, Thea LaMastra, and not pictured Owen Stemko.