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Attendance for the event dipped slightly last year with only 1,100 attending, Fledderman said, but expected turnout looked better for 2018.
“This year we’re looking at between 1,300 to 1,500 students,” he said.
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Students participating in the event had the opportunity to judge four different categories: general livestock, equine, argonomy and dairy. It also provided different learning opportunities through onsite tests and quizzes about judging and general farm knowledge.
The contest allows students to use their knowledge firsthand, Fledderman said, and gain more experience so they know what to look for when they start their own farms.
“It’s not just learning in the classroom and looking,” he said. “It gives you a little background so you know what you’re looking for.”
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Students around the region look forward to the event, which also serves as a tourist attraction and one of the first judging competitions of the spring season in the region.
Brighton Morris, a junior at Blanchester High School and a second-year attendee, said it’s one of her favorite events of the year.
“It’s a good way to meet new people and definitely get out and test your knowledge on something,” she said. “You grow as a person and as an FFA member in general.”
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