8 Silver State Post, October 12, 2011 Learn the Annie Lombardi, Hunter Chladek, Mekdes Lombardi and Bill Lombardi segregate out sheep to sell at market. Students at Powell County High School get to visit a farm operated by the Futre Farmers of America if they take Lombardi's Agricultural Science class. SSP photo by Steve Waggener. FFA farm offers great opportunity by Steve Waggener "In reality Montana is totally an export state. We're produc- ing vastly more than we con- sume here," Bill Lombardi said. "Montana is kind of a world leader in one aspect of seed stock production." PCHS Agricultural Science Teacher Bill Lombardi said he is excited by the scientific ele- ments of agriculture and market globalization. As an example he explained that the vast majority of wheat grown in Montana is shipped to Southeast Asia. Deer Lodge FFA Chapter uses a farm located along North Frontage Road on the north end of Deer Lodge. The farm allows for hands-on, tactile learning for agriculture students. It is currently used for grazing and livestock production education. Most of the FFA farm ani- mals are owned by the local the students in FFA and by PCHS. Students also have the option to purchase their own animals for use with FFA or they can lease a birthing animal and keep the offspring. A variety of animals can be raised on the farm - sheep, cattle (dairy or beef), poultry (turkey. or chicken), horses, goats, and pigs. "What we raise at the farm is dependent on several factors - money is not necessarily the first or foremost. Is there educational value in that animal? How much labor is involved? What is the cost to feed and maintain the ani- mal?" Lombardi explained. FFA offers five degree levels to students. The Discovery Degree is available to seventh and eighth graders. The Greenhand Year is a student's freshman year of high school and first year of agricul- ture. Students then go to Chapter level then State and finally Amer- ican, which is the highest degree offered by FFA. The American FFA Degree is awarded to participants that: re- ceive Greenhand, Chapter and State FFA Degrees; FFA member for minimum of three years; com- plete minimum of three years (540 hours) of high school agriculture classes or two years high school and one year college (360 hours); at least one year after graduating high school; SAE records dem- onstrating planning, managerial, leadership and financial skills; and earned and invested at least $7,500 or have earned and in- vested at least $1,500 and worked 2,250 hours beyond scheduled school hours in accordance with their SAEs. Lombardi said that this year Joe Lombardi and Adam Hegge- lund will be awarded the Ameri- Each school is allowed a pre- determined number of seats at the FFA Leadership Conference. Montana is given 10 seats, two of which go to PCHS and FFA students can apply for them. Se- lected students are given an all- expenses paid trip to the confer- ence in Washington. Last summer Sonny Beck - Deer Lodge FFA Chapter presi- dent - and Anni Lombardi - vice president - were selected to attend. "FFA is a component of agri- culture education which began at Powell County High School A litter of piglets get some feed time care of FFA's prized mother pig. Including the pig, eight types of animals are raised on the FFA Farm - sheep, cattle (dairy or beef), poultry (turkey or chicken), horses and goats. SSP photo by Steve Waggener. can FFA Degree at the national convention. FFA is composed of three el- ements: Classroom Instruction in which students are educated about all facets of agriculture; Supervised Agricultural Experi- ence, or SAE, in which students apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom; and fi- nally FFA Leadership Develop- ment where the experience gained in the first and second phase are combined and applied to leader- ship skill development - public speaking, parliamentary proce- dure, and personal initiative are a few examples. Bill Lombardi holds a sheep while Mekdes Lombardi and Hunter Chladek practice gender recognition. SSP photo by Steve Waggener. about 1919 or 1920 - that's as far back as our records go," Lom- bardi said. In 1917 Congress passed the Smith-Hughes Act mandating agricultural education be taught at the high school level, and that action ignited a fire that continues to grow today. In November of 1928 Leon- ard Eliason was the Deer Lodge delegate for the 1928 American Royal Stock Show where the FFA was founded and the Deer Lodge FFA chapter received its charter the following spring. Eliason continued to become an FFA state officer for Montana and the first American Degree re- cipient in the state. "April 5, 1929 Deer Lodge FFA was started," Bill Lombardi said. "We are the oldest chapter in the state, and one of the oldest in the nation." "In 1950 Congress passed pub- lic law 740 that said, 'If you are going to teach agriculture educa- tion in high school in America you will be required to have FFA - it will be a part of what you teach and what you do," Lom- bardi said. Lombardi explained that in the 1920s agriculture was a sign of strength and independence from foreign entities and that educating youth in agriculture was an investment in the future of America. 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