Ridgedale FFA

08/22/2026

08/22/2026

🌱 **A GREAT START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR IN RIDGEDALE AG!** 💙💛

The school year has begun, and we are excited about the **ideas, plans, projects, and goals** we are working toward in the Ridgedale Agricultural Education Department!

This past week, our students jumped right into **hands-on learning!**

🌱 **Indoor Plant Lab & Hydroponics**
Students have been busy setting up our indoor plant lab and planting **microgreens in our hydroponics system**. Throughout the project, students will learn about plant science, growing requirements, hydroponic production, responsibility, and harvesting.

And we're growing with a purpose! 🥗 Once the microgreens are ready to harvest, our goal is to provide them to the **Ridgedale kitchen to use in salads**—giving students the opportunity to experience food production from **planting to plate!**

🤝 **Team Building & Leadership**
Students also took part in team-building challenges that required them to **communicate, problem-solve, think creatively, listen to one another, and work together toward a common goal.**

Sometimes an idea works, sometimes it doesn't—and that's part of learning! Students had to make adjustments, try again, and rely on their teammates to complete the challenge.

Agricultural Education is about so much more than learning about agriculture. It's about preparing young people with the **leadership, communication, teamwork, responsibility, and problem-solving skills** they will need in their future careers and everyday lives.

We're off to a GREAT start, and this is only the beginning!

🌱 **Learning by Doing.**
🤝 **Growing Together.**
💙💛 **Preparing for the Future.**

07/09/2026

The Rabbit Barn had some amazing Banner, Belt Buckle, Wooden Rabbit and Tee- Shirt Sponsors that make our barn a special place to show in. This year our list grew! When we came up short, everyone stepped up! I have posted photos of the banners with each sponsor through out the page throughout last week. Please check them out as they are AMAZING! And everyone loved the BELT BUCKLES which were new the the barn this year!!!!

Special thank you to Melissa & Jake Heffley for making our wooden rabbits this year & Madi Eager @ Eager Design for making shirts for the rabbit junior fair members and advisors. ( Maybe if we have interest we can do rabbit barn shirts next year if we have interest?)

It takes a village to make the barn work and our barn is luck to have the support it does! Thank you all!!!!

07/08/2026

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07/04/2026

After a week of working hard in the barns and showing livestock in the extreme heat and humidity, the Marion County Ag Olympics were the perfect opportunity for exhibitors to relax, laugh, and enjoy some friendly competition.

The Ag Olympics brought together 4-H and FFA members for a day filled with teamwork, sportsmanship, and fun, reminding us that the fair is about more than ribbons—it's about building friendships, creating memories, and celebrating the agricultural community.

Thank you to everyone who organized this great event and to all the participants who brought their energy, enthusiasm, and smiles. After a long, hot week, it was a well-deserved chance to unwind and enjoy time together. Congratulations to everyone who participated in making the Marion County Ag Olympics a memorable part of the fair! 🌾🏅🐄☀️
Special thanks to Marion County Farm Bureau for sponsorship and organizing this event plus volunteers.

07/04/2026

Even through the extreme heat and humidity, exhibitors at the Marion County Fair Market Goat Show demonstrated incredible determination, enthusiasm, and pride in their projects. Events like these are more than competitions—they are an opportunity to educate the public about agriculture and the many contributions goats make to our daily lives.

07/04/2026

Even through the extreme heat and humidity, exhibitors at the Marion County Fair Market Goat Show demonstrated incredible determination, enthusiasm, and pride in their projects. Events like these are more than competitions—they are an opportunity to educate the public about agriculture and the many contributions goats make to our daily lives.

Goats provide nutritious meat enjoyed around the world, as well as milk that is used to make cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream, soap, lotions, and other personal care products. They also produce fiber, such as mohair and cashmere, which is used to create high-quality clothing and textiles.

Our exhibitors spend months caring for their animals, learning about nutrition, health, animal welfare, and responsible livestock management. Their hard work helps connect our community to agriculture and reminds us of the dedication required to produce the food and products we rely on every day.

Thank you to all of our exhibitors, families, volunteers, and supporters for continuing to share the story of agriculture with our community. 🐐🌾☀️

07/03/2026

Exhibitors can only be given add ons IF they are in the Jr. Fair Livestock Sale.

07/02/2026

Before we get started, let's give a big round of applause to these outstanding exhibitors! The Market Steer project is one of the longest commitments in the junior fair. Many of these steers have been raised by these young people for 12 to 18 months. That's over a year of early mornings, late nights, feeding, watering, cleaning pens, working hair, exercising cattle, and making sure their animals stay healthy every single day.

And today, they're doing it on one of the hottest and most humid days of the summer! While we're looking for shade and a cold drink, these exhibitors have already spent hours caring for their cattle before they ever stepped into the show ring. That's dedication, responsibility, and determination at its finest.

Today's show is about much more than ribbons. It's about showcasing the knowledge and skills these exhibitors have gained through hard work and hands-on learning. They have learned about nutrition, animal health, genetics, daily care, record keeping, budgeting, and time management. They've also developed confidence, sportsmanship, and leadership—skills they'll carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Market steers are raised to produce high-quality, wholesome beef for families across America. Beef is an excellent source of protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins, making it an important part of a healthy diet. Every animal you see in the ring today represents the future of agriculture and the dedication of the next generation of producers.

As the classes come into the ring, watch for cattle that combine muscle, structural correctness, balance, and overall performance. But also remember—behind every steer is a young person who has invested hundreds of hours caring for that animal.

Whether this is your first fair or you've attended for years, we hope you'll enjoy today's competition and take a moment to thank these exhibitors, their families, advisors, and volunteers who make this event possible.

Now, let's get this show underway! Best of luck to all of our Marion County Market Steer exhibitors, and thank you for supporting the youth and agriculture programs that make our county fair such a special tradition!