Smithville FFA chapter

08/13/2026

We want to thank the entire Ag Success Team of Wayne County!

We had the opportunity to meet with agricultural leaders and supporters from across Wayne County, including County Commissioners, staff from our U.S. House Representative’s office, an Ohio House Representative and Smithville FFA alumnus!, the ATI Director, the Dean of the OSU Wooster Campus, local business partners, and many others who support agriculture and agricultural education in our county.

The conversations opened the door to some great opportunities for our students — from volunteers helping with future events and contests to invitations to visit agricultural businesses and facilities throughout Wayne County!

A special thank you to Wayne County Farm Bureau and Wayne County Soil & Water Conservation District for bringing everyone together and making this meeting possible. We appreciate the continued support of agricultural education and FFA in Wayne County!

08/08/2026

Anyone interested in helping Smithville FFA - we are parking cars at the Holmes Co Fair Monday and need more help in the afternoon and evening! You get into the fair for free when you are done!

At the Holmes County Fair, we were entrusted with the important task of managing the parking arrangements on Monday, August 10. This not only presents us with a chance to showcase the strong work ethic and community spirit of the Smithville FFA chapter but also serves as a valuable fundraising oppor...

08/08/2026

🚨 We are only 48 HOURS AWAY from our Holmes County Fair Parking Fundraiser, and I need to be very honest—we still do not have enough volunteers for the afternoon and evening.

On Monday, August 10, Smithville FFA is responsible for parking cars at the Holmes County Fair. This is a great fundraiser for our chapter, but we have to provide the people to make it work!

Right now, our desperate need is:
🕑 2:00–5:30 PM — BIG NEED!
🕔 5:00–8:30 PM — BIG NEED!

The reality is, not filling these shifts really isn't an option. We committed to doing the job, and we need enough people there to do it safely and effectively.

So, as an extra thank-you, any FFA member who volunteers for the 2:00–5:30 or 5:00–8:30 shift will have their $20 annual FFA membership fee covered from the proceeds of this fundraiser! 💙💛

Already signed up for a morning shift? If you are able and willing to move your shift to after 2:00 PM, that would be a HUGE help. You can change your signup through the link or just let me know and I'll help get you moved.

Parents and community — we especially need you!
If you're able to come over after work and help with the evening shift, please consider joining us. You don't need any special experience, and you certainly don't need to be an FFA member!

Here's why I'm pushing so hard for more people: We need a minimum of 15 people during the afternoon. Right now, we're barely at half of that. Once we put volunteers at the top and bottom of the hill and have people along the road directing traffic, that can leave us with only one or two people actually parking cars. We really need 6–8 people actively parking cars to keep things moving.
When we have enough volunteers, this is EASY work. We stand around, direct cars, visit with each other, and the shift goes pretty quickly. When we're short-handed, though, everyone is running around and working 10x harder trying to keep up. That's what we're trying to avoid!

And remember:
🎟️ ALL volunteers receive FREE admission to the Holmes County Fair! Come early and enjoy the fair before your shift, or stay and enjoy it afterward.

Students can bring friends. Parents can bring friends. Grandparents, siblings, alumni, neighbors, cousins—we'll take them! Anyone age 13+ who is willing to help is welcome.

👉 PLEASE SIGN UP HERE:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904094AABA62DA4F85-64872967-holmes

If you haven't signed up yet and can give us 3½ hours Monday afternoon or evening, we genuinely need you.

I know everyone is busy, and I don't like begging for volunteers—but we made the commitment, we need to meet our minimum numbers, and I know this is a whole lot easier when we have enough hands there to do the job.

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up and to those who can jump in and help us fill these last shifts. We truly appreciate it! 💙💛

At the Holmes County Fair, we were entrusted with the important task of managing the parking arrangements on Monday, August 10. This not only presents us with a chance to showcase the strong work ethic and community spirit of the Smithville FFA chapter but also serves as a valuable fundraising oppor...

08/04/2026

🚨 WE NEED YOUR HELP! 🚨

Our Holmes County Fair Parking is just around the corner, and we still have MANY volunteer spots to fill!

On Monday, August 10, the Holmes County Fair has once again trusted the Smithville FFA to help park thousands of fairgoers. It's an important job that raises money to support leadership opportunities, contests, travel, community service, and so much more for our students.

💙 The best part? Almost anyone can help!

✅ Ages 13+
✅ FFA members
✅ Incoming freshmen
✅ Parents & grandparents
✅ Alumni
✅ Friends, neighbors, cousins...
✅ Anyone willing to smile and point cars into parking spaces!

⭐ **FREE admission to the Holmes County Fair** for every volunteer! Stay after your shift and enjoy the fair, great food, and entertainment.

Available 3½-hour shifts:
🕗 8:00–11:30 AM
🕚 11:00 AM–2:30 PM
🕑 2:00–5:30 PM
🕔 5:00–8:30 PM

👥 Want to volunteer with friends or family? Sign up for the same shift! You can even volunteer for multiple shifts if you'd like.

**We truly need your help to make this fundraiser successful.** If you have a few hours to give, we'd greatly appreciate it!

👉 **Sign up here:** https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904094AABA62DA4F85-64872967-holmes

Please LIKE, SHARE, and TAG someone who might be willing to help. Every volunteer makes a difference, and together we can make this another successful year for Smithville FFA! 💙💛🚜

At the Holmes County Fair, we were entrusted with the important task of managing the parking arrangements on Monday, August 10. This not only presents us with a chance to showcase the strong work ethic and community spirit of the Smithville FFA chapter but also serves as a valuable fundraising oppor...

07/24/2026

🚗 Volunteers Needed! Help Smithville FFA at the Holmes County Fair! 💙💛

One of our favorite (and easiest!) fundraisers of the year is back, and we need your help!

On Monday, August 10, 2026, Smithville FFA is once again managing parking at the Holmes County Fair. This is an important job that the fair has trusted us with for years, and it helps raise funds that directly support opportunities for our students throughout the year.

The best part? Anyone can help!

FFA members, incoming freshmen, siblings, parents, grandparents, alumni, neighbors, cousins, friends...if you're 13 years old or older, we'd love to have you join us!

⭐ FREE admission to the Holmes County Fair for all volunteers! Stay after your shift and enjoy the fair, great food, and exhibits.
⭐ Work with your friends or family—sign up for the same shift!
⭐ Sign up for one shift or multiple shifts if you'd like.

Shift Times
🕗 8:00–11:30 AM
🕚 11:00 AM–2:30 PM
🕑 2:00–5:30 PM
🕔 5:00–8:30 PM

Bring a water bottle, wear sunscreen, dress for the weather, and we'll take care of the rest!

👉 Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904094AABA62DA4F85-64872967-holmes

Thank you for supporting Smithville FFA! Every volunteer helps us continue providing leadership opportunities, competitions, travel experiences, community service projects, and so much more for our members.

At the Holmes County Fair, we were entrusted with the important task of managing the parking arrangements on Monday, August 10. This not only presents us with a chance to showcase the strong work ethic and community spirit of the Smithville FFA chapter but also serves as a valuable fundraising oppor...

07/17/2026

What an incredible FFA Officer Retreat!

It has already been a busy FFA summer, from our student trip to Italy to a three-day officer camp filled with learning, teamwork, and fun.

Our Smithville FFA officers had the opportunity to learn, grow, and build relationships alongside officers from Norwayne, Northwestern, and Triway FFA. The camaraderie between these chapters was amazing to watch as students shared ideas, challenged one another, and worked together to become stronger leaders.

A special thank-you to Inspiration Hills Camp for the wonderful hospitality and for providing a great setting for our retreat.

We would also like to thank our guest speakers, Philip Eberly and Sheri Nussbaum, for devoting many hours of preparation and time to our officer camp. Their lessons, encouragement, and willingness to invest in our students made a tremendous impact.

We are excited to see how these officers take what they learned back to their chapters as we continue working together to build the best leaders in Wayne County FFA!

07/03/2026

Greenly and RuthAnn started the day a little earlier than the rest of us with a sunrise run with Luca, our tour guide. Apparently, no one else thought running before breakfast on a trip sounded like a great idea… but they did it! 😂

After that, we had another big travel day for our group! Today we started in Italy with a visit to an olive grove, where we learned about the process of making olive oil from tree to table. It was neat to see how much tradition, care, and patience goes into something most of us just see in a bottle at the store.

After that, we headed toward France, with a stop along the Ligurian coast for lunch and some beach time. Lunch was lasagna and crème caramel, which is not a bad way to break up a bus ride! Then the group got a little time to enjoy the beach before loading back up and heading toward Nice.

Tonight we’ll get checked in near Antibes and settle in for the next part of the trip.

From a sunrise run, to olive oil, to the beach, to crossing into France — not a bad Thursday

07/03/2026

Sorry it's been a few days! Facebook wouldn't post!

Another awesome day in Italy!
We headed out to the Langhe region, which is basically rolling hills, vineyards, old villages, and views that look like they belong on a postcard. Our first stop was a cooking class where we got to cook like locals. We learned how to make traditional Piedmont pasta called Tajarin, which is a thin hand-cut egg noodle, along with grissini, the crispy breadsticks that started in Turin.

So yes… today we were officially noodle makers. Some of us may have been better at rolling and cutting than others, but nobody went hungry!

After lunch, we walked through a grape vineyard and learned more about the grapes, the land, and the winemaking traditions of this region. Then we visited the historic Castle of Grinzane Cavour, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we learned about Count Cavour and got to take in some incredible views over the vineyards and hills.

It was a great mix of food, farming, history, and culture — which is pretty much exactly what this trip is all about.
Another great day with a great group! 🇮🇹

06/30/2026

Italy Ag Trip Update! 🇮🇹🌱

Today was another full day of agriculture, learning, and seeing how food production looks in another part of the world.

We started the morning at a veal farm, or what they described as “white beef meat.” The students got to step into the world of a working cattle farm and learn more about how the calves are raised, the daily routines, and how farms here connect to the food system. It was a great hands-on way to talk about where our food comes from and how different countries produce it.

From there, we visited a fruit processing plant that takes in fruit from local farmers. We learned about their apple sorting system, which can sort apples by variety and size. The farmer explained that in some orchards, one row may have 5 or 6 different apple varieties in it, so the equipment has to be able to tell the difference and sort everything correctly.

What we actually got to see running was blueberries being sorted, weighed, packaged, and prepared to ship across Europe. It was impressive to see how quickly fresh fruit moves from local farms into a system that can get it ready for customers in other countries.

Next, we toured an agricultural research facility that is privately funded but also receives grants, including some from universities. They are doing research on plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines, cherries, apples, and kiwi. One of the research projects looked at when trees need watered by using sensors and electrical readings through the trunk to measure the flow of water in the tree. The students got to see the sensors, how data is collected, and the system that automatically waters the kiwi trees.

They were also researching different varieties of apricots, and we even got to taste two varieties they are testing. The night before we arrived, they had terrible winds that blew down some of their research cherry trees. Not a great thing for them, but it did mean we got to try fresh cherries from those trees, along with fresh apricots right of the trees.

We ended the day back in the Cuneo region with our first American-style dinner of the trip. Sorry, no hamburger pictures… they disappeared too fast! 🍔

Another great day of seeing agriculture, asking questions, and connecting what we learn at home to what is happening across the world.

06/29/2026

We started the morning at a flour mill where we got to see how different grains are cleaned, milled, sifted, and turned into flour. It was a great look at how something as simple as flour actually has a whole process and a lot of science behind it.

From there, we headed to a dairy farm that makes its own cheese. They showed us their barns, milking area, and then took us into the caves where they age the cheese. We learned about several different types of cheese, including a soft cheese that has mold in it. Some were a little more adventurous than others, but everyone gave it a try!

Lunch was outside the caves and we were able to taste six different cheeses — goat, sheep, soft cheeses, harder cheeses, and even a parmesan-style cheese. Then they made us gnocchi with cheese, and I’m not sure it gets much more Italian than that.

After lunch, we cooled off in a creek that runs down from the Alps. We stood in the cold mountain water for about a half hour, which felt pretty amazing after another hot day.

We ended the day in downtown Cuneo, where we walked around the old town square, got gelato, and enjoyed the city. Our hotel is also one of the certified historic hotels of Europe and is just a few blocks from the main square, which makes it even cooler.

Another full day of learning, eating, walking, laughing, and experiencing things we just don’t get to see every day back home! 🇮🇹🐄🧀🌾🍦