State FFA Convention Opens in Minneapolis
Minnesota’s 94th State FFA Convention kicked off Sunday night at Williams Arena in Minneapolis with the theme All In. For All. The opening session featured chapter charters, Agriscience awards and Models of Innovation recognition. The session was followed by an afternoon of preliminary Leadership Development Events and a reception for FFA alumni.
Retiring State FFA Sentinel Noah Erickson gave the first of six retiring addresses from the 2022-2023 officer team which are scheduled during the course of the convention. Erickson spoke of his passion and fondness for agriculture during his retiring address.
“I was only able to gain this fondness when I allowed how I saw the world to be questioned,” said Erickson. “When we allow our perspective to be challenged, it brings us progress towards a better tomorrow.”
Eleven FFA Chapter Charters signed
Minnesota FFA recognized 11 chapters that were chartered since the last state convention. This brings the number of chapters statewide to 195, leading to over 10,000 FFA members enrolled in food, agriculture and natural resource classes.
Newly Chartered Chapters include:
  • Adrian
  • Butterfield-Odin
  • Forest Lake Middle
  • Kelliher
  • Le Sueur-Henderson
  • Mesabi-East
  • Moorhead
  • Robbinsdale-Armstrong
  • St. Clair
  • Warren-Alvarado-Oslo
Agriscience Fair awards presented
The top three projects from two categories of the Agriscience Fair were recognized. Food Products and Processing Systems Division One, which recognizes individual researchers in grades seven or eight, included:
  • Third place, Oscar Kaiser Crist, Academy for Sciences and Agriculture.
  • Second place, Michael Weinhagen, Academy for Sciences and Agriculture.
  • First place, Victoria Lin, Academy for Sciences and Agriculture.
Division Two winners, which recognize pairs of researchers in grades seven and eight, included:
  • First place, Charlie Molenaar and Shane Froehlich, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.
Division Three winners, recognizing individual researchers in grades nine or 10, were:
  • Second place, Lucy Gralish, Academy for Sciences and Agriculture.
  • First place, Cayden Urmann, Academy for Sciences and Agriculture.
Division Five winners, recognizing individual researchers in grades 11 or 12, were:
  • Third place, Poe Broskoff, Triton.
  • Second place, Rosie Mickelson, Academy for Sciences and Agriculture.
  • First place, Katelynn Marquardt, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.
Social Systems Pathways winners in Division Two, recognizing pairs of researchers in grade seven and eight, included:
  • First place, McKenna Evans and Kinslee Kelvie, Rockford Middle.
Division Four winners, recognizing pairs of researchers in grade nine and 10, were:
  • First place, Shelbie Anderson and Ava Noble, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.
Division Five winners, recognizing individual researchers in grades 11 or 12 were:
  • Second place, Mark Donath, Academy for Sciences and Agriculture.
  • First place, Shae Fath, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.
FFA Chapters win Model of Innovation Awards
The overall winner of FFA’s Model of Innovation Award was the ROCORI FFA. The award recognizes chapters with innovative activities in each of three divisions: Growing Leaders, Building Communities and Strengthening Agriculture.
Region presidents recognized
Retiring region FFA presidents were also honored during the opening session. They included:
  • Barb Trego, Region I, Ulen-Hitterdal.
  • Mackenzie Kuschel, Region II, Sebeka.
  • Tyler Ratka, Region III, ROCORI.
  • Alison Murrell, Region IV, Braham.
  • Jack Frank, Region V, Redwood Valley.
  • Madison Jonson, Region VI, Tracy.
  • Andrew Burns, Region VII, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop.
  • Kaitlin Meiergerd, Region VIII, Hayfield.
The Minnesota FFA Convention is offered in partnership by the Minnesota FFA Association, the Minnesota FFA Foundation and the Minnesota FFA Alumni. Throughout the convention, content is available on the Minnesota FFA website, the Minnesota FFA YouTube Channel, on the organization’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages and on the convention app which will be live just before the convention begins. Find the link on the Minnesota FFA website.
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Editor’s Note: Photos of donor honorees, ambassadors and the 25-year officers will be available from the contacts listed above.
About Minnesota FFA
FFA is a national organization developing students’ potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education with more than 800,000 members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Minnesota FFA Association represents nearly 16,000 members and over 200high school chapters across the state. Agricultural education engages students through hands-on learning in the classroom, work-based learning opportunities known as Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects and FFA activities.
About Minnesota FFA Foundation
The Minnesota FFA Foundation will be hosting additional events to support the nearly 16,000 FFA members across Minnesota. The Minnesota FFA Foundation is incredibly honored to support the Minnesota FFA and thanks its donors and sponsors who make this possible. It is the mission of the Minnesota FFA Foundation to secure strategic partnerships and financial resources that promote and enhance premier leadership, personal growth and career success for Minnesota youth in Agricultural Education. To learn more about supporting Minnesota FFA through the Minnesota FFA Foundation at mnffafoundation.org.
About Minnesota FFA Alumni and Supporters
The Minnesota FFA Alumni and Supporters works to support the nearly 16,000 FFA members, through 72 Alumni and Supporters affiliates across the state. Adult membership is open to anyone interested in supporting and promoting agriculture, agricultural education and FFA at the local, state and national level. One need not have worn the blue jacket to be a member of the FFA Alumni and Supporters, whose mission is to work to secure the promise of Agriculture Education and FFA by creating an environment where people and communities can develop their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success. Learn more about the Minnesota FFA Alumni Association at  MNFFAAlumni.org.
Learn more about the experiences of FFA members and supporters by visiting MnFFA.org and FFA.org.