Summer Agricultural Experiences for Students

State College Little Lions FFA Summer 2023 Report

Supervised Agricultural Experience

• Throughout the summer, students maintained more than 25 Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE)  projects, which included livestock, equine and work experience projects. Students logged over 3,805 hours working on their SAE projects, and devoted over $25,120 to their projects.

Ag Progress Days

• FFA members, their families and school faculty/staff spent a total of 44 hours volunteering at the Pennsylvania FFA Food Booth, serving customers, taking orders and preparing food.

Grange Fair

• State College Little Lions FFA Chapter exhibit about the decline of pollinators won fourth place against other local school districts’ exhibits.

• State College Little Lions FFA Chapter Scrapbook won first place.

• Jaylene Everhart was crowned as the 2023 Alternate Grange Fair Queen.

• Members exhibited 35 individual animals through FFA, including:

  • Katie Ripka- Breeding Sheep, Market Lambs, Market Goats, Market Rabbit
  • Jenna Bilyeu- Market Lambs, Market Swine
  • Emma McLaughlin- Market Swine, Dairy Beef, Dairy
  • Kylie Simpson- Market Beef, Breeding Beef, Market Swine, Market Lambs, Market Goats
  • Katie Coopey- Market Rabbits
  • Clayton Landis- Market Beef
  • Jaylene Everhart- Market Rabbits
  • Grace Royer- Market Beef, Market Lambs, Market Goats
  • Madison Ripka- Market Swine, Market Goats, Market Rabbits

• Clayton Landis, Katherine Coopey, Savannah Ring, Allison Schomer, Katie Ripka and Madison Ripka exhibited numerous animals through 4H.

• Members participated in the following shows and activities throughout the fair:

  • Thursday, August 18

    • Rabbit Show- Katie Coopey, Jaylene Everhart, Madison Ripka, Katie Ripka

  • Saturday, August 20

    • Junior Dairy Show- Emma McLaughlin

    • Dairy Beef Show- Emma McLaughlin

  • Sunday, August 21

    • Junior Beef Show & Showmanship- Grace Royer, Kylie Simpson, Clayton Landis

    • Junior Sheep Show & Showmanship- Jenna Bilyeu, Clayton Landis, Katie Ripka, Grace Royer

  • Monday, August 22 

    • Junior Swine Show- Jenna Bilyeu, Virginia Kessinger, Madison Ripka, Katie Ripka, Grace Royer, Kylie Simpson

  • Tuesday, August 23

    • Junior Market Goat Show- Madison Ripka, Katie Ripka, Grace Royer, Kylie Simpson

    • Supreme Champion Showmanship Contest- Clayton Landis, Emma McLaughlin

  • Friday, August 24

    • Junior Livestock Sale- Jenna Bilyeu, Madison Ripka, Katie Ripka, Grace Royer, Kylie Simpson, Jaylene Everhart, Clayton Landis, Emma McLaughlin

• Members earned the following placings from exhibiting their livestock:

  • Madison Ripka- 5th place Roaster Rabbit, 2nd place Market Goat. 1st place and Middleweight Champion Market Swine, 3rd place Market Swine

  • Katherine Coopey- 2nd place New Zealand Market Rabbit

  • Clayton Landis- Supreme Champion Heifer, Champion Angus Heifer, Champion Maintainer Heifer and Cow/Calf, 3rd Place Market Steer, Champion Hereford Steer, Supreme Ewe, Champion and Reserve Champion Hampshire Ewe

  • Katie Ripka- 6th place Market Rabbit, 1st place Breeding Rabbit, 4th place Market Swine, 2nd place Market Swine, 3rd place Market Lamb, Reserve Champion Crossbred Breeding Lamb, 3rd place Breeding Lamb

  • Jenna Bilyeu- 1st place Market Lamb, 4th place Market Lamb, 3rd place Market Swine, 3rd place Market Swine

  • Grace Royer- Champion Heavy Weight Goat, 1st place Intermediate Weight Market Goat, Champion Crossbred Breeding Lamb Ewe, Supreme Champion Breeding Lamb Ewe, Champion LightWeight Lamb, 3rd place Medium Light Weight Class (Southdown Lamb), Reserve Grand Champion Market Steer

• Members who participated in the showmanship competitions include:

  • Madison Ripka- 4th place Goat Showman, 6th place Swine Showman

  • Clayton Landis- Champion Sheep Showman, 2nd Beef Showman, 

  • Jenna Bilyeu- Reserve Champion Intermediate Showman

  • Grace Royer- Senior Champion Beef Showman

• Emma McLaughlin and Clayton Landis earned the title of Reserve Champion and/or Champion Showman in their respective species, qualifying them for the Supreme Showman competition.

  • Clayton Landis earned the Reserve Champion title for the Supreme Showman competition

• Madison Ripka was awarded the Ellis Hall Memorial Award for Goats, earning a $500 scholarship.

• Members also participated in the following competitions:

  • Clayton Landis- Livestock Judging, Animal Dressing (1st)

  • Grace Royer- Group Fitting (3rd)

• In total, members earned $39,625  through the sale of their livestock at the Junior Livestock Sale on August 25, 2023