COLUMBUS — The Riverdale FFA Chapter recently had four members travel to Columbus for the 89th annual State FFA Convention. Kohlten Shane, Breanah Shane, Cara Pauley and Carrol Pauley made the trip and stopped at the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Each year, the area’s agricultural community and area businesses celebrate National Agriculture Week during the month of March. This year, National Ag Week was March 21-30. The Wyandot County Ag Week Steering Committee sponsored a poster contest for the fourth graders in Wyandot County.

The Upper Sandusky and Wynford FFA chapters each took two teams on April 26 to the Area 1 Envirothon Contest at Rush Creek Sportsmen’s Club in Belle Center. Wynford’s first team won the competition and Upper Sandusky’s first team took third to advance to the state competition June 12-13 at Ohio Christian University.

Ohio hunters checked 10,280 wild turkeys during the first week of the wild turkey hunting season, April 24-30, an increase from 8,629 in 2016. Wyandot County saw an increase in birds harvested from 2016, with 50 birds taken this year compared to 42 the previous year.

Producers on farms with base acres under the safety net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill, known as the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs, may visit Farm Services Agency county offices to sign contracts and enroll for the 2017 crop year.

Bill VanScoy, owner of VanScoy Farms, talks to Village Gardeners Club members in the hydroponic plant nursery near Mount Victory. Submitted photo

This spring, 34 students from the Upper Sandusky FFA competed in the State Spring Career Development Event Contests, or CDEs. This year Upper Sandusky had seven different contest areas that students participated in: Agronomy, Horse Judging, General Livestock, Nature Interpretation, Poultry, Wildlife Management, and Dairy Cattle.

The Upper Sandusky FFA hosted its 80th Annual Parent-Member Banquet April 6 to celebrate the achievements of the FFA and its members over the past year. More than 400 members, community figures, and parents came to support the program.

The Upper Sandusky FFA chapter recently received a $2,500 donation through a program with Monsanto’s Farmers Grow Communities.