theordquiz.com

By Kate Wolf
   Recently, members of the Ord High School FFA departed home for the all-important annual Nebraska State FFA Convention held in Lincoln at the Pinnacle Bank Arena. For the past 96 years, the annual four day event has judged, evaluated, challenged and rewarded the best and brightest high school FFA members who represent the future of agriculture in our state. There are currently 214 FFA Chapters in Nebraska with four more expected to be added next year.
   OHS senior and student president of the Ord FFA Chapter, Adam Knapp, stood out from the crowd of almost 8,000 bringing home the prestigious State Star Award in Agriculture Production and Proficiency in Diversified Agriculture. Coincidentally, Adam has proven to be a “chip off the old block” as his father, Jay, won the top Star Farmer Award 41 years ago in 1983. This year Jay was also awarded a State Honorary Chapter Degree.
   This is a very big deal….only four individuals from across the entire state of Nebraska are chosen for Star Awards each year. In addition to the top award for Agriculture Production and Proficiency, Star Awards are given for Agri-Science, Agri-Business, and Placement (employment). Knapp will now represent the Ord FFA at National Convention in Indianapolis this October.
   “I’ve never had an Ag student get so involved like he has in the diversified ag production area,” remarked Voc-Ag educator and FFA sponsor, Dave Ference. “Adam has led our group and he is highly respected by the members. He works well with others and shows them what to do. His family is heavily involved in production agriculture, in the community, and in the church. He has attended National Convention three times and participated in Leadership Camps. He has earned this.”
   Adam Knapp, the youngest son of Jay and Kay Knapp who farm in the Mira Valley area of rural Valley County, is the sixth generation of family farmers on their place. The family has been awarded the coveted Pioneer Farm Family Award in the past for the unbroken line of family members who have farmed the land since it was originally homesteaded.
   Knapp is very conscious of the fact that he has big shoes to fill and a family legacy to uphold. He’s been doing fieldwork and operating equipment since he was 10 years old. He is a quiet, respectful, hard-working, extremely intelligent young man who doesn’t like to boast about his own accomplishments and insists on making sure all FFA members within the chapter he leads receive the credit they have earned for their successes as well. He likes to give credit where credit is due and that begins with God and his parents.
   “I’ve always known what I wanted to do. God has blessed me with the opportunity to do what I love. Not every kid gets this chance,” Knapp reflected. “You have to have a family in farming and be part of a farm in order to do it right. There aren’t any first generation farmers anymore. I wouldn’t have won this award without my Dad teaching me, working with me, pushing me to try harder, letting me experience farming from an early age,” he continued. “And my Mom, well, she’s the main support system, the glue that holds it all together, and takes care of everything so I can focus on work. We couldn’t do any of this without her help.”
   “From early on, we knew he would be a farmer! He was always interested in helping on the farm and learning by doing,” stated Adam’s parents. “We are extremely proud of the dedication and work he put into his proficiency applications. We also know his advisors at Ord High were instrumental in his success, and we appreciate the community support in contributing to the strong FFA program that Ord Public School provides.” If Jay and Kay Knapp wrote a book on raising children, it would be a best seller. His brothers, Austin and Mitchell, also helped Adam mature into the fine young man he is today.
   The 2024 Nebraska State FFA Convention had some bittersweet moments for Knapp and some of his local chapter members who will graduate this year, just knowing this is the last time they will ever compete in these competitions again. They are acutely aware that “childhood is over” and it’s time to get on with the business of life, but Convention goes very fast with a rush of busy days, intense competitions, and seeing many long-distance friends they have made over the years.
   Knapp plans to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in Agri-Business and Agronomy with a specialty in their Entrepreneur Program. He looks forward to the day he can return home, degree in hand, and continue farming with his father. It’s the dream of so many family farmers who have worked hard their entire lives in order to pass the farm on to subsequent generations, teaching them, training them, helping them get a head start in farming.
   Other Ord FFA members who won in various other categories include: Meats Evaluation: Hannah Klein, Red Ribbon; Livestock Management: Second Place, Fifth Place Overall Team of Bailey Setlik, Adam Knapp, William Skibinski, Drue McKay, Cheyenne Reineke; Farm Business Management: Dawson Thompson, Red Ribbon; Ethan Wadas, Red Ribbon, Grady Moudry, Red Ribbon with an Overall Team that placed 28th and received a Red Ribbon; Agronomy: Purple Ribbon, Adam Knapp, Third Place; Purple Ribbon, William Skibinski, 14th Place; Blue Ribbon, Ethan Wadas. This Overall Team placed 11th.
   Voc-Ag educator and FFA sponsor, Dave Ference, continues to credit the parents, area farmers, the School Board and Administration, our wonderful community and very generous businesses for their support over the years which has made the Ord FFA program so successful. He also praised Student Teacher Rebecca Wulf for working so hard to help prepare the FFA members for the intense competitions. Her coaching helped immensely to ensure a successful outcome.

   To read the complete story on State FFA, pick up this week's edition of The Ord Quiz.