Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, May 26, 2005

 A community service day was recently held by the Mount Ayr Community FFA chapter at the Ringgold county fairgrounds. During the day, the 35 members present built a three-rail plastic fence beside the highway, removed brush, took down the old fence along Highway 169 and picked up trash for their adopt-a-highway community service project.

The fair board provided the equipment, materials and dug the holes for the posts.

Mike SOBOTKA, Tim CREVELING and Erik SHEIL helped the members with the fence.

  Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2012

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, Novmber 03, 2005

Two Mount Ayr Community high school FFA chapeter members were named American Farmer degree winners at the 78th annual national AFFA convention held in Louisville, KY last week.

Kevin TRULLINGER and Matt WEEDA were named to the honor, the highest award in the FFA program. Less than two percent of FFA members achieve the American Farmer degree.

The two latest awardees, both 2004 graduates of Mount Ayr Community high school, bring the total number of American Farmer degres winners from the MAC FFA chapter to 48.

To achieve the degree, an FFA member must have earned and invested at least $7,500 through their supervised ag education program, been active in five activities beyond the chapter level, been active in planning and leadership in their local chapter, be out of high school for at least 12 months when the receive the degree and have the recommendation of their chapter advisor and school administration.

Kevin TRULLINGER is the son of Steve and Gail TRULLINGER of Mount Ayr.

His supervised ag experience program was in ag employment, where he worked for Doug and Wanda HOSFIELD in their operation for 1,763 hours over five years.

He was chapter president and took part in state crops, livestock and meat judging contests as well as the Made for Excellence program. He also was involved in most of the local chapter activities over the years he was a high school student.

Matt WEEDA is the son of Danny and Carol Ann WEEDA of Mount Ayr.

His supervised ag experience project included raising 13 head of beef cattle, five head of market swine and many hours of farm labor.

He was chapter reported and took part in the state soil, crop and meat judging teams as well as the conduct of meetings and parliamentary procedure teams.

He also was involved in most of the local activities of the chapter while he was in school.

The chapter received the Two Star National Chapter Recognition this year at the convention. The award recognizes the chapter's entire program.

The students heard nationally known speakers, attended the largest career show in the country and toured the Ford Motor Co. truck plant and a throroughbred horse training facility.

Top speakers included Amanda Gore from Australia, who talked about having a positive attitude, Sam Glen, who illustrated his talk with chalk drawings, and Bill Irwin, who is blind and walked the 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail with his guide dog.

A total of 10 chapter members and a former student attended the convention.

Front row, from left: Tara BAKER, Christy JOHNSON, Kelsey MEESTER, Regan REED and Kaylin BERGER.

Second row, from left: Jeff INLOES, Jordan STEWART, Adler ADAMS, Ethan ANDRESEN, Cameron WOODY and American Farmer degree honoree Kevin TRULLINGER.

Chapter advisor Jack COOK also attended.

The students traveled to the convention in a bus with members of chapters from the Indianola, Clarke, Murray, East Union and Central Decatur school districts.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2012