RANDLEMAN — The Randleman FFA Chapter will send one state-winning team to the 81st National FFA Convention to be held Oct. 24 through Oct. 27 in Indianapolis, Ind., after earning first-place state honors in the Food Science & Technology Career Development Event at the State FFA Convention held June 24 through June 26 in Raleigh.

Members of the first place Food Science and Technology team include Kristen Covey, Candace Etchison, Olivia Poupore and Kady Turner. At national competition team members are required to take an objective test involving food science concepts; develop and formulate a simulated food product; practice quality assurance using Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles; conduct sensory evaluation tests; and apply food safety and sanitation principles.

Members competing in the Meats Evaluation and Technology Career Development Event, placing second in the state, include Jessica Davis, Ashley Nichols, Karen Pardue and Ashley Woelk. Randleman also competed in the Dairy Foods Evaluation Career Development Event placing third in state competition. Team members include Adam Frazier, Terri Lane Frazier, Sierra Hedrick and Jodi Morris.

Brian Bulla, Stephanie Evans, Justin Harden, Courtney Johnson, Charlie Kivett, Jodi Morris, Ashley Nichols, Olivia Poupore, Brittany Skeen, Heather Smith and Ashley Woelk were among over 300 FFA members statewide to be awarded the State FFA Degree at the State Convention.

To receive this degree, members must have obtained the Greenhand and Chapter FFA degrees and completed two years of high school study in Agricultural Education. They must also have a Supervised Agricultural Experience project in place and must have earned and productively invested at least $1,000, or worked at least 300 hours in excess of scheduled class time.

In addition, members must have demonstrated their leadership ability by performing 10 parliamentary procedure abilities, given a six minute speech on an agricultural topic and participated in a minimum of five FFA activities above the chapter level.

Amanda Bulla, Danielle Patterson and Amanda Springs were recognized as candidates for the American FFA Degree, the highest of four degrees of membership in the National FFA Organization, which will be awarded at the national convention in October.

Members of the Randleman FFA received special recognition in the National Chapter Awards Program, earning gold honors for the eighth consecutive year. This award is designed to recognize chapters that have excelled during the year in all areas of community, chapter and student development. Special projects provide citizenship, personal and leadership development opportunities to students. The chapter will now compete for national chapter award honors at the national convention. As well, the Randleman FFA was recognized for participation in the North Carolina FFA Alumni Million Can Challenge Food Drive during the past year collecting over 800 food items for the local Community Service Food Bank.

Randleman FFA advisors are Mark Walker, who also received the Honorary State FFA Degree at the State Convention, and Melissa Coble.