2025 Fairview FFA Banquet
By: Asia Brubaker
On April 5th, Fairview FFA held its 64th annual member recognition banquet. The FFA banquet was a heartfelt celebration honoring students’ accomplishments inside and outside the classroom.
Seniors had the opportunity to bid farewell to their chapter while being recognized for their remarkable contributions over the years. New officers were installed, expressing gratitude for enhancing the FFA chapter. The event took place in the Fairview Elementary cafeteria, where attendees enjoyed a delicious meal provided by Nickolas Hill. As they dined, they watched a slideshow created by our Historian, Brooklyn Zeedyk, showcasing memories from the year.
Following dinner, the formal ceremony commenced, creating a fitting conclusion to the evening’s festivities.
Participation awards were presented to members who engaged in CDE contests during the year.
The CDE contests provide an opportunity for members to demonstrate the skills they have acquired through their involvement in FFA. We had numerous chapter members compete at the district level. Those members will be recognised with District Awards in May.
Each student is required to complete a Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) project.
Members who demonstrate excellence in their projects and maintain thorough records are eligible to receive a proficiency award. The FFA chapter benefits from a strong community that contributes to its success. The community support awards were presented to: Hillandale Farms and Jill Haver, Tracy Zeedyk, Rose Zeedyk, Mr. Breyman, Nathan Guilford, Blake Zeedyk, Jerry Sanders, Teresa Johnson, Alexis Sprow, Ethan Wirick, Mercer Landmark, One Step at a Time – Sherri Hammersmith, General Motor, Gavin Michael, Defiance Auto Zone, Simply Sweets, Kingsbury Nursing Home, Pet Supplies Plus, Defiance Transmission, McNaughton McKay, Hall Crop Insurance, Clemans Mobile Welding, Advance Technology, S&S Directional Boring, Nocking Point Outfitters, Hicksville Pharmacy, Innovative Ag Management, Country Petal, Headquarters Barbershop, Apache Dairy Bar, Redline Equipment, Jacobs Hay & Straw, Faye Retcher, Kuhn Brothers, Spatial Ag, Sam and Jami Speiser Family, Six Smiles Farms, J&S Machine and Design, 376 Club Lambs – Ed, Jill, and Paul Speiser, United Oil, Colby Hall, Pioneer Seed, Arps Dairy and the VanderMade Family, Mavis Farms, Rose Hill Honey, Trendz on Fifth – Shannon Grinnell, Fifer Custom Flooring, Fountain City Nutrition, Healthy U, Great Clips Salon, Sweets by Debbie, The Heck Family, The Thomas Family, Custom Tees and Apparel, Bok Dairy Farm, Pam Moore, and Brooke Pollard.
Blue and Gold Awards are presented to those members who put in extra time and effort to make the chapter successful. Academic awards are presented to those who maintain passing grades.
The chapter honors all members who have earned all A’s and B’s throughout the year. Only the top 2% of FFA members in Ohio earn the prestigious State Degree, which will be awarded at the State Convention in May. The students to be recognized are Tasha Crites, Alex Garcia, Rachel Haver, Summer Hiler, Riley Schindler, James Smith, Landric VanderMade, and Kalvin Woodring. The highest degree in the FFA program is the Golden Charm of the American degree.
It is given to less than 1% of all National FFA members. This coming fall, Miguel Garcia, DaltonHaver, Brady Zeedyk, and Emma Zeedyk will be receiving their American Degree at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. The Rising Star Award is given to someone who shows great leadership and will be a great leader in our organization. Sophie Freese received this award. The Most Improved Award is given to a member who has greatly improved in the chapter and become more involved. Asia Brubaker received this award. The Best Shop Skills Award is given to someone who shows the most progress in the shop. Adam Rock received this award.
Bayer Crop Science is a large supporter of the FFA Organization. Every year, one person from each chapter can be nominated for the Dekalb Ag Accomplishment Award. Kayla Mavis received this award. The Spirit of the FFA award is given to someone who demonstrates exactly what it means to be in FFA. Kalvin Woodring received this award. The Star Greedhand Award was given to Emma Elston, The Star Agriscience Award was given to Brooklyn Zeedyk, The
Star Chapter Farmer Award was given to Ethan Guilford, The Star Ag Placement Award was given to Jacob Ladd, and The Star Chapter Agribusiness was given to Amya Hill. The new officer team was officially inducted into their positions for the 2025-2026 year. The returning officers are Sammy Mavis as President, Kalvin Woodring as Vice President, Addy Zeedyk as Secretary, Brooklyn Zeedyk as Treasurer, and Ethan Guilford as Student Advisor. New officers are Asia Brubaker as Reporter, Landric VanderMade as Sentinel, and James Smith as Historian.
