The Blanco FFA has completed a very successful first semester of competition in career development events as well as leadership development events. Overall, the Blanco FFA won 12 district titles, qualified 14 teams for area competition winning 4 area championships, as well as qualifying 4 teams for state with another team serving as a state alternate. Teams that will be advancing to state competitions in April include Range and Pasture Judging, Plant Identification, Land Evaluation and Homesite Evaluation. Each of these teams will be competing for a chance to advance to their respective national contests to be held in Oklahoma City during the first week of May. In addition, all of these teams won numerous invitational contests as well.

For the semester, the Blanco FFA won a total of 28 different contests, while finishing second six times and third three times.

Because of their success, the Blanco FFA has already clinched the overall Leadership Development Events Sweepstakes as the district’s most outstanding school in leadership development while also being one of the only schools in the area to win banners in 9 different events at the Area VII LDE’s. In addition, while the majority of Career Development Events will be held during the spring, the local FFA chapter is currently leading the CDE sweepstakes standings as a result of winning all 4 fall CDE district contests.

The Blanco FFA Chapter had 41 students participate in range and pasture, plant identification, land and homesite competitions along with 56 students competing in 12 different leadership development events. The Blanco FFA Chapter competes in the Hill District FFA and Area VII FFA Associations. There are a total of 14 different schools 1A to 4A in the district while more than 100 schools up to 5A in size compete in the area. As far as the Texas FFA Association is concerned, there are 1,002 chapters. Advisors for the Blanco FFA are Felice and Jason Marek along with student teacher Stephanie Kozel from Sam Houston State University.