The Adair – Casey / Guthrie Center FFA Chapter recently announced that 10 members will be receiving their Iowa Degrees in April.

Advisor Skie Shull says that each year, only five percent of FFA members that apply for their State Degree will receive it, and that this is the largest group of recipients that their chapter has had in several years. Of the ten recipients, four have Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) in beef production, two have SAEs in beef placement, three have SAEs in ag service and one’s SAE is turf management. Shull also mentions that the recipients are upperclassmen, with half in the senior class and the other half in the junior class. She adds that with this year’s recipients, AC/GC FFA, along with alumni from the Adair – Casey and Guthrie Center Chapters before them, has reached 217 members that have received the Iowa Degree. Shull shares that a big help for the chapter in many aspects is that many of their alumni have stayed within the community, and help members in various activities throughout the year. A full list of this year’s recipients and their SAEs can be found below.

Bryce Betts is a senior member with a beef production SAE project where he manages his cow/calf operation on his family farm. He keeps track of the profit brought in from selling calves from his herd each year.

Emmarae Ellis is a senior member of the chapter with a beef production SAE where she purchases a market steer and feeds it out on her family’s farm before selling to the packing plant. She also held an agriscience research project that she conducted during her freshman year. She keeps track of the profit made off her market animals each year.

Gracie Hodges is a junior member of the chapter and holds a beef production SAE project. Here, she maintains her cow/calf herd on her family farm. She keeps track of the finances of the operation as well as profit brought in from selling her calves.

William Kading holds a beef production SAE project and is a senior member of the AC/GC FFA chapter. He is actively growing his cow/calf herd that he started with his grandpa when he was a freshmen. He keeps track of his hours worked on the farm and the profit made off selling calves from the herd each year.

Lucy Knutter is a junior member of the FFA chapter and she works in agriculture service with her placement SAE project, keeping track of the hours that she has worked at Pioneers Pub and Grub which is a local restaurant in Casey, Iowa. She is also currently serving as the chapter’s secretary.

Chase Slaybaugh maintains an agriculture service SAE project working at Guthrie Livestock Auction house throughout the year. He keeps track of the hours that he works there and tracks the profit based on his income. Chase is a junior member of the chapter. He is also currently serving as the chapter sentinel.

Blaise Tallman is a senior member of the FFA chapter and is currently serving as the chapter treasurer. He holds an agriculture service SAE project working at a Prime Time in Guthrie Center which is a local restaurant. He keeps track of hours worked and profit made from his efforts.

Tyler Thomas holds a beef placement SAE project where he works for Bull Sheeder Farms just outside of Guthrie Center. Here he helps to maintain their cow/calf operation throughout the year. He is a senior member of the FFA chapter. He keeps track of his hours worked and profit made.

Irelyn Wirt is a junior member of the chapter and holds a beef production SAE project. She runs a cow/calf operation on her family farm from the breeding heifers that she showed the previous year. She keeps track of her animals in her herd and profit made from selling the offspring.

Casey Young is a junior member of the chapter and holds a turfgrass management SAE project where he works for the Lake Panorama National Golf Course as a groundskeeper and maintenance worker. He keeps track of his hours worked and income made.