East Knox FFA finishes seventh in state forestry contest

The East Knox FFA recently competed in the State FFA Forestry Career Development Event held at Hocking College on Sept. 27 where they placed seventh out of a field of teams from across Ohio. 

Twelve members of the East Knox FFA competed in this event with the top four scores counting as the team score. The top four scorers were McKenzie Schwartz – 39th, Gweneth Opheim – 40th, Curtis Divan – 43rd, and Hayden Garman - 48th out of 232 individuals. Other members of the team were Joey Lively, Ariel Atkinson, John Chadwick, Landen Davis, Bryar Wilson, Marcus Dunn, Peyton Harris, and Kylie Griffith. The team will receive a plaque for its top 10 state finish and the top-ten individuals will each receive a plaque at the annual Ohio FFA Convention next May in Columbus. 

The Forestry Career Development Event is an activity designed to demonstrate students’ skills in the area of Forestry Management. Students complete a 45-question online test over the forestry Industry, identify tree species, identify forestry tools, complete a timber cruise to determine the volume of saw logs in a woods, perform a timber stand improvement practicum, complete a chainsaw part identification and troubleshooting practicum, and identify forest and tree disorders. 

This year’s seventh place finish in the State FFA Forestry Career Development Event marks the 34th year in a row (dating back to 1993) that East Knox FFA has placed in the top 10 teams in the state contest with 22 of those being top five in Ohio. They won the state in 2024, 2020, 2013, and 1999 and have finished fourth more than any other placing at nine times.