Aggie Days scheduled for March 27

Fort Scott Community College will once again host the largest and longest-running agricultural competition in the region.

The 28th Annual Agriculture Interscholastic Contests, or Aggie Days, which takes place Friday, March 27 at FSCC, 2108 S. Horton St., will draw about 1,300 students from several states, including Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Students representing more than 100 schools -- including high schools, middle schools and elementary schools -- are expected to compete in several categories during the event.

"We invite mainly 4-H aged kids, but there are some under fifth grade," FSCC Meat Judging Coach and Agriculture Instructor Ryan Edgecomb said. "Most are high school age."

Categories in the contest include livestock, meat, dairy foods, poultry, floriculture, nursery landscape, entomology, speech, farm business management, agronomy, food science and land judging.

The event will also include a horse judging workshop and contest in which students will watch and study horses on video, rather than evaluate live horses, and then test their knowledge of the horses by competing for awards, Edgecomb said.

The event benefits students who study agriculture and participate in agricultural events and activities, and agriculture instructors as well, Edgecomb said.

"The main purpose is it helps high school ag teachers prepare their teams for state contests, and it provides them with a competitive event to see how their students compete under pressure," he said. "Plus, it's easier for teams to decide which team members are best to represent them at the state level. It (the event) also helps students apply what they learn in classrooms. Every contest is a hands-on activity."

Edgecomb said participating in the event can also be important for a student who wishes to pursue a career in the agriculture industry.

"Most employers would rather have an employee who has been active and done various things, (such as) competitive events like Aggie Days," he said.

Each team of participants will be charged $10 per contest category. Extra individuals and speech contestants may enter the competition at a cost of $4 per person, an FSCC statement said.

Registration for the event will take place from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. March 27 in Arnold Arena, which is located on the west side of the FSCC campus. Most of the competitions will begin at 8:45 a.m., with contest results and awards being presented between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. that day. The top 10 individuals and top three teams in each contest will be presented with awards.

For more information, visit www.fortscott.edu, or call FSCC at (620) 223-2700.