FFA mock competition brings student voices to Dakotafest

This year’s Dakotafest will feature something new: a mock competition showcasing the skills of high school FFA members headed to the national stage.

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, visitors to the Education Building can hear presentations from student teams from the Howard and McCook Central FFA chapters. The event is not an official contest, but a chance for the teams to practice their skills in front of a live audience.

Briella Wettlaufer, a recent Howard graduate, said her team is excited for the chance to present publicly ahead of the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis this fall.

“We haven’t had a lot of opportunities to do that,” Wettlaufer said. “Of course at nationals, it’ll be in front of a few people, and of course judges that are in the industry and really know what they’re doing, so it’ll be great to compete once again in front of a crowd.”

Wettlaufer’s team presents a balanced discussion on food insecurity. Their presentation explores whether education alone can solve the problem, touching on barriers including cost, transportation and policy, as well as the benefits of teaching preservation and reducing food waste.

“It’s valuable both for us and the community,” Wettlaufer said. “The community has really been supportive of our ag issues journey. It’s a very valuable thing to talk about.”

For Ellie Becker, also of Howard, the mock competition offers a chance to grow even further.

“I knew I needed to strengthen my public speaking skills,” she said. “We’ve been working at being more comfortable with it. Watching our growth has been the most rewarding part.”

From McCook Central, Alyssa Roling and Khloie Klinkhammer will also participate. Roling, who will compete in Conduct of Chapter Meetings at nationals, said the mock event offers a needed boost of experience.

Their team’s presentation centers on parliamentary procedure.

“We’re focused on conducting efficient meetings and enhancing communication,” Klinkhammer said.

The summer break hasn’t made practice easy, but students said their teams found creative ways to coordinate. Text threads, Snapchat groups and flexibility helped them stay on track despite work schedules and other commitments.

As a new event for Dakotafest, the FFA mock competition aims to give the public a closer look at the speaking, leadership and research skills FFA members are developing and what it takes to prepare for nationals.

“These events are valuable because they show people what we do in FFA,” Roling said. “It gives them a better idea of what goes into our competitions.”

Becker added that it’s also a chance for FFA members to gain confidence.

“The public watching at Dakotafest will be able to learn more about FFA,” she said. “And for us, it allows more practice and exposure in front of a different group of people.”

The FFA Mock Competition Presentations are free to attend with Dakotafest admission.