At the end of each school year at Sterling High School, FFA students host Farmapalooza in the S.H.S. parking lot. This year, Farmapalooza will be held on May 8th, with a theme of Ag & the environment.

   Farmapalooza is an event that brings all students in the Sterling School District together. It allows students to view farming equipment, farm animals, crop & soil science, woodworking, precision ag, and more. 

  Each of these topics require different booths that students are able to walk up to and learn facts about agriculture. These booths are run by the FFA students, who are able to give information on each subject. 

  FFA president and junior Grace Wetzell shares that at her booth she will be “teaching students about the three main components that make soil, as well as the science that correlates to the different parts of a plant/crop and how they help that plant/crop thrive.”

  Each of these booths are meant to teach younger students about agriculture and introduce them to new opportunities they would have never thought of. Out of all the booths, the livestock booth seems to be most popular among the children.

  An FFA student who brings and takes care of the livestock, sophomore Tynlee Williams, states that her favorite part of working with the animals is that she “gets to teach kids about how much horses benefit the environment.”

  Since the theme of Farmapalooza changes each year, we also asked Wetzell how this year is different from years past. Wetzell states,“we are expanding more booths and inviting more schools to come and experience all of the booths.”

  Due to the large number of schools who attend Farmapalooza, students are allowed to buy ice cream and snacks at the Culvers and Shelby Raes food trucks that will be available. These snacks allow students to enjoy a sweet treat while learning fascinating facts about agriculture!

  From tractors to woodwork, Farmapalooza provides many resources for students to learn more about agriculture.