Cleburne High senior Craig Hughes knows his plants All 75 of them — or, depending on how you look at it, 300.
“You have to learn to identify them all in different stages of development,” said vocational ag teacher Barney McClure. “It’s pretty challenging.”
Hughes was equal to the task.
He earned a perfect score to win top individual in the FFA Area 8 range contest.
The team of Hughes, Shelby Galvin, Donica Clepper and Deanna Moser finished first overall.
Individually, Moser was fourth, Clepper sixth and Galvin eighth.
They will represent CHS in the state contest at Tarleton State University in Stephenville Thursday
In all, CHS FFA is sending seven teams to state: range; entomology; nursery-landscape, which was reserve champion; wildlife, which placed third; dairy foods, which placed third; dairy cattle, which placed fourth; and land judging, which came in fifth.
CHS also competed at area in horse, livestock and farm business management.
Entomology team members are Amber Blair, Sarah Bradon, Dana Elizalde, Lizzy Herrera and Kayla Wortham.
Nursery-landscape team members are Heather Meeks, Robbie Fossett, Lexi Marchel, Trent Campbell and Joseph Snyder.
Wildlife team members are Josh Aston, Clint Moore, Mark McDonald, Krystal Wortham and Trent Russell.
Dairy foods team members are Tori Aker, Melaina Chapman, Haley House, Jennifer Moser, Callie McNulty and Kaitlyn Martin.
Dairy cattle team members are Kayler Campbell, Kristney Camp, Kassaundra Ledbetter and James Richmond.
Land judging team members are Kaleigh Mangrum, Alex Cooper, Tyson Taves, Cassi Hall and Josh Bonham.
The entomology team goes to Texas Tech for state today and Saturday. Range, land, dairy cattle and dairy foods go to Tarleton Thursday. Nursery-landscape goes to Huntsville next weekend, and wildlife goes to a ranch near Corpus Christi on May 12.
The range team in particular has lofty hopes.
“They’ve been very dedicated this year,” McClure said. “They’ve been to five contests and done well at all of them. The range competition is a little different than some of the others. They have 75 plants they have to learn to identify, as well as five characteristics about each plant. In addition to that, they have to look at range sites and determine range condition — whether it’s good, fair or poor, degree of utilization, whether properly grazed. Some management practices go along with that.
“They have to look at the range site and imagine what it will look like at the end of the growing season. That’s exactly what a range manager does on a larger scale. He has to look at the site and determine how to manage it. The object is pretty much to leave half and take half. Over time, what you’re harvesting gets larger because you’re managing it properly.”
A few ranches might want to employ Hughes.
“In five contests, he’s had two perfect plant lines,” McClure said. “They’re asking for 30 plants, so that’s 30 for 30 twice, with all 150 characteristics perfect. I’ve never had anyone else do that twice in a year.”
The trick requires more than memorization.
“The plants look different at different sites. If you have shallow limestone soil, the plant looks one way. In deep sand, the dame species of plant looks different. In a contest, they may have one plant growing in shade and one in sun. They look different. You have to know the environment. Some kids have a great eye for it, and some don’t. Craig has really developed a good eye for it.”
Farm and Ranch
Related Photos
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Members and teachers of the Cleburne FFA range team that finished first in Area 8 competition are, from left, teacher Barney McClure, Shelby Galvin, Donica Clepper, Craig Hughes, Deanna Moser, teacher Amy Anz and teacher Mark McClure. Courtesy photo
Discussion
Seven FFA teams headed for state meets
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