East Mills FFA gears up for National FFA Week with dress-up days, student activities, and March district contests
East Mills Community School District ag instructor and FFA advisor Ward Umbaugh joined KCSI’s morning program to preview National FFA Week activities at East Mills and highlight what students are learning in the school’s agriculture program. Umbaugh is in his second year teaching at East Mills and says agriculture education runs in his family, with both his father and grandfather serving as ag teachers.
National FFA Week at East Mills will include a full slate of dress-up days for students, including blue and gold, “dress like a farmer,” pajama day, camo, and red-white-and-blue. The chapter will also host homeroom activities, including a “human-sized” version of Hungry Hungry Hippos using scooters and basketballs.
Umbaugh said the East Mills ag program serves about 30 students total across classes, with roughly five students per class on average. The FFA chapter currently has about 13 members. Students can begin exploratory ag classes in sixth grade, with official FFA membership starting in ninth grade.
In the classroom, Umbaugh described a wide range of hands-on learning. Plant Science includes horticulture and landscaping topics. Intro to Ag covers livestock basics and breeds across species. Ag Business is focused on building ideas that could become real school-based projects in future years. In Ag Mechanics, students are restoring a hay baler brought in by a student. Animal Science includes veterinary tech fundamentals, including practicing proper suturing.
Umbaugh also emphasized keeping students connected to new developments in agriculture, noting a recent trip to the Ag Expo in Des Moines where major manufacturers showcased new equipment and technologies. Looking ahead, East Mills plans to attend the Iowa FFA State Convention in Ames, scheduled for April 19–21. Umbaugh explained students can take part in competitions and leadership opportunities at convention, along with campus tours designed to help younger students explore future pathways.
District FFA contests are also coming up in early March, including the FFA Creed speaking event and chapter delegate voting for district officer selections, which Umbaugh said involves interviews and a voting process by representatives from each chapter
