Gallery • 4 Photos

Allison Smith

Students judge the sheep class at the Iola fairgrounds on April 4 as part of the livestock judging contest at Allen County Aggie Days hosted by Allen Community College.

The Allen County Aggie Days took place April 4, 2019 at Allen Community College and the Allen County fairgrounds. Eight hundred and four high school students across Kansas came to participate in eight agricultural related contests. These contests included:

Agribusiness Management, Agronomy, Entomology, Floriculture, Food Science, Large Animal Vet Science, Livestock Judging, and Milk Quality.

The most popular or most participated contest of this year was in livestock judging; 280 students judged and many of them gave reasons on multiple classes of livestock.

Some cool, more unique contests that were given were entomology and floriculture. In entomology the students had to identify 50 specimens of different insects following with a 50-question test. The following high schools placed in the top three:

1.     Labette County
2.     Buhler
3.     Ottawa

In floriculture students did more identification but instead of insects they named specific plants and tools over a 50-question test. The following high schools placed top three:

1.     Louisburg
2.     Spring Hill
3.     Ottawa

Allen County Aggie Day is just a sample of all the interesting things happening in Allen’s agriculture department. Advisors Terry Powelson, Phil Riley, and Josh Boyd teach a wide variety of classes in the theater building.

Allen provides an agriculture class for just about very agriculture major. Some classes include Fundamentals of Animal Nutrition, Principle of Animal Science, Agriculture Technology Management, and Crop Science.

Powelson said, “My favorite thing about teaching agriculture at Allen is interaction with the students. It keeps me young.”

After attending Allen Community College most agriculture students purse their major at a four-year university, for example Kansas State University or Fort Hays University.

Powelson gave some advice to students leaving Allen for a university next year.

“It’s steps; it’s progression.” he said. “At Allen we have a lot of opportunities advising and tutoring but it really takes more independence going from a JUCO to a four year.”