Children enjoy annual 'FFA Day'

Kids pet calves during the annual Prairie Central "FFA Day" with Dominy Library and Dave's Supermarket.

Prairie Central FFA members taught the community about tractor safety and livestock during the annual FFA Day held on the lawn of Dominy Library Friday.

Students and other local children enjoyed the petting zoo and various agriculture education stations. The school decided to move its petting zoo to this event a few years ago.

“We also combined it with drive your tractor to school day, so the kids get to drive their tractors and kin of show off their equipment while teaching the community about farm safety,” explains Prairie Central ag teacher Kylie Miller.

Bingo cards with ag facts were included this year and lunch is provided to FFA members.

“It’s a really neat collaboration we have here,” said Miller, referring to the event co-organizers Dominy Library and Dave’s Supermarket.

Miller acknowledges this is a busy time for the FFA chapter with two state contests coming in the next week, a senior awards night in May and a retirement open house for her father, Kyle Miller, later in the month. That event will be held at Kilgus Farmstead.

PCHS student Clay Miller brought a Berkshire gilt, wether goat and donkey to the petting zoo.

“I’m more than happy to let kids come and see my animals and learn about some stuff they don’t get to see every day,” he said.

Wayde Fehr and Landon Cottrell oversaw a fishing station where kids were able to catch fish from small pools using wooden fishing rods. The kids are then asked questions about ag before receiving a sticker.

Answers varied from the children attending when asked about their favorite part of the day.

“The cows!” exclaimed one youngster.

“The horse,” stated another.

One girl liked a green tractor on display “because it’s just cool.”