FFA added a forestry contest at state this year, and the Milford chapter took home the first-ever top spot.
Team members Sadie Frazier, Allie Gerdes, Ayla Salistean and Chris Wissenburg used their knowledge of trees to win the category.
Frazier said everyone had their own area of specialty, and they were able to combine their skills and knowledge for the win.
The contest included a walk around the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus identifying trees. The contest also included tools and diseases.
Most of the team members are also on the envirothon team, Frazier said. Forestry is a section in that competition, so they weren’t unfamiliar with it.
“I thought we could do well,” she said.
She said the tool identification portion was more challenging because the team members were not used to all the tools.
Frazier, a junior, usually competes in natural resources and wildlife management, which also includes trees. She said those contests provided good background knowledge for the forestry contest.
Team members practiced using tree walks around Milford, Frazier said.
“The competition was different than what I’m used to. It’s more analytical with maps, strategic plans and management practices,” she said.
Gerdes, a junior, was a substitute for senior Jay Wissenburg.
“We had a bunch of fun. I thought we worked well together,” she said.
Milford finished second in the envirothon earlier in the year, but Gerdes felt underprepared for the forestry contest.
“I hadn’t been to a contest before,” she said, adding that she recognized many test questions.
She said she struggled with the identification and team portions of the contest.
“I did not expect the topography,” she said, adding that it became her strong suit.
The team met before the competition to cram, Gerdes said with a smile.
“That helped a lot. It allowed us to focus,” she said.
She said during the ID section, they were with other schools, but the team had to figure out the IDs on their own.
Gerdes plans to go into a conservation field and said she enjoyed forestry.
She knew team members before the contest because she’s in archery with two of them. Her previous experience with natural resources and wildlife management helped with the test, she said.
Salistean, a junior, said she’s grown to love forestry through the envirothon. She was excited to participate in the first state contest.
She thought the individual written test was easy. The team portion was much different from expectations, she said. It included tree math and map reading. Tree math is determining how much lumber can be harvested from a given tree.
Salistean took the management questions, with Gerdes handling the map and Frazier and Chris Wissenburg doing the math.
Salistean said the forestry event was the longest of the competitions.
“We were one of only a few to finish the team portion,” she said. “It was a nice day for a walk.”
Chris Wissenburg, a sophomore, said the team had to qualify out of its district. He wasn’t able to practice as much as his teammates because of baseball, he said.
Everyone completed the identification and written tests. Competitors had to use fallen leaves and bark to identify the trees because they don’t have leaves on them yet.
“I didn’t expect to do as well. I was surprised,” Wissenburg said.
He prefers the land judging contest but said he’d be interested in doing forestry again.
Some of the team was gone for the awards presentation. Wissenburg was at baseball, and Frazier was on the fine arts trip.
Gerdes said she heard from FFA Advisor Jim Wissenburg.
“I thought ‘that’s amazing. I’m proud of us,’” she said.
Salistean was on the floor already for Natural Resourecs and heard from Jim Wissenburg that the team had won.
“I was really excited to win first,” Salistean said. “It’s good to come out on top.”
