BLINN COLLEGE AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS SHOW

  

High school students will bring agricultural mechanics projects from around the state to the Blinn College – Brenham campus Wednesday, April 27, for the 15th annual Agricultural Mechanics Show.

Event co-founder Johnnie Schroeder hopes to attract students from more than 70 high schools to showcase their finest—and largest—agricultural mechanics projects. The show will be held at the College’s W.J. “Bill” Rankin Agricultural Complex beginning at 10 a.m., with the closing awards ceremony at 4 p.m.

“What makes this show so great is the time of year,” Schroeder said. “Students have the entire school year to work on their projects.”

The show features projects developed and designed by students in high school FFA chapters and county 4-H clubs. Students work 300-400 hours on some projects, which are then judged on quality and showmanship. Projects included agriculture machinery and equipment; livestock equipment; trailers; recreational items including barbecue pits, picnic tables, metal and wood furniture, entrance gates, deer blinds, animal traps and horticulture products; and engines and reconditioned tractors.

Grand ChampionsFEATURE
(L-R) Brian Muzny, Mia Carrola, Logan Bourgeois, Brandon Spreen, and Jarrett Reynolds

Projects will be divided into five categories: agriculture machinery and equipment, livestock and equipment, trailer, recreation and engine. The winners of each category will be awarded a Blinn scholarship. Submissions include restored tractors and custom-built trailers. There will also be on-site welding and cutting torch contests.

The show has grown from approximately 30 schools its inaugural year in 2001 to 75 last year, and the 2015 show included close to 200 entries. Brian Muzny, Mia Carrola, Logan Bourgeois, Brandon Spreen and Jarrett Reynolds of Kendall County FFA were named grand champions for their maroon 35-foot lowboy gooseneck trailer with hydraulic ramps. Luke Tinsley of Gonzales FFA was named reserve grand champion for his work on an 826 International Gold Demonstrator tractor.

“We are entirely student-focused for this event,” Schroeder said.

Blinn’s Agricultural Sciences Program is roughly four times the size of any other two-year agricultural program in the state and offers agriculture classes on all of its campuses, with the W.J. “Bill” Rankin Agricultural Complex serving as the program’s hub.

In addition to its excellence in the classroom, Blinn offers extracurricular educational activities in the areas of livestock judging, agriculture club, wildlife, agriculture mechanics, horticulture and agriculture sciences. For more information on Blinn’s ag science program, visit: www.blinn.edu/agriculture.

Story and photo courtesy of: Blinn Communications

What’s your Reaction?
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
Back to top button