Students learn skills that create 'champion' project

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

The competition's judges review the ag mechanics team's plans for their hay van. -- Staff photos by Carolyn Rost

March 13, 2003 -- In the Columbus ISD, juniors and seniors are offered a number of options in ag-related education, one of which is agricultural mechanics. Recently, a group of six students used their learned skills and completed an award-winning, six-bale hay van.

Out of the 189 students at Columbus High School enrolled in ag classes, all 30 students in the ag mechanics class are also members of FFA.

Junior Damon Faldyn, 17, said he has enjoyed learning how to weld in the class, and winning the Grand Champion award in the class of trailers is the "frosting on the cake."

Involved in FFA since his freshman year, Faldyn said the trailer was something he needed for hay hauling on his family's ranch, rather than using a "big old gooseneck" trailer.

Students choose their projects according to personal or community needs, he said.

"We started (the project) right at the end of August or early September (2002). We really don't know how much time we put in, but we worked about an hour in class, some after school and the whole Christmas break. It was, roughly, about 150 hours," he explained.

The judges' decision was for a Grand Champion title for the team, comprised of (bottom photo, from left) Amanda Izard, Damon Faldyn and Scotty Stewart. -- Staff photos by Carolyn Rost

He said six students were involved in building the hay van, and the group has presented it in competition, most recently at their county show, where they received the Grand Champion honor. At competitions in San Antonio and Houston, the van received blue ribbon status.

Since the project was time-consuming for the students, finding enough time to work on the van, keep up grades, and making sure chores were all accomplished was a lesson in time management.

Faldyn estimated the van cost around $2,500, not counting labor, which would have run the cost up around $5,000.

Although this was a big project, Faldyn and the group are already looking forward to next year's project: a 12-bale hay van!