Agricultural Mechanics Show features over 80 high school entries on Texas A&M University-Kingsville campus
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Casandra Gonzalez, a member of the Kaufman High School FFA Agriculture Mechanics Show Team, right, had the opportunity to talk with Dr. James Hallmark, interim president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville, during the Agricultural Mechanics Project Show held on campus Tuesday, April 26. Gonzalez entered a Hibachi Picnic Table in the annual competition.
“We have a variety of projects ranging from restored tractors to 30-ft. trailers. We have barbecue pits, we have animal handling systems like scales and chutes and personalized entry gates,” Dr. Steven Chumbley, associated professor of agricultural education, said. “These are all projects that students built this last calendar year. This is our opportunity to showcase all these great things students have done and it also adds a little bit of competition.”
The student projects were evaluated on the entry’s workmanship, construction difficulty, the quality of the build and the student’s showmanship ability. Around 220 high school students competed in the event, representing 15 different counties. The projects were split among six competitive divisions: Farm Power & Machinery, Animal Handling Systems, Trailers, Recreation and Wildlife, BBQ Pits and Trailer and Tractor Restoration.
Jasmine Garcia, a Texas A&M-Kingsville sophomore in animal science who previously judged project competitions in San Antonio and Freer, assisted in judging the show’s entries.
“It’s exciting because I know what it takes to build a project because I did that in high school,” Garcia said. “It’s exciting to see how the students have worked, all the determination that they have and the knowledge that they have about their own projects.”
Students from the invited schools were excited to showcase the skills learned while completing their projects and appreciated the opportunity to compete with other schools.
“A lot of the skills we learn can go into everyday life, jobs and careers,” said Emily Miller, a high school senior from Zephyr, who showcased her solo project, an outdoor disc cooking station with chairs made utilizing longhorn horns.
Chumbley organized the show with the help of over 40 university students who assisted with event planning, served as judges and helped with set up.
“This event is similar to some of the major shows that we see in San Antonio or Houston,” said Chumbley of the competition. “Our students, who have helped at those events, then apply those skills here. It’s a true service learning opportunity for our students.”
2022 Texas A&M University-Kingsville Agricultural Mechanics Project Show Results
Division I Ag Machinery and Equipment - Smithson Valley, Custom Truck Welding Bed
Division II Animal Handling Systems - Nixon Smiley, Cattle Caller/Motorized Tow-Hitch Feeder
Division III Trailers – Fredericksburg, 30-ft. Side Axle Tilt Trailer
Division IV Wildlife and Recreation – Zephyr, Custom Table, Antler Chairs and Hibachi Grill
Division V BBQ Pits – Roma, 20-ft. BBQ Trailer
Division VI Tractors – O’Connor FFA, 1965 Oliver Restored Tractor
Reserve Grand Champion – O’Connor FFA, 14-ft. Custom Flat Deck Tilt Trailer.
Grand Champion – Fredericksburg, 30-ft. Side Axle Tilt Trailer
Category: Ag/Env & Wildlife Sci , General Univ