After months of extensive preparation, Selma High’s FFA program participated in the Big Fresno Fair, an event that is highly anticipated by FFA students and staff. The fair was held from October 6th through the 13th.
This year had one of the largest groups to exhibit livestock and floral design arrangements. Thirty-three students participated in livestock exhibitions, animals totaling 70, and an outstanding number of 90 students exhibited floral arrangements, totaling nearly 100 Floral Design Exhibits in the Jr. Exhibits building.
Selma High was able to bring home a multitude of banners, ribbons, championships, and best of shows. These students include: Hannah Fransen, winning Champion Mediterranean Leghorn Breeding Hen, Abigail Cabezas, winning fourth in Advanced FFA Goat Showmanship, Champion FFA Bred and Fed Breeding Ewe, Camilla Bribiesca, winning fourth FFA Novice Sheep Showmanship, Jesus Zerapio, winning seventh in Novice Hog Showmanship, David Garcia, winning Champion Berkshire Pig, and Hailey Simons, winning FFA Reserve Champion Bred and Fed Market Goat.
Selma’s rodeo-themed booth also won Feature Booth Best of Show, and three students took home Best of Show for Floral Design. All around AG awards went to Joaquin Aranda, David Garcia, Abigail Cabezas, Sebastian Valadez, and Hannah Fransen.
Agriculture instructor Mrs. Chambers was pleased with the results.
“Personally, we had an outstanding fair this year, Ms. Chambers said.“We were able to bring home some banners, ribbons, championships, and best of shows.”
Students who participated in exhibiting livestock spent a considerable amount of time away from school to be at the fair.
Hailey Simmons, a junior in her third year of FFA, showed in multiple classes, including Market, Showmanship, and Bred by Exhibitor. She describes the challenging nature of the time commitment the activity demands.
“It was not easy dedicating so much time to a project like this,” Simmons expressed. “It takes a lot of time management as well as communication. It’s hard, especially coming early to the farm at night just to leave later than expected, and the early mornings all the way through summer [to] October.”
Participating in this event shaped Hailey’s life in a wide range of ways. One major accomplishment that she reached was her goal of showcasing her livestock and winning a ribbon. While winning was exciting, it deepened her love for showing. As the saying goes, “hard work pays off.” This experience reminded her that passion, dedication, and hard work lead to success.
Hailey and her goat, Rudy, received second place in their class and went on to compete in the Middleweight Champion Drive. In her Bred by Exhibitor class, they received second place and FFA Reserve Champion Drive.
For senior Joaquin Aranda-Lucatero, this year’s Fresno Fair marked more than just another show; it was the end of an amazing chapter. After four years in FFA, he knew that this fair would be one he would cherish forever.
“This year’s fair was such a fun experience,” Aranda-Lucatero expressed. “It was great to see all my team members place in their respective classes and everyone’s hard work [paid] off.”
Joaquin knew what challenges were to come with raising a hog. Early mornings, months of care and training, and even missing school, were all worth every minute for him.
The fair wasn’t just about ribbons and rankings. It was about the friendships and teamwork that were built to reach that.
“Getting to spend so much time with not only my hog but also the livestock team really allowed me to form close friendships,” Aranda-Lucatero notes.
Joaquin placed first in his class and fourth in the breeding class, respectively.
In her first year of floral design, senior Graciela Garcia highlights the accomplishment she felt when seeing her wreath she designed on display.
“I loved seeing how interested people were in all of the designs and seeing the smiles people had,” Garcia said.
For Graciela, the process of putting together her wreath took a week in her floral design class and involved a lot of trial and error. But she says, “That’s the beauty in truly making something your own.”
“Seeing my work among so many other creative projects made me feel proud,” Garcia expresses. “Being able to see a bunch of projects from Selma made me happy. We’re all putting in the same amount of work, and it definitely pays off when we see how big our accomplishments can be.”
Graciela’s piece received first place, along with other floral pieces from Selma.
The students’ experiences with FFA at the Fresno Fair reveal more than a show, but a journey of growth, dedication, and passion. The Big Fresno Fair is an unforgettable experience that teaches each student about commitment and perseverance every year. It taught students to take pride in their work and celebrate the effort and organization that goes into their projects.
Despite the exhaustion, FFA’s time at the fair was fun, memorable, and taught many lessons leading up to it. The students reflect on the time spent with their livestock animals, team, and appreciate the friendships and connections that came from it.
“Mrs. Mendes and [I] are extremely proud of the showing from our students this year,” Mrs. Chambers emphasized. “Selma FFA was well represented at the Big Fresno Fair this year.”
