In addition to contending in the South Central District Poultry Career Development Event, Marion-Florence FFA members also competed in the district food science and Ag Business Management events Thursday in the middle school gym.

Members Noelle Gulick, Reann Hamm, Kayla Kroupa, and Elizabeth Meyer placed fourth in the A-team division, while Brad Stone, Hayden Beardsley, Derrick Ratzloff, and Nathan Cyr took third in the B-team competition.

Participants were required to evaluate classes of broiler chickens, laying hens, and broiler carcasses.

Teams also had to grade exterior eggs and identify factors which determined grade, candle eggs to determine interior quality, identify poultry carcass parts, evaluate processed poultry products, take a written test, complete a team activity, and evaluate a carcass for a grade.

Freshmen also competed in the food science career development event.

Participants in this event were required to identify 10 different aromas and food flavorings used in the food science industry, complete a triangle test to identify food products, evaluate processing techniques, and take a written test over the food processing industry.

Marion students competed in the “Greenhand” or freshman division and placed second. Seth Savage also received individual honors after taking eighth place in the event.

Other Marion students who competed were Aidan Cairns, Cade Harms, Taylor May, Nathan Baldwin, A.J. Cogdill, Ezra Darnall, Kaitlyn Goebel, Peyton Heidebrecht, Jeremy Hett, Daniel Hinton, William Holt, Taylor Pontious, and Krisde Robinson.