Senior FFA member, Abigail Svatos has qualified for the state competition in FFA Career Development Events (CDEs) in the Natural Resources event. Abigail is the daughter of Ryan and Erica Svatos.

There are three parts to the Natural Resources competition that include identification, a multiple-choice test, and a problem-solving section. In the identification portion of the event, each competitor must identify ten different animals and or plants from the following categories: mammals, insects, fish, upland game birds, birds, and trees and shrubs. The animals and plants found in these categories are all local to South Dakota. The multiple-choice portion of the event consists of a 50-question test about the resources of South Dakota. The questions can include items from the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks handbook and soil conservation. For the last part of the competition in the problem- solving round, the students are asked to figure out several different problems. Some examples would be how many acres are in a certain section of a section, how much nitrogen should be used in a certain acreage, or what to do in a situation dealing with the managing of a South Dakota State Park.

Abigail chose this particular event because she has worked at the SD state park in Lake Andes for the past two summers and during that employment gained a lot of useful knowledge that would be beneficial to her in this event. Abigail also enjoys hunting and fishing, so the identification part of the competition was exciting for her and an area she excelled at. Her favorite part of being an FFA member is being a part of an organization that supports agriculture and helps all of its members with their futures. Abigail enjoys the events and activities that the Andes Central chapter takes part in.

Not only does Abigail compete in the Natural Resources event, but she also takes part in the livestock evaluation event when it is held. She has competed in the livestock evaluation event during both her junior and senior years in FFA. Abigail has also competed in the Leadership Development Events (LDEs) that are held in the fall each year. Her freshman year she competed in Creed Speaking and her junior year she competed in Ag Broadcasting, where she placed 2nd at the district level.

When asked why she joined FFA, Abigail said it was because of her grandpa, Dan Svatos. Dan was the Lake Andes FFA Chapter President during his senior year. He has always been very proud to be a part of the organization and would tell her all of the activities that he participated in while in FFA. When the Andes Central chapter was restarted, Abigail was excited to have the opportunity to join FFA. She soon discovered that her grandpa, Dan, was right. Through FFA, Abigail has made many new friends, learned new and different things about agriculture and life and has been able to support the Lake Andes community in ways that she would never have had the opportunity to otherwise. One thing that Abigail would tell non-FFA member students would be how much of a huge difference FFA has made in her life. She would share her experiences as well as the highs and lows of being a member. The one thing she would not forget to share with them would be that FFA provides great opportunities to help the community, better yourself and help keep your life on a positive track.

Congratulations Abigail and best of luck in the upcoming CDE competitions.