Caption- The Sleepy Eye FFA members had a fun-filled day of learning on the Summer Ag Tour. Pictured at Niagra Cave- l to r, front: Ruby Tauer, Kaiya Confer, Alex Confer, Lily Kallevig, Charlie Hoffmann, Michael Pool, Paola Gonzalez, Breanna Lopez, Ava Sellner, Ari Krzmarzick. Back: Travis Mages, Cameron Moore, Carsten Nienhaus, Ethan Feucht, Kenedi Wersal, Allanah Urbano, Camryn Maher, Ella Arkins, Emerson Johnson, Jacob Moore. Not pictured: Zack Dominguez and Karina Martinez.
On Thursday, June 13, 22 FFA members visited a variety of places from the surrounding communities in order to learn about each and the career opportunities within them. Mary Hoffmann, Paul Hendrickx, Katie Emmett (Sleepy Eye FFA Advisors), and Morgan Hoffmann (Summer Assistant) attended the tour as well.
The day started with a trip to Niagra Cave. Niagara Cave is a limestone cave located in Harmony, Minnesota. The cave is approximately 200 feet deep; features include an underground stream, 60-foot waterfall, fossils, stalactites and stalagmites.
Next, the group traveled to the SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota. The museum tells the history of the Hormel Company, the origin of Spam, and its place in world culture.
The third tour was to G & S Manufacturing, a metal fabrication company in Courtland, Minnesota. G&S Manufacturing, LLC is a family owned and operated company since 1994. Their goal is to provide customers with a quality product in a timely manner on structural steel, metal fabrication and/or production runs.
The day ended with a trip to the WOW Zone where members were able to enjoy pizza, bowling, and play laser tag and mini golf. It was a fun way to end the day and was an opportunity to make even more memories with fellow FFA members.
Each year, Sleepy Eye FFA conducts one-day tours in the summer with at least three educational stops. This is a fantastic way for our members to gain first-hand knowledge of different aspects of careers and explore the various career pathways. From different geological formations to the metal fab shop, the trip provided a range of numerous career opportunities.