FFA Tractor Driving Students: Pre-Register by July 1 for Empire Farm Days Safety Contest
PRESS RELEASE: May 31, 2016
FFA Tractor Driving Students: Pre-Register by July 1 for Empire Farm Days Safety Contest
Seneca Falls, NY. FFA students interested in entering the New York State FFA Tractor Driving Safety Contest at the 2016 Empire Farm Days at Rodman Lott & Son Farms, 2973 Route 414 in Seneca Falls, NY, may pre-register by July 1. The competition will be held Thursday, August 11 as part of the Northeast’s largest outdoor agricultural trade show.
Students complete a written safety exam, a parts identification task, and driving courses with 2- wheel and 4-wheel wagons. The Junior division is open to 14-16 year olds; the 16-18-year-old Senior division winner will compete at the Big E Exposition in Springfield, MA, in September.
“Empire Farm Days provides a perfect setting for this annual competition that encourages students to make safety on the farm a priority by learning proper tractor operation,” says New York State FFA Tractor Driving Safety Contest Coordinator Jon Clayson.
To pre-register, contestants may submit their name and age division by July 1, 2016 to JClayson@pioneercsd.org. Walk-up registrations will be accepted the day of the contest.
Contest sponsors include Case International, John Deere, Kubota, New Holland, H&S Farm Equipment, the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, Java Farm Supply, Lamb and Webster, and the New York FFA Foundation.
The 300-acre Empire Farm Days features the latest farming techniques, tractors, trucks, and implements of all sizes and uses; crop and equipment demonstrations, Dairy Profit and other educational seminars, equipment and truck test driving opportunities, live cattle and horse demonstrations, farm safety and family life displays, and information booths by hundreds of agriculture-related vendors, organizations, colleges and associations.
Show hours are 9am-5pm on Tuesday, August 9 and Wednesday, August 10, and 9am-4pm on Thursday, August 11. Parking is $10 per vehicle. For daily schedules and more information visit www.empirefarmdays.com or call 877-697-7837.
More Info:
New York State FFA/4-H Tractor Safety Contest winners at the 2015 Empire Farm Days were: . Junior Division: Alex Bishop, Sidney Central School, Sidney, NY . Senior Division: Kameron Fisher, Pioneer Central School, Yorkshire, NY . 4-H Division: Kyle Perl, Wyoming County.
CONTACTS:
FFA Contest Coordinator Jon Clayson, cell: 315-767-6387, JClayson@pioneercsd.org . Empire Farm Days Manager Melanie Wickham, 877-697-7837, mwickham@empirefarmdays.com . EFD Publicist Kara Lynn Dunn, 315-465-7578, karalynn@gisco.net
PHOTO: New York State FFA students will test their safe tractor driving skills at Empire Farm Days on Thursday, August 11, 2016. Photo: Nick Wickham