VAN HORNE — The Benton Community FFA Food Science team of Payton Armstrong, Katelyn Covington, Brianna Gahring, and Nova Selck brought home a Silver rating from the 98th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Back in May, the team competed at the State Food Science CDE in Ames, earning the title of State Champion. With this honor, they qualified to represent Iowa on the national stage. This impressive achievement marks a major milestone for the chapter, showcasing dedication, teamwork, and knowledge in a very competitive career development event.
Throughout the national competition the team demonstrated strong skills in food product development, food safety, sensory evaluation and quality assurance. These experiences not only contributed to their success at convention but will also serve them well as they pursue potential opportunities in the food science industry.
Team member Payton Armstrong reflected on the experience, saying, “Throughout practicing for the National Food Science CDE competition, I have gained critical thinking skills and teamwork abilities. I was able to learn how to work under a time crunch while creating a quality presentation with limited previous knowledge to the competition. I thoroughly enjoyed the competition and I am very thankful for the experience.”
The Benton Community FFA chapter continues to build success and the Food Science team’s performance at the National FFA Convention highlights the passion and hard work of its members.