Fairs offer a thrilling opportunity for students and enthusiasts to showcase their creativity and ingenuity through diverse projects. From science to art, these projects represent hard work, dedication, and imagination, inspiring and educating others, making fairs a vibrant platform for innovation.
Several seniors, Grant Jones, Jett Lindeman, and Eli-Jacob Rose shared their projects and thoughts about their final year of completing FFA projects.
Grant Jones (12) said, “This year I am making a Tensegrity End Table. It’s this cool rectangular table made of square tubing, with two parts held together with the tension of a few chains. I thought of making this because I see TikToks of similar ones, and it seemed extremely interesting to me. The build process is going really well; however, fair is coming up soon and it’s crunch time, lots of work to do. Last year, I made a Maple Syrup Evaporator, which is part of a long time family tradition. It was extremely fun, and being able to present it to the fair and teach California about my Michigan Family Tradition was really cool. I did really well with that project, winning multiple awards and scholarships at both the fair and the FFA Banquet.”
Many of the seniors working on projects for the fair acknowledged encountering challenges along the way. Some struggled with unfamiliar aspects of their projects, while others found the structures themselves to be surprisingly complex. Despite these challenges, they persevered and continued to work hard to bring their ideas to life.
Eli-Jacob Rose said, “For this year’s project, I am fixing a BBQ trailer. A family friend approached me at last year’s fair and asked if I could repair his BBQ trailer, to which I replied yes! Throughout high school, I have worked on various projects, starting with a wooden box in freshman year, a fire pit in sophomore year, and building a BBQ in junior year. This year’s project has presented some challenges, throwing me a few curveballs, but I’m determined to complete it by fair season by working diligently and taking my time.”
Other students, including Larry Borelli (12), Brockton Borelli (11), and Dominic Seeba (12) are also working on projects for the fair. Specifically, Larry Borelli is crafting an aluminum animal scale for the AG department, which costs a staggering $4,000 in materials alone. Brockton Borelli is completing a BBQ trailer that Hayden Pepper began last year, while Dominic Seeba is creating a beautiful butterfly yard ornament.
Jett Lindeman (12) said, “This year I am making a steel bumper for a diesel 5500 ram work truck. I thought of making this for the purpose of hauling large equipment since it can make it hard to avoid accidents and for my safety and the strength of the truck this bumper will improve my overall confidence and comfort. I made a project last year which was a rebuild. I completely tore apart a trailer and rebuilt the entire thing to make it stronger and more reliable. I also added parts to allow me to do more with it. My project is coming along great, it is a complex build but with time and patience it has come along how I wanted it. With a lot more time, I will be able to finish it in time to enter it into the Los Banos fair.”
The Spring May Day Fair is scheduled for the first week of May, April 29-May 5.
