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A Southland High School student was one of 16  regional FFA finalists from across the state who advanced to compete in the Minnesota Farm Bureau (MFBF) State FFA Discussion Meet, which will be held during the Minnesota State FFA Convention on April 24-26.

Katie Thome was one of the two winners to come out of Region 8, along with Triton High School’s Kiya Avery.

The state contest will take place starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, in the Magrath Library on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus. The contest is sponsored by the MFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) Committee and the Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation.

The Discussion Meet competition encourages participants to have a conversation about current agriculture topics. The discussion simulates a committee meeting with the goal of finding a solution. Each FFA region in Minnesota can send two participants to the state contest, where the top two winners will receive a scholarship to the FFA Washington Leadership Conference or to further their education.

Two finalists were selected from each of the eight MN FFA regions at preliminary contests held between December through March. Participants in this year’s competition include:

Region 1

McKayla Hove, Fosston FFA

Caidyn Johnson, Fertile-Beltrami FFA

Region 2

Allison Offerdahl, Park Rapids FFA

Brooke Converse, Staples-Motley FFA

Region 3

Livy Johnson and Quynn Behrens, Ashby FFA

Region 4

Alison Bergmann, Stillwater FFA

Alison Murrell, Braham FFA

Region 5

Natalie Beckendorf, Renville County West FFA

Dayna Terning, Dassel-Cokato FFA

Region 6

Joe Dagel, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton FFA

Jacob Runge, Saint James Area FFA

Region 7

Kiya Williamson, Belle Plaine FFA

Kierra Meyer, Tri-City United FFA

Region 8

Kiya Avery, Triton FFA

Katie Thome, Southland FFA