This semester the ag department hosted the Southwest Kansas District FFA contests on March 2, which included crops, food science, entomology and farm management divisions. The department also received 1,500 kindergarten and first grade students for Farm Education Day on March 22. Recently, during the campuswide Xtreme Challenge the SCCC ag department participated, hosting animal science and virtual livestock judging contests, with Dandi Thomas and Payton Fleming from Elkhart High School placing first and second overall, and Jessica Johns from Rolla High School in third place. Upcoming events include the Block and Bridle Pig sale on Friday, April 8, the Beaver County Pig sale, and Block and Bridle lamb and goat sale on Saturday, April 9. The Block and Bridle Pig sale will start at 7 p.m. on Friday and 120 pigs are expected to sell at the ag building. The Beaver County pig sale will take place at noon on Saturday with 50 hogs, and the Block and Bridle lamb and goat sale will begin at 6 p.m. that evening. April 15 and 16 will mark the 15th annual Celebrity Livestock Judging Auction. Businesses in the community will compile a team of four judges including at least one “celebrity,” or expert judge. The auction will take place on Friday, April 15 with proceeds going towards scholarships for SCCC livestock judging team members. The actual judging contest will take place Saturday, April 16. The ag department will host the Southwest Kansas District FFA Judging contest on Wednesday, April 20, expecting nearly 300 high school students. The judging team finished in February. The year, included High Scoring individual at contest and multiple top 10 individual rankings, according to agriculture instructor Brett Crow. The department is also in the process of hiring an additional ag instructor to help put emphasis on an agronomy program.