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The Rye FFA members were busy serving their famous Rocky Mountain Oysters with all the trimmings. Photo by Shirley Pigg
The 2024 Rye FFA Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry and Member Labor Auction was the largest yet. With many new FFA members on board, a recordbreaking figure of over 900 tickets were pre-sold, surpassing over 700 sold last year.
Diners were treated to the same tried-and-true menu with allyou- can-eat Rocky Mountain oysters or chicken strips, baked beans, coleslaw, iced tea or lemonade, and a cookie. The FFA members and their supporting volunteers prepared 150 pounds of Rocky Mountain oysters and 150 pounds of chicken strips.
A change in setup was made to make the flow of the food line more efficient, and it was very successful. The jostling of an overcrowded serving and dining room was gone, giving participants room and time to dine and relax.
Both Rye and Craver FFA members were striving hard to accommodate the crowd. Whether they were collecting dinner tickets, issuing bidding numbers, serving food, drinks, or desserts, emptying trash, manning sales booths, or participating in the member labor auction the blue-jacketed youths smiled, offered assistance, and thanked people for coming out to support them.
Some amazing silent auction items, donated by area businesses and residents, were on display and remained open until halfway through the labor auction, giving time for repeat bidding and some friendly competition.
The Labor Auction of eight hours of labor by an FFA member was also larger than in previous years. A total of 49 youths participated in the auction. For the first time, the Sophomores and Freshmen were auctioned off in pairs. The Juniors and Seniors were auctioned individually.
Labor auction prices from 2023 ranged between $150 to $350, with an average price of $240.
Cody Scheid kept the fun going with his witty comments as the auctioneer for the 2024 FFA Labor Auction.
The money raised by this annual fundraiser is used to send FFA members to leadership conferences and different events throughout the FFA year. Members have the chance at field trips, and competitions throughout the year, touring the agriculture industry to educate members about different parts of the ag industry, including those not common to our area. This gives them the chance to explore and train for potential careers and opportunities available in agriculture. Rye High Ag Teacher and FFA Advisor Ethan Beeman took the microphone to thank everyone for turning out to support the Rye FFA Chapter, including those who sponsored and volunteered at the event.
