While most students enjoy a slower pace once the school year ends, members of the Kimberly FFA chapter in Twin Falls County are keeping a full schedule — training animals, building on recent competitive success, and preparing for a summer leadership retreat ahead of the Twin Falls County Fair in August.
Daily Routines and Fair Prep
For chapter sentinel Wyatt Young, summer mornings look a lot like the rest of the year. Young keeps pigs at his home and works with them every day — walking the animals, making sure they’re fed and watered, and keeping their pens clean. That kind of consistent, hands-on effort is central to showing livestock competitively, and Young said the commitment doesn’t pause just because school is out.
“It’s important to keep training your animals all year round whenever you have them,” Young said.
That dedication is typical of FFA members across the Magic Valley, where agriculture isn’t just a class subject — it’s a way of life woven into the fabric of the community. The Twin Falls County Fair, scheduled for August, serves as a major milestone for students who’ve spent months raising and conditioning their animals.
Chapter Earns Three First-Place Finishes
The summer workload comes on the heels of a strong spring showing. At a career development event in early June, the Kimberly FFA chapter claimed three first-place team finishes — in meats, entomology, and food science and technology. Chapter treasurer Jace Maxwell was a member of two of those winning teams, a performance that reflects the breadth of agricultural knowledge the chapter has developed.
Maxwell said the competitive results speak to something larger than trophies. “It just shows how important agriculture is to us and especially in the Magic Valley,” he said.
Career development events test students on practical skills tied directly to agricultural industries — from understanding meat quality and grading to identifying insects and applying food science principles. Placing first across three separate disciplines in a single event is a significant achievement for any FFA chapter, and it signals that Kimberly’s program is operating at a high level heading into the heart of summer.
Leadership Retreat at Camp Donnelly
Beyond animals and competitions, the chapter has a team-building opportunity on the horizon. The Summer Outdoor Leadership Retreat is set for July 6–10 at Camp Donnelly, and it’s designed to develop the kind of skills that make a chapter effective both in competition and in the community. The retreat’s focus areas — team building, communication, and leadership — are pillars of the FFA mission and help translate classroom and barn-yard experience into broader life skills.
For a chapter that’s already demonstrated its competitive edge this season, the retreat offers a chance to strengthen the relationships and leadership structures that sustain that success from year to year.
The Kimberly FFA chapter’s summer activity is a reminder that agricultural education doesn’t operate on a traditional academic calendar. Livestock don’t take breaks, county fairs have firm deadlines, and the leadership skills students build in FFA programs carry long past graduation. In a region where farming and ranching remain economic and cultural cornerstones, chapters like Kimberly’s play an important role in developing the next generation of agricultural professionals and community leaders.
Families spending time around Twin Falls County this summer can find other community events on the calendar as well — including a free America 250th birthday celebration at the Twin Falls Visitor Center and the popular splash pad at Downtown Commons drawing crowds during the summer heat.
What Comes Next
The Kimberly FFA chapter’s Summer Outdoor Leadership Retreat runs July 6–10 at Camp Donnelly. Following the retreat, chapter members will continue fair preparations as the Twin Falls County Fair approaches in August. Students raising livestock will maintain their daily training routines through the summer to have their animals ready to compete.