Texas A&M University-Kingsville's University Boulevard filled with trailers, barbeque pits and tractors Tuesday as the 2024 Agricultural Mechanics Show took over the street.
Banquete High School students Hunter Fox and Zeke Espinoza parked their project, a 1954 Ford NAA tractor in front of College Hall.
"This is the classic small tractor that any little farmer, rancher, golf course owner... that anybody would want," Fox said.
The students made engine repairs and repainted the tractor. They took the completed project to the Houston Livestock Show. As soon as the Kingsville show finished up, they headed out to another show in Brenham.
"Our FFA chapter may not be the biggest one, but we have the biggest interest at our school," Espinoza said. "I think it's best for any small school to have a project like this to be at a show like this. It introduces you to agriculture."
From Dallas to the Rio Grande Valley, 41 high schools came to participate in the competition. About 390 students participated, submitting 114 projects.
"This is our 10th year, but our largest show today," professor and coordinator Steven Boot Chumbley said.
Students are judged not just on the technical nature of their projects built from scratch, but also on their ability to communicate with judges about their process.
"We've got animal handling systems, we've got livestock equipment, we have trailers, and barbeque pits are their own separate division, and we have restored tractors," Chumbley said.
A&M-Kingsville senior Rayni Sandidge was one of the university volunteers helping run the competition. When she was in high school, she was involved with agricultural mechanics, 4-H and FFA.
"It helped me with my leadership skills as well as my communication skills," Sandidge said.
Students from H.M. King High School submitted a barbeque pit, smoker and rocket stove. They started and finished all of the projects in two months, after welding teacher Eric Gonzalez started at the school.
"If I had the chance to stay in school, I'd do it again," senior Juan Mireles said. "It was fun."
Mireles is interested in pursuing fabrication.
The barbeque pit project involved problem-solving, Mireles said.
"They were working on it non-stop," Gonzalez said. "I'm really proud of them."
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