Union junior Olivia Hanson, president of the La Porte-Dysart FFA, chats with a member of the public last Sunday as she helps serve breakfast as part of her chapter’s annual spring fundraiser. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

DYSART – Members of the La Porte-Dysart FFA chapter successfully served hundreds of pancakes to the public last Sunday morning in the Union Middle School cafeteria as part of the group’s annual spring fundraiser.

Chapter president Olivia Hanson estimated when all was said and done, roughly 375 people made their way through the breakfast line which in addition to pancakes also included sausage and hash brown patties.

The freewill donation, all-you-can-eat-breakfast serves as one of two annual fundraisers for the chapter with funds raised from the Sunday event in Dysart going toward chapter expenses, while profits from the fall breakfast fundraiser held in La Porte City supporting the La Porte City FFA Historical and Ag Museum.

In addition to the pancake breakfast, chapter members have been busy as of late participating in the Northeast District Convention on March 11 in Dyersville.

Hanson was the only La Porte-Dysart FFA member to qualify for State this year at Districts, earning a first place in public speaking with her speech about the advent of 3D food printers.

Members of the public dress up their plates of pancakes with syrup and other toppings during the La Porte-Dysart FFA Pancake Breakfast fundraiser last Sunday morning at the Union Middle School in Dysart. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

Her speech specifically highlighted a 3D printer programmed to print a dish of raviolis — taking over the labor of rolling out the dough — and a printer programmed to print steak operating on 100% meat.

The goal of her speech, she said, is to educate agriculturists that such technology isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“I’m a livestock producer and I’ve been around a lot of people who’ve been very hesitant about [3D printing technology],” Hanson explained.

Such printers not only have the potential to increase demand domestically for producers’ products, Hanson said, but also to help address hunger in developing nations.

Hanson will next compete at the 95th Iowa FFA Leadership Conference in Ames which takes place April 16-18.

Brooklyn Hubbard, right, a member of the La Porte-Dysart FFA chapter, hands a glass of milk to a member of the public in the Union Middle School cafeteria last Sunday in Dysart. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Several other members of the 65+ member strong La Porte-Dysart chapter will also compete during the three day state convention including the chapter’s poultry judging team.

Sending members to the state convention is just one of the many ways the chapter utilizes pancake fundraiser proceeds.

Sam Fehl, left, and fellow La Porte-Dysart FFA member Logan Rosauer, right, flip pancakes and chat with members of the public as part of their FFA chapter’s spring pancake breakfast fundraiser held last Sunday morning in the Union Middle School cafeteria. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

Siblings (l-r) Harper, Emyre, and Tatum Siech of La Porte City smile while tucking into plates of pancakes, sausage, and hash browns courtesy of the La Porte-Dysart FFA in the Dysart Middle School cafeteria last Sunday morning. The children’s parents Amanda and Josh Siech (not pictured) also enjoyed the FFA breakfast fundraiser. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

La Porte-Dysart FFA chapter president Olivia Hanson, left, smiles while serving sausage links in the Union Middle School cafeteria last Sunday in Dysart alongside fellow chapter members. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON