The future of agriculture. This game designed by Kansas BEST!
For the last 155 years, BLT Farms, Inc., run by Mr. Riley Bread and Family, has done things the old-fashioned way on their family farm. Horse-drawn plows slowly gave way to tractors and combines. BLT Farms has always been an early adopter of new technology, but not much has really changed for the small family farmer recently. The Bread’s four children – Henry, Lucas, Maria, and Olivia - have all gone away to college and come home with some new ideas about the future of their family farm including hydroponics and using robots on the farm. Their ideas are not the same, and arguments between the siblings have caused a ruckus on the homestead. Some of the arguments have curdled milk at twenty paces! To add to the problem, there’s been a bit of a drought lately and water is scarce. To determine what to do in terms of technology implementation on the farm, the Breads are seeking input from your Company. Their letter is enclosed below.
Dear Principal Ronald Brumby,
As a neighbor, I’m sure you know that the last few years have been tough for all of
us farmers. With growing competition from international harvesters and the grasshopper
plague that has stricken our community, we’re working faster than a Clydesdale to
find and test new ideas that will help us continue to make our farms profitable. Our
mates in Cleveland Bay have found some success using robotics for their farming operations.
We would like to test something similar on our farm. Allie Calabrese, the mayor of
Caspian, has offered to give all local farmers an allotment of seeds to test how robotics
and automation might improve our planting and harvesting techniques. We would like
to team up with your company to design and build robots that can find optimal solutions
for planting and harvesting. Farming is not a one person operation. Due to the fact
that we face many challenges, success will require planning, strategy, and teamwork.
I hope that you’ll agree to be part of this experiment.
Sincerely,
Mr. Riley Bread
BLT Farms Inc.
KickOff - Saturday, September 10, 2016 - CAC Theater & Rhatigan Student Center
Practice Day - October 15, 2016 - Heskett Center
Game Day - October 22, 2016 - Koch Arena
Andale High School - Andale, KS
Atchison High School - Atchison, KS
Augusta High School - Augusta, KS
Bishop Carroll Catholic High School - Wichita, KS
Bluestem High School * - Leon, KS
Campus High School - Wichita, KS
Circle High School - Towanda, KS
Council Grove High School - Council Grove, KS
Derby High School - Derby, KS
El Dorado High School - El Dorado, KS
Ft. Scott High School - Ft. Scott, KS
Garden City High School - Garden City, KS
Homeschool of Johnson County - Olathe, KS
Kansas City Christian School - Kansas City, KS
Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School - Wichita, KS
Norwich School * - Norwich, KS
Philadelphia Christian Academy * - Park City, KS
Pike Valley High School - Scandia, KS
Riverbend International School - Atchison, KS
Rock Creek High School * - St. George, KS
Rose Hill High School - Rose Hill, KS
Salina South High School - Salina, KS
Solomon High School * - Solomon, KS
St. John's Military School * - Salina, KS
Valley Center High School - Valley Center, KS
Washburn Rural High School - Topeka, KS
West Franklin High School - Pomona ,KS
Wichita Collegiate Upper School - Wichita, KS
Wichita Southeast High School - Wichita, KS
Wichita Homeschool - Wichita, KS
Windsor High School * - Windsor, MO
BEST Award
1st Place BEST - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd Place BEST - Homeschool of Johnson County, 3rd Place BEST - Philadelphia Christian Academy
Game Award (places in seeding rounds, and wins the elimination rounds).
1st Place Game - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd Place Game - Andale High School, 3rd Place Game - Salina South High School, 4th Place Game - Homeschool of Johnson County
Founders Award (Textron Aviation)
1st Place - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd Place - Andale High School, 3rd Place - Kapaun Mt. Carmel
Most Robust Design Award (robot demonstrates excellent reliability and minimum maintenance by Spirit AeroSystems)
1st Place - Andale High School, 2nd Place - Valley Center High School, 3rd Place - Pike Valley High School
Software Design and Simulation Awards
1st Place - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd Place - Garden City High School, 3rd Place - Rose Hill High School
Spirit and Sportsmanship Award
1st Place - Philadelphia Christian Academy, 2nd Place -Wichita Homeschool, 3rd Place - Homeschool of Johnson County
Sportsmanship Award (Chosen by Teams)
1st Place - Homeschool of Johnson County, 2nd Place - Wichita Homeschool, 3rd Place - Circle High School
Notebook Award
1st Place - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd Place - Rose Hill High School, 3rd Place - Augusta High School
Marketing Presentation Award
1st Place -Rose Hill High School, 2nd Place - Wichita Homeschool, 3rd Place - Homeschool of Johnson County
Team Exhibit Award
1st Place - Homeschool of Johnson County, 2nd Place - Wichita Homeschool, 3rd Place - Circle High School
Bringin' Home the Bacon (most pigs rounded up)
1st Place - Washburn Rural, 2nd Place - Norwich High School, 3rd Place - West Franklin High School
Top Gun Award - Most Points Scored in the Preliminaries
Andale High School
Most Photogenic Robot Award
1st Place - Circle High School, 2nd Place - St. John's Military School, 3rd Place - Garden City High School
Best BEST T-Shirt Award:
1st Place - Council Grove High School, 2nd Place - Augusta High School, 3rd Place - Garden City High School
Tweeteriffic Award (Best tweet using #ksbest16 during Game Day Competition):
1st Place - Homeschool of Johnson County, 2nd Place - Philadelphia Christian Academy
These schools will represent Kansas BEST at the BEST Regional Competition in Ft. Smith Arkansas on December 2 and 3, 2016:
Wichita Homeschool, Homeschool of Johnson County, Philadelphia Christian Academy, Andale High School, Salina South High School, Rose Hill High School, Pike Valley High School