FFA State Competition in Auburn

Getting back into the swing of things has been a little difficult after all of the adventures that the Public Horticulture students have been on this summer.  First Rome, then Phoenix, and then back to Auburn.  But Auburn has its own unique opportunities to offer.

The National FFA Organization (commonly known as the Future Farmers of America) aim to help students in agricultural education discover their passion in life and build on that to help plant for their education, career, and personal life. This past Tuesday (June 4), we hosted the FFA State Competition right here on campus.  There were 48 teams from across the state competing for their chance to go to the National FFA Competition.  The high school students competed in plant identification, floral  design, proper planting techniques, job interviews, and sales events.  All of us in the program helped to first set up the events, and then served as judges as the students competed.

The best part about hosting FFA, both the competition in the summer and the workshops in the fall, is seeing young high school students interested in actively participating in this wonderful field of horticulture.  While it may not seem like that big of a deal, I know that the students will appreciate the time that we spent with them and that might help to ensure their interest in horticulture for a long time.

-Leah Rogers