Members of the North Harford High School FFA Chapter were one of 42 teams participating in the National FFA Nursery/Landscape Career Development Event (CDE). The event was held in conjunction with the 89th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis Oct. 19 – 22.
The North Harford team, led by advisor Erika Edwards, was awarded a Bronze emblem.
Members also competed for individual awards with 157 other participants. Olivia Davis, Kyle Maners, and Katherine Miller, juniors at North Harford, as well as 2016 North Harford graduate Parker Vanik, each received a Bronze emblem.
The top ten individuals and the national winning team members received cash awards to recognize their success in the event. The cash awards and the event are sponsored by Kubota Tractor Corporation and STIHL Inc.
The National FFA Nursery/Landscape CDE is a competitive event in which FFA members test their knowledge and skills in nursery practices and landscaping. Participants must complete a general knowledge exam testing horticultural principles including plant anatomy, production, marketing, turf, landscape design and maintenance. Each participant must also complete practicums involving landscape estimating, plant propagation or potting, identification of plants, disorders and equipment. Each team competed on local and state levels to earn the privilege of representing their state at the National FFA Convention & Expo.
This event, held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, is one of many educational activities at the national convention in which FFA members apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations.
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 649,355 student members as part of 7,859 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org and on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.
