FFA prepare for State, annual floral sale

FFA has been busy in the past couple of months. Members have been busy competing in state-qualifying competitions and preparing for the 2022 Minnesota State Convention. While preparing for state, members have also been preparing for the annual floral sale, a public sale of plants grown by FFA.

FFA, or Future Farmers of America, won multiple top awards at the 2022 Region 4 FFA Proficiency Award competition and 2022 Career Development Events (CDE). Students across disciplines at CDE qualified for the state convention, including in livestock, small animal vet science, poultry, discussion, agricultural mechanics, agricultural mechanics, fish, and wildlife.

Senior Axel Bradshaw won the top individual score at his first CDE in the Agricultural Mechanics and Technology CDE. This discipline involves students working with agriculture, aquaculture, and horticulture technology. Points are awarded if they correctly identify, diagnose or apply the correct technology. Since Bradshaw placed 1st in this event, he will advance to MN FFA state.

“I actually joined FFA for this CDE,” Bradshaw explained. “It was very rewarding. I never intended to get into State. I just went into it for the fun of it, and it was kinda fun.”

Fellow FFA member and sophomore, Grace Grant, competed in the Fish and Wildlife Management CDE. This CDE is comprised of three parts: identification of specimens, exam of animals’ history and current management, and exam of current issues facing wildlife today. Individually, Grant placed before over 100 other students and will move onto state.

When asked why she chose this CDE to focus on, Grant explained that she definitely wants to work in wildlife management or conservation or possibly research.

FFA also won first place in the Meat Evaluation CDE. In this event, students evaluate beef carcasses for yield grade and quality and identify cuts of meat. Senior Abby Thibodeau won first place, and fellow senior Karley Rydeen won third.

Two other FFA students qualified for state in a separate competition, Region 4 FFA Proficiency Award competition. Two students, senior Morgan Delaney and senior Katherine Miller, both won first place for their respective projects. Delaney won first for her equine science project. Miller won first in wildlife management for her rainbow trout raising, stream monitoring projects, and other projects in the Environmental Learning Center.

The Minnesota State FFA Convention will be held on the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus on April 24-26. Students prepare for the convention in many ways. Many students utilize online resources such as the MN Department of Natural Resources web page. Others go to FFA advisor Glenn Boettcher, the FFA advisor, who helps them study and provides tools such as flashcards. Some rely on their everyday activities and past experiences to know their information.

“I’ve spent my entire life looking for random bugs and animals” Grant said.

Rydeen is a chapter co-president and is a leader helping direct this year’s floral sale. In the past two years, FFA had limitations placed on them on how they could run the floral sale. However, with COVID restrictions more or less lifted, the floral sale will run as usual.

“I think we’re going back to what we did before COVID happened,” Rydeen said. “I think it should be a good turnout.”

The floral sale preparation starts when FFA buys the plants when they are seedlings from a wholesaler. Then they transplant them into the greenhouses. FFA members and students from floral design help tend to the plants to get them ready for sale.

“I did a lot of volunteering,” Grant said. “I cared for the plants by deadheading and pruning and whatever.”

Most FFA members help out with the floral sale since it is a huge event. The floral sale is FFA’s largest fundraising event. The FFA treasury will direct the money from this event towards funding for trips and apparel for competitions. Plus, many students simply enjoy working with plants and getting their hands dirty. 

“I love to watch things grow,” Rydeen said. “I think that’s really cool. Because they come so tiny and then they can just get so big.”

A date or location for the floral sale has not been set. Last year, the floral sale was held on May 7, 2021, on the east side sidewalk of the high school.