The smell of funnel cake, flashing lights from the ferris wheel, and music from live bands all create a magical atmosphere at the fair. But there’s way more to it, including the invaluable chance for students to showcase their hard work and passion for agriculture.
The state fair is a great opportunity for FFA students to expand their knowledge through Career Development Events. These CDE contests help members to improve skills that they might use to succeed in their future careers.
Our FFA chapter took 26 members to participate in various contests at the Kentucky State Fair.
GRC Ag teacher Derek Knight says, “The State Fair gave students the chance to really be exposed to Kentucky Agriculture and the various ways of contests, exhibits, vendors, livestock shows, and events and get to really connect with what is in their Hometown or counties around.”
This exposure is important as it leads students to engage in specific areas of agriculture. For instance in the floriculture contest, students have to duplicate or recreate arrangements, identify 200 plus different plants and flowers, and answer general knowledge and industry specific questions. In the seed ID contest, students identify seeds and rank which seed is the best one based on quality or purity, seed inner material, and noxious weeds.
“I started off in the ID section and it was very difficult, the tests were all in God’s hands,” says Abby Horn, floriculture participant, “but then I made my arrangement and I thought I killed it. I learned that in order to be successful you need to come prepared.”
Other contests include livestock judging and meat judging. Livestock judging consists of students working individually to rank breeding and market classes of beef, sheep and swine. They then give oral reasons to back up their decisions. In meat evaluation, students evaluate beef carcasses for quality and yield grade, identify various meat cuts, and identify wholesale and retail cuts.
“It was really amazing overall, I got to meet a lot of new people and reconnect with people i hadn’t seen in awhile as well as bond with current members,” says Olivia Warner, livestock judging participant. “I learned that throughout my competition that if you take your time you do better.”
GRC Ag teacher Terra Pigg mentioned that the students not only get the opportunity to participate in a state contest that aligns with the curriculum taught in class, but they also gain a lot of knowledge in a day.
“It allowed students to obtain opportunities and explore agriculture in Kentucky along with possible careers in the agriculture community,” says Mrs. Pigg.
In dairy judging, contestants evaluate dairy animals based on anatomical correctness and holding capacity to determine which one would be the most productive. They then rank and give logical reasoning for the ones they chose.
“Students were committed to a team and a practice schedule so it allowed for some time management skills to be developed,” says GRC Ag teacher Kyle Porter, “but they then got to go to the state fair and show off those skills that they learned.”
