Winners of the National FFA Floriculture Career Development Event (CDE) were announced at the annual awards banquet. The National FFA Floriculture CDE was held in conjunction with the 86th National FFA Convention & Expo in Louisville, Kentucky.
Members of the Kutztown FFA were sent to Kentucky to compete after winning in both Regional and State Floriculture Competitions. Kayla Fusselman received a gold individual award. Katie Eigenbrod, Jessica Sterner and Kristy Heffner all received silver awards for their participation in the Floriculture CDE. The Kutztown team received a silver plaque for their team participation. There were 44 states represented at this year’s competition.
In the National FFA floriculture CDE, FFA members test their knowledge and skills in the production and retailing of flowers, plants and foliage. Participants must complete a general knowledge exam on the floriculture industry, identify plant materials, and demonstrate problem solving and decision-making skills, employment and customer skills, technical floral skills, and the ability to work as part of a team. Teams completed at the local and state levels to earn the privilege of representing their home state at the National Convention.
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 557,318 student members as part of 7,498 local FFA Chapters across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the 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 Agriculture 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 Agriculture provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agriculture education programs. For more information, visit the National FFA Organization on line at www.ffa.org, on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.
