Competitions and CDEs

C O M P E T I T I O N S & C D E s

As an FFA member and a student of agricultural education, you have the opportunity to compete in several different educational competitions, also called Career Development Events, or CDEs. As a member of a CDE team, you will be able to travel all around the state of California and compete in CDE field days at different high schools, junior colleges, and universities throughout the Central Valley and beyond. Not only is this a great way to learn about the agricultural industry, but it is an excellent opportunity to meet new people from FFA chapters up and down California, as well as a sneak-peek of the campuses of some of the best agricultural colleges and universities in the country, such as UC Davis, CSU Chico, and Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo. A list of all the competitions we offer at Sobrato can be found below. Some of the CDEs that are held at the national level are clickable and will lead you to the National FFA Organization's website for more information.

Creed Speaking

The FFA Creed outlines the organization’s beliefs regarding the agricultural industry, FFA membership and the value of citizenship and patriotism. The 5 paragraph FFA Creed is memorized and recited by FFA members, as part of the requirements to earn the Greenhand Degree. The purpose of the Creed Speaking Career Development Event is to develop the public speaking abilities of 9th grade FFA members as well as develop their self confidence and contribute to their advancement in the FFA degree program.

Impromptu Public Speaking

The purpose of the Impromptu Public Speaking Career Development Event is to foster and develop the speaking abilities of FFA members as well as develop their self-confidence and contribute to their advancement in inter-personal skill attainment and leadership development. The intention of the Impromptu Contest is to offer a more realistic, practical speaking contest to better prepare our students for public statements, media coverage, and general questions about the FFA and Agriculture Industry. Students will develop the valuable speaking skills necessary to be professional, competent public representatives of the FFA Organization and Agriculture Industry. In this competition, contestants will deliver an impromptu (or improvised on the spot) speech that lasts between 30 seconds and 2 minutes about an agriculture or leadership related topic.

Prepared Public Speaking

The purpose of the Prepared Public Speaking Career Development Event is to foster and develop the speaking abilities of FFA members as well as develop their self confidence and contribute to their advancement in inter-personal skill attainment and leadership development. In this contest, students will write a 6 to 8 minute speech about an agricultural topic, memorize it, and deliver it in front of a panel of judges.

Extemporaneous Public Speaking

The FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking Career Development Event is designed to develop the ability of all FFA members to express themselves on a given agricultural subject without having prepared or rehearsed its content in advance. This gives the FFA members an opportunity to formulate their remarks for presentation in a very limited amount of time. The event requires students to think on their feet, state their case quickly and persuasively, and to be able to answer relevant questions based upon their presentation.

Job Interview

The Job Interview Career Development Event seeks to effectively prepare the students for the expectations of interviewing for available positions within the Agricultural Industry. Students seeking careers within the Agricultural Industry must not only develop a high degree of knowledge and skill; they must also develop the ability to interview through communication in both written and oral forms; and be able to complete a resume, cover letter and job application accurately.

Best Informed Greenhand (BIG)

The objective of the Best Informed Greenhand contest is to understand the aims, purposes, history, and structure of the Local, State, and National FFA student organizations and know the opportunities it makes available as referenced in the current National FFA Manual and State Constitution. In this first-year member only contest, FFA greenhands will show off how much they know about the FFA and its illustrious history.

Cooperative Marketing (Co-Op)

In this competition, students will learn about cooperative marketing, a very popular business strategy amongst agricultural companies that reduces risk and maximizes profit. FFA members will then demonstrate how much they know about cooperatives by taking a test to exhibit their knowledge about sound business structures. Ms. Stoffel coaches this competition.

Floriculture

In this competition, students test their knowledge of flower arrangements. They will also need to judge flower arrangements and have the ability to identify different species of plants. Students and their team will receive an assignment similar to something they might find in the floriculture industry. Ms. Stoffel will be the coach for this competition.

Nursery/Landscape (Horticulture)

The Nursery/Landscape CDE test students skills in aspects of maintaining landscape plants and related products, evaluating equipment and services, and landscape design. Ms. Stoffel is the coach for this competition.

Agriculture Mechanics

The Agriculture Mechanics CDE test students skills in aspects of arc welding, electrical, oxy-fuel welding, cold metal, woodworking, and general knowledge. Ms. Erath is the coach for this competition.