Over 100 Indiana FFA members prepare to compete on the national stage

Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 8:00 PM

By Kathy Bottorff

Over 100 Indiana FFA members from across the state will compete at the 97th National FFA Convention and Expo next week in various Career and Leadership Development Events, the Agriscience Fair, and the Agricultural Proficiency Awards.

Students will compete in career development events such as Environment and Natural Resources, Forestry, Agronomy, Livestock Evaluation, and Parliamentary Procedure. Others will compete in leadership development events such as Extemporaneous Public Speaking, Agricultural Issues Forum, and Creed Speaking.

Local students participating include Argos FFA member Cailey Markley, who will compete in Specialty Crop Production Proficiency, and Culver FFA member Isaac Schaller, who will compete in Agriculture Services Proficiency.

The National FFA Agriscience Fair is an additional key competition part of the annual National FFA Convention & Expo. Individuals or teams conduct scientific research projects related to the agriculture industry in their state in one of six categories: animal systems, environmental services/natural resource systems, food products and processing systems, plant systems, power, structural and technical systems, or social science.

Indiana FFA members will also compete nationally with their Agricultural Proficiencies, which honor FFA members who, through supervised agricultural experiences, have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers.