The Marshfield FFA Chapter and Booster club held its annual Career Development Event (CDE) on Mar. 18. Over 1,800 students from over 80 schools throughout the state were registered to compete in this competition. Events included Ag Mechanics, Agronomy, Dairy and Livestock Judging, Dairy Foods, Soils Evaluation, Entomology, Nursery and Landscaping, Floriculture, Forestry, Meats Evaluation, Poultry, and a variety of leadership events such as Ag Sales, FFA Knowledge, and Public Speaking.
Through Career and Leadership Development Events, students could apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations. They promote college and career readiness skills at the highest level. Participating FFA members in grades 9 to 12 are challenged to develop critical thinking and practical decision-making skills, foster teamwork and promote communication while recognizing the value of ethical competition and individual achievement. CDE and LDE events occur locally, state, and nationally.
The FFA makes a positive difference in students' lives by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through Agricultural Education. An event like this, though, does require many hours of preparation and community support. Marshfield Agricultural Instructors Justin Cron and Tanner Koenig take great pride in making this event a success for all participating students. They spend countless hours during their schools' Spring Break to get each of the contest areas ready. An event of this size could only happen with the support of the FFA Booster Club, FFA Alumni, surrounding teachers, and students. It takes over 40-50 volunteers to help run each contest area effectively. Students were spread out across the entire high school, along with the Webster County Fairgrounds, and it took a lot of people working together to make it happen.
Kyle Whittaker, and the Webster County Extension Office, also played an essential role in ensuring all of the Leadership events ran smoothly. Whittaker, a former Agricultural Education Instructor at Marshfield, also spent many hours preparing for some of the events at the school. Marshfield students spend much time preparing for their respective events during the Spring Semester. They have had great success during the CDE Season and have high hopes for going into District and State Competitions in the next few weeks. A few of the highlights from Saturday include the Entomology and Meats teams, who each took first place as a team. Entomology members include Audrey Odell, Chloe Runyan, Lexi Schmidt, Emmalynn Ferrendo, and Maw Frick, all in the top 10 individuals. Meats team members Camryn Elliot, Rainey Pickel, and Hannah Davis also placed in the top 10, with Elliot and Pickel taking the number 1 and 2 spots individually.
The Ag Mechanics team placed third, Dairy Cattle fifth, with Brier Day cracking the top 10. Dairy Foods placed eighth overall. The FFA Knowledge team placed sixth, with Chloe Napier placing tenth individually. The Floriculture team placed tenth as a team. Forestry was eleventh. The Livestock team placed fourth, with Kyler Menzies and Jackson Dill each in the top 10. The Poultry team placed eighth, and the Soils team was second overall, with team member Jesse Busick as the second high individual.
Next week, each team will compete at Districts at Missouri State University.
Justin Cron and Tanner Koenig want to thank everyone who helped make this past Saturday a success.
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