Seneca FFA Team Eighth in Nation

The Seneca FFA Landscaping and Nursery/Landscape Career Development Event (CDE) team placed eighth in the country at this year’s competition at the National FFA Convention.  Kenny Daggett led the team placing 16th overall. Carter Thomas also received a gold ranking and Ben Biros and Chris Smith ranked as silver.   The team received special recognition as the national runner in the skills portion of the contest.

The CDE had students reveal their knowledge and skills needed to be successful in the landscaping and nursery industry.   Components of the competition included a written test covering plant science and landscaping knowledge, and identification of over 125 plants and fifty plant disorders.  Students were also required to complete several practical skills assessments related to the landscaping industry, including proper and safe equipment usage, interacting with clients, patio and wall construction, plant installation, and plant propagation.

In addition to technical knowledge, the event challenged students’ written, verbal, teamwork, and math skills with a series of practicums that required them to communicate with judges face-to-face as they solved problems and mathematical landscaping challenges

Team coach and horticulture teacher, Jeff Maierhofer, said, “This was a great team to work with – a couple of veterans that excelled and a couple of guys that took on the challenge to complete the team and really improved their knowledge and skills to get that recognition as one of the best teams in the nation.”

The team advanced to nationals by virtue of placing second in the state Horticulture Career Development Event last spring.   The competition is an extension of the agricultural curriculum at Seneca High School.