FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
STEPHENVILLE, Texas—Approximately 1,350 FFA members and agricultural science instructors from across the state will gather on the campus of Tarleton State University Thursday, April 27, to compete for the chance to represent the Texas FFA Association in National FFA Career Development Events (CDE).
This week’s state CDE events include dairy cattle, environmental and natural resources, homesite evaluation, land, range, and milk quality and products judging contests. FFA members from 200 high schools traveling to Stephenville are regional winners from all corners of the state and represent one of 10 administrative “areas” under the auspices of the Texas FFA Association.
“These state-level events determine the high school FFA teams that will represent Texas in national competition, and conclude our contest season for the spring,” said Dr. Steve Damron, dean of Tarleton’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“Tarleton hosts several state FFA contests because of our state and national reputation in dairy cattle, milk quality, homesite, land and range,” he said. “We also have taken the initiative to develop state-level contests in other areas, such as environmental science and natural resource management. We are proud to host these events, proud of the quality of our contests and deeply appreciative of the extraordinary faculty and staff conducting these events.”
FFA members will arrive at the Bosque River Shopping Center for event check-in from 7 to 8 a.m. ahead of their respective competitions. An awards ceremony takes place at 1:30 p.m. at Wisdom Gym.
Hundreds of Tarleton faculty members and students will assist with the FFA state contests, the third of four contests hosted by the university this spring, said Dr. Ted Ford, professor of agricultural and consumer sciences and organizer of the FFA contests.
Tarleton has hosted the state FFA contest for more than three decades, helping establish land and range events before the Texas FFA Association adopted them as official contests, Ford pointed out.
Earlier this month, Tarleton hosted the 46th annual FFA Invitational CDE Contest, which attracted more than 8,500 high school students and ag teachers. On April 19, the university welcomed approximately 5,000 FFA members for the area contests. Tarleton will serve as host site for the Texas FFA’s State Degree Check June 7 through 9. At that time, more than 900 candidates for the Lone Star FFA Degree, American FFA Degree and applications for state and national chapter awards will be reviewed during the three-day gathering on campus.
For more information on this and future FFA or 4-H events, contact Dr. Ted Ford or Michelle Damerau at 254-968-9224 or email [email protected].
Tarleton, a member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven educational experience marked by academic innovation and exemplary service, and dedicated to transforming students into tomorrow’s professional leaders. With campuses in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian and online, Tarleton engages with its communities to provide real-world learning experiences and to address societal needs while maintaining its core values of integrity, leadership, tradition, civility, excellence and service.
#
Contact: Kurt Mogonye
254-968-9460
[email protected]
