CAREER & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT EVENTS
General Rules, Regulations, & Resources
AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To develop students’ ability to collaboratively communicate and advocate for agriculture through real‑world communications skills.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION CDE
Individual Event | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To prepare students for careers in agricultural education by building foundational instructional skills, pedagogical knowledge, and professional awareness.
AGRICULTURAL ISSUES FORUM LDE
Three (3) to seven (7) Member Team | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To engage teams in researching, analyzing, and presenting current agricultural issues, fostering informed advocacy and effective teamwork.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
AGRICULTURAL SALES CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | Must Qualify; One (1) Team per District
Purpose: To cultivate the knowledge and skills needed for successful careers in agricultural sales and customer relations.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY & MECHANICAL SYSTEMS CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To provide an opportunity for participants to demonstrate their knowledge, skill, technical competence, and problem solving ability in the areas of agricultural systems and mechanics.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
AGRONOMY CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To create interest and promote understanding in agronomy by providing opportunities for recognition through the demonstration of skills and proficiencies.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
CONDUCT OF CHAPTER MEETINGS LDE
Seven (7) Member Team | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | Must Qualify; One (1) Team per District
Purpose: To introduce beginning members to parliamentary procedure by having teams demonstrate efficient chapter meetings and effective communication.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
CREED SPEAKING LDE - ENGLISH & SPANISH
Individual Event | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | Must Qualify for English Creed; One (1) Individual per District
Purpose: To develop public speaking and agricultural leadership for younger members in the FFA organization by providing the opportunity to recite from memory the FFA creed.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
DAIRY CATTLE EVALUATION & MANAGEMENT CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To provide a competitive event for agricultural education students, emphasizing skills in dairy cattle evaluation, selection and dairy herd management.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
DAIRY CATTLE HANDLERS ACTIVITY
Individual Event | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To showcase students’ proficiency in properly exhibiting and handling dairy cattle in a competitive show setting.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
EMPLOYMENT SKILLS LDE
Individual Event | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | Must Qualify; One (1) Individual per District
Purpose: To develop, practice and demonstrate skills needed in seeking employment in the agricultural industry.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
ENTOMOLOGY CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To build student proficiency in insect identification, morphology, and significance to agriculture, conservation, and human health.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
ENVIRONMENTAL & NATURAL RESOURCES CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To enhance environmental literacy and teamwork as students apply knowledge of soils, aquatics, forestry, wildlife, and current resource issues.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
EXTEMPORANEOUS PUBLIC SPEAKING LDE
Individual Event | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | Must Qualify; One (1) Individual per District
Purpose: To develop the ability to think critically and communicate agricultural ideas clearly by delivering an unrehearsed speech on a selected topic.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
FARM & AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To enhance students’ understanding of economic principles and decision-making skills essential to managing a farm or agribusiness operation.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
FLORICULTURE CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To stimulate the study of and interest in production and retailing of flowers, plants and foliage through the agricultural education curriculum.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To develop knowledge and skills in food product development, safety, quality assurance, and sensory evaluation through real-world applications in the food industry.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
FORESTRY CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To develop students’ knowledge of forest ecosystems and management practices while building technical skills used in forestry and natural resource careers.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
HORSE EVALUATION CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To stimulate the study of and interest in equine science selection, management, and production through the agricultural education curriculum.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
LIVESTOCK EVALUATION CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To develop the ability to evaluate, select, and place livestock based on industry standards and production goals while strengthening decision-making and communication skills.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
MARKETING PLAN CDE
Three (3) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To develop practical marketing expertise by having teams research, create, and present a comprehensive plan for an agricultural product or service.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
MEATS EVALUATION & TECHNOLOGY CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To create interest and promote understanding in meat science by providing opportunities for recognition through the demonstration of skills and proficiencies.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
MILK QUALITY & PRODUCTS CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To enhance learning activities relative to the quality production, processing, distribution, promotion, marketing, and consumption of dairy food products. To assist students to develop a sound perspective for utilizing decision-making.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
NURSERY/LANDSCAPE CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To stimulate career interest, encourage proficiency development, and recognize excellence in students of nursery practices and landscaping through the agricultural education curriculum.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE LDE
Six (6) Member Team | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | Must Qualify; One (1) Team per District
Purpose: To develop students’ ability to effectively participate in and lead structured business meetings using parliamentary law, while strengthening leadership, teamwork, and critical thinking skills.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
POTATO EVALUATION CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To prepare students for careers in potato production and grading by developing expertise in evaluating varieties and market grades.
POULTRY EVALUATION CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To build knowledge and skills related to the production, processing, marketing, and evaluation of poultry and poultry products in alignment with industry standards.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
PREPARED PUBLIC SPEAKING LDE
Individual Event | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | Must Qualify; One (1) Individual per District
Purpose: To cultivate agricultural leadership by having students research, write, and deliver a prepared speech on an agricultural topic of interest.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
RANGELAND ASSESSMENT CDE
Five (5) Member Team | Location Rotates Annually, Held in October | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To equip students with the knowledge and analytical skills required to assess and manage western rangeland ecosystems for multiple uses.
Event Sponsor
REPORTER’S SCRAPBOOK LDE
Chapter-Recognized; Two (2) Members on Stage | Held at State Leadership Convention in April | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To encourage chapter reporters to document and communicate chapter activities through organized news articles, photos, and creative design.
SOIL & LAND EVALUATION CDE
Five (5) Member Team | Held in Burley in October | Must Qualify; Three (3) Teams per District
Purpose: To teach students to evaluate soil characteristics for agriculture and home‑site suitability, fostering sound land‑use decisions.
National Travel Grant Sponsor
VETERINARY SCIENCE CDE
Four (4) Member Team | Held at State CDEs in June | No District Qualification Required
Purpose: To promote college and career readiness by developing technical knowledge and hands‑on skills in veterinary science.
National Travel Grant Sponsor