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MADERA FFA
Career Development Events
Career Development Events or CDE Teams are another important part of the FFA experience. Madera FFA offers nine CDE teams for students to hone their skills and discover career opportunites in the agriculture industry. Teams fall into one of three seasons and are coached by the Ag teachers. Teams practice throughout the week after school and compete across the state on weekends. At the end of each season they compete at the State Finals contest and compete for the State Championship.
Best Informed Greenhand
Best Informed Greenhand is a team that focuses on learning about the FFA Organization itself. The team learns the history about FFA tradtitions, important events and dates, past officers and how the organization is ran. Members of the team study the Official FFA Manual and take a four part test.
Coached By: Mr. Salas
Who Can Join: Freshmen
Season: Spring
Cotton Judging
The cotton judging team focuses on learning about the cotton industry. With the help of local farmers, Pest Control Advisors ands major industry publications the members of the team learn about what makes a cotton plant thrive including ferlizers, growth timelines, herbicides, pesticides and much more. Members judge plant, seed, boll and lint samples from Acala and Pima cottons.
Coached By: Mr. Contreras
Who Can Join: All Grades
Season: Fall
Citrus Judging
Citrus Judging is a competition where students evaluate various citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruit, etc.) and nursery trees, learning industry standards for quality, damage, diseases, and defects to prepare for careers in the citrus industry. Participants place classes of fruit from best to worst, explain their placings with reasons, and demonstrate knowledge through written tests on citrus varieties, production, and management.
Coached By: Ms. Fernandes
Who Can Join: All Grades
Season: Winter
Floral Judging
There are multiple parts that make up the floral teams contests. In part one the team must identify floral tools, flowers and potted plants. They must give judge and give reasons to judges on potted plants, arrangements and cut flowers. In the final stage of the contest the teams must create an arrangement and corsage that are judged to make up their scores.
Coached By: Ms. Goeb
Who Can Join: All Grades
Season: Spring
Meats Evaluation
The meats evaluation contest takes place in a meat locker. Members must be able to think on their feet while in freezing temperatures. The meats evaluation team grades beef carcass, figures out yield grades, identifies retail and whole sale cuts, judges beef, pork and lamb carcass. They also take a test on USDA rules and procedures relating to the meat industry.
Coached By: Mr. George
Who Can Join: All Grades
Season: Spring
Horse Judging
The Horse Judging team is a multipart contest. Members rotate through stations to cover each of the required parts. In the contest students must judge horse on overall confirmation, structure, balance, breed, and amount of muscle and judge performance classes in both western and English disciplines. After judging they must give reasons to a judge.
Coached By: Ms. Luxon
Who Can Join: All Grades
Season: Spring
Small Engines
Members rotate through stations to cover In small engines a team of three work together to troubleshoot an engine. Team members must work together to figure out what is wrong with the engine and fix the problem in an aloted time period. The members must also take a theory test and identify tools and parts.
Coached By: Mr. Sharp
Who Can Join: All Grades
Season: Spring
Class Requirements: Any class in the Power Mechanics Pathway
Vet Science
In the veterinary science contest members simulate the skills of a veterinarian. Members must take a general knowledge on animal vital signs. They must perform three practicums that simulate how a veterinarian would administer medication or handle an animal. They must also identify animal breeds, parasites and tools.
Coached By: Mrs. Sheehan
Who Can Join: All Grades
Season: Spring
Vine Pruning
The vine pruning team prunes the grapes vines for three different uses: wine, table and raisins. The members are judged ontheir ablility to prune the vine correctly to what the vine is being used for. They must give reasons during one of their pruning sessions and must take a test on general vine pruning knowledge.
Coached By: Ms. Luxon
Who Can Join: All Grades
Season: Spring
Welding
The Ag Welding team tests the welding ability of the team members. They must be able to weld in a variety of styles in order to compete. they must put together a resume and portfolio as well as fill out a job application. They must also create a project which will be inspected and tested.
Coached By: Mr. Deniz
Who Can Join: 10th, 11th and 12th Grade
Season: Spring
Class Requirements: Any class in the Power Mechanics Pathway
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