Haines City, FL – Hosted by FNGLA, more than 350 FFA middle and high school students from across Florida convened last week at the FFA Leadership Training Center in Haines City to compete in nursery and landscape career development.
The 2019 State Career Development Events in Nursery & Landscape and in Floriculture, coordinated by members of the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, featured competitions in plant propagation, floral design, customer service, and identifying plants, pests and equipment.
“What a fantastic group of students who brought with them lots of horticultural talent,” said Merry Mott, FNGLA’s Director of Industry Certifications and Career Development. “And a huge thank you to the dedicated industry volunteers who made this event possible through their giving of time and talents.”
Teams from Durant High School in Plant City won the high school categories in Floriculture and Nursery/Landscape, while Barrington Middle School in Lithia won both middle school categories. The Durant High School teams will go on to represent Florida in their respective Career Development Events at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in October.
Career Development Events cover job skills in everything from communications to mechanics, while helping students develop the abilities to think clearly, communicate clearly, and perform effectively in a competitive real-world environment, according to the Florida FFA Association’s website.
The FNGLA is the nation’s largest state nursery and landscape association, representing Florida’s environmental horticulture industry which generated $21 billion total output sales in 2015 and directly employed 232,000 people.
