By Renee Tucci AIFD PFCI AAF
I had the pleasure of accepting an invitation from Leslighann Cravens AIFD to attend the National FFA Convention on October 29th to be a judge in the Floriculture competition. In all, ten AIFD members were on hand to help facilitate and judge the competitions — what a wonderful showing of our membership supporting the future of floristry!
From left to right: Renee Tucci AIFD, Renee Blitek AIFD, Irina Sheshukova AIFD, Julie Poeltler AIFD, Howie Luitjens AIFD, Rhonda Lynn-Moeckel AIFD, Lesleighan Cravens AIFD, Janet Gallagher AIFD, Randy Wooten AIFD
2nd photo: Heather Ebl AIFD, Renee Tucci AIFD
This was my first time attending the convention, and I can confidently say it won’t be my last. I was in awe of the scale of the event — nearly 73,000 students filled Indianapolis, taking part in the countless agriculture-based activities spread throughout the city. Learning about FFA and seeing firsthand the depth of knowledge these students gain through the program was both inspiring and enlightening.
Two familiar AIFD faces, Leslighann Cravens AIFD and Randy Wooten AIFD, serve on the committee that organizes the Floriculture events. Their team runs like a well-oiled machine, ensuring the judging experience is both smooth and enjoyable. Randy, who has served for the past ten years, manages all of the fresh product procurement. When asked about this task, he smiled and said, “It takes a village.” His words — and the seamless organization of the event — reminded me that our upcoming 2026 ELEVATE Symposium is in excellent hands with Randy as Program Coordinator and Vonda LaFever AIFD as Symposium Coordinator.
The Judging
For the morning session, there were two main areas of judging; individual designs, and CDE, or Career Development Events. I was placed on the CDE team, and was able to buddy up with Julie Poelter AIFD in a booth of our own, to watch as three separate teams worked through this brief:
Your state agriculture producer association is conducting a search for a team/business to design the tablescapes for an upcoming Farm to Table Dinner. The committee has asked the team to collaborate on telling the success story of the current State Farmer of the Year, using a tablescape featuring fresh produce, herbs, and produce products.
These teams will need to develop the following items using the produce, flowers, and herbs provided.
1. 2 Body Flowers – one for the female MC (host) and one for the male Farmer of the Year award winner
2. 3 place settings, including plate, silverware, napkin, and placemat/charger
3. A floral design for the centerpiece of the dinner table
4. 3 napkin rings that have been created using fresh floral/greens/produce
5. 3 name cards that have been designed with the provided fresh floral/produce
6. The team must incorporate at least 2 different fresh produce/greenery items
(from the National FFA supply table) into the above items
7. At least 2 fresh herbs must be incorporated into the tablescape design.
8. Each tablescape must include the non-perishable agricultural produce item(s)
that each team brought that are representative of an agricultural product from
their state.
There were 47 teams — representing nearly every state plus Puerto Rico — each given 45 minutes to plan, produce, and present their tablescape. After completion, they made short presentations explaining their design choices, creativity, and how their display expressed the “Farm to Table” theme.
Julie and I had the pleasure of judging entries from Louisiana, North Carolina, and Alaska, each bringing unique regional flair and creativity to their designs.
In the afternoon, I moved to the Media Selling category. Each judge was stationed in a separate booth as about ten students rotated through. Their challenge: take a mass-market bouquet and elevate it into a birthday gift for a friend.
After having five minutes to prepare, students presented their designs to us — as if speaking to a camera for a social media tutorial. This activity showcased not only their floral design skills but also their creativity, quick thinking, and communication abilities. Watching their confidence and enthusiasm shine was incredibly rewarding.
The entire experience was both heartwarming and inspiring. It reaffirmed that the future of floristry is bright — nurtured by passionate educators and filled with talented, polite, and creative young people. I left the convention feeling hopeful and energized, and I look forward to the next opportunity to join the amazing FFA team, and to see fellow members at more events coming up!
