Submitted By Julia Marie P Schmitt AIFD, CFD
AIFD Career Development Chair
In a little corner of the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds Horticulture Building, groups of Floral Evaluators, including many AIFD members from around the United States, intensely judged 180 High School FFA students’ entries as they competed for the coveted National FFA Floriculture title. On October 27, 2022, FFA teams representing 45 states and the US Territory of Puerto Rico created a “Wave of Blue Jackets” as they carried their designs to the waiting judges. Gasps of amazement and excitement issued forth from the evaluators when the team from Wisconsin presented their creations. Surpassing judges’ expectations, the evaluators congratulated one of their coaches for what the team was able to design with the materials and time limits. With no time to waste, it is back to work for the floriculture judges as more floral arrangements stream into the judging area.
”These FFA students are an impressive group overall,” smiled Courtney Turner AIFD. “By helping these kids,” further explained Randy Wooten AIFD, “who are a really good group of kids, we are cultivating the future of the industry.”
Competing all day in the areas of Floral Arrangement, corsages, team activity and a multi-media project, the students are judged according to the FFA Rubrics to place individually, and as a team. “What you see at this competition is a lot of collaboration,” shares Terry Robertson Smith CFD. “Each team looks at what the other states have designed and learns from what they are observing. This competition is a great opportunity for each state.”
For these dedicated and invested judges, this annual event allows them to peek into a window and glimpse at the future of the floral industry. “It is truly rejuvenating,” comments Wooten. “Since I have been helping these kids for the past eight years, one student who took the Georgia FFA Clinic for two years is now working in the floral industry. and another has opened a shop. Not all students will enter the industry, but it makes me happy and hopeful when someone shows interest.”
As the floriculture evaluators finish up their tasks and submit their IPADS to the jury for final compilation of the scores, each judge waits like the FFA Teams to see who will be crowned the 2022 Floriculture National winner. No matter who wins, the evaluators catch the “FFA Bug”, and begin to plan on attending the 2023 event. “All the judges come back every year,” states Smith. “We just love working with these kids.”
