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The written exam

Floriculture ID

Woody Plant ID

Working hard

Plant Judging

Doug Holmberg
on the BBQ

Dave Palmer - Extension Agent 
Hillsborough County Extension Service

For the 29th consecutive year, the Tampa Bay Chapter of FNGA and the Hillsborough Extension Service co-sponsored a contest for junior and senior high school students interested in horticulture. The event is called the "Nursery, Landscape and Floriculture Career Development Event." The event is designed to stimulate interest and learning activities related to the wholesale and retail nursery industries, landscape design, installation and maintenance, and floriculture.

Many in the horticulture community come together to pull off this now-traditional event. Agri-business instructors are at the center, training students for the event. Agriculture and horticulture businesses, usually through the FNGA, provide materials, financial support and even a BBQ dinner for all. Extension is the glue that holds the process together. 

Participation is open to all students in Hillsborough County FFA Chapters, Agri-business Departments and 4-H clubs. The contest is divided into two divisions. The junior division features competition among students in 8^th and lower grades. The senior division allows students in 9^th -12^th grades to compete.

The contest began with a 50 question exam. The exam tested the students knowledge of nursery plant production, landscaping and floriculture. Other portions of the contest included landscape plant ID, floriculture plant ID, insect and disease ID, and horticulture tool ID. In addition, two practicums were included. On one of the practicums, students were asked to fill in details on a landscape design estimate. The other practicum asked the students to create an advertisement for a retail garden center.

Several of the agri-business instructors and other volunteers graded and processed the different sections of the contest as they were completed. After the participants completed their events, volunteers from FNGA (including Doug Holmberg of Holmberg Farms, who sponsored, organized, and barbequed the dinner with the help of Audie Ham of ProSource One) served lunch . After the teachers finished processing the scores, Laura announced the award winners. The school and individual awards follow below. The greatest benefit of the event however, was to the future of the industry. Some of these students will eventually work in and contribute to the future of the agriculture / horticulture industries in Hillsborough County and around the state.

Junior Division - 2003
     First Place - Chapter / Club - Turkey Creek
     Second Place - Chapter / Club - Farnell
     Third Place - Chapter / Club - Martinez

Individual
     1st Place   High Individual - Tyler Benefield - Turkey Creek
     2nd Place High Individual - Michael St. Martin - Turkey Creek
     3rd Place  High Individual - Dustin Young - Turkey Creek
     4th Place  High Individual - Joseph Neil - Farnell
     5th Place  High Individual - Shane Taylor - Turkey Creek
     High Individual - Plant ID - Tyler Benefield - Turkey Creek
     High Individual - Insect & Disease ID - Rachel Norman - Martinez
     High Individual - Tool ID - Michelle Renz - Martinez
     High Individual - Practicum (Landscape estimate, Retail
          advertisement) Jessica Myers - Mann
     High Individual - Written Exam - Joseph Neill - Mann

Senior Division - 2003
     First Place - Chapter / Club - East Bay
     Second Place - Chapter / Club - Plant City
     Third Place - Chapter / Club - J.G. Smith

Individual
     1st Place   High Individual - Matt Moody - East Bay
     2nd Place High Individual - Erica Der - Plant City
     3rd Place  High Individual - Pattie Smith - East Bay
     4th Place  High Individual - Jacob Raburn - Plant City
     5th Place  High Individual - Rick Eckert - East Bay
     High Individual - Plant ID - Erica Der - Plant City
     High Individual - Insect & Disease ID - Matt Moody - East Bay
     High Individual - Tool ID - Elizabeth Davis - J.G. Smith
     High Individual - Practicum (Plant Grading, Job Application)
                    Emily Stutzman - Durant
     High Individual - Written Exam - Rick Eckert - East Bay