Competitive events offered by Future Farmers of America (FFA) provide today’s agriculture students with valuable skills and knowledge. As a national career and technical student organization specifically for seventh- through twelfth-grade ag students, FFA offers competitive events that focus on the skills today’s students will need to succeed in the workforce. Student participants hone critical thinking, interpersonal communication and career preparation skills, to name a few. Like any competitive event, dedicated preparation can really set competitors up for success. Realityworks’ Ag products can help prepare your ag students for FFA competitions. They’re also great for attracting students to ag programs and providing realistic, hands-on learning opportunities.
Here are 30 useful tools to prepare your Ag students for 16 FFA competitions (plus the FFA challenges we recommend using them for).
Agricultural Communications
Communication, teamwork, presentation skills, creativity, public speaking, self-confidence, interpersonal skills… these are several examples of the many communications skills that our robust Soft Skills Programs address.
From the FFA website: Students interested in journalism, broadcasting, web design and more learn to communicate effectively while advocating for agriculture.
Preparing your students to succeed in the Agricultural Communications Challenge? We recommend these products:
- Online Leadership Skills Program
- Leadership Soft Skills Program
- RealCareer Employability Skills Program
- Online Employability Skills Program
Agricultural Technology & Mechanical Systems
From proper welding and electrical wiring techniques to measurement math and STEM, technical skills are essential for a variety of careers related to agriculture technology and mechanical systems. Fortunately, we offer a variety of hands-on training tools that teach these skills and others.
From the FFA website: Students develop technical knowledge and an ability to work with others to solve complex agricultural problems.
Preparing your students to succeed in the Agricultural Technology & Mechanical Systems Challenge? We recommend these products:
Agronomy
What makes for good crop selection? Students can learn the basic stages of growth, potential diseases and grain structure with Realityworks’ crop-related Plant Science models.
From the FFA website: Students understand and demonstrate the many ways that science and technology collaborate to grow the world’s major food crops.
Preparing your students to succeed in the Agronomy Challenge? We recommend these products:
Dairy Cattle Evaluation & Management
Good dairy cattle selection begins with a thorough knowledge of cow systems and structures. Train your students to recognize milk diseases, infections and treatments while teaching them comprehensive lessons on proper udder care and udder anatomy.
From the FFA website: Students develop skills important to dairy cattle selection and herd management via this team-based event.
Preparing your students to succeed in the Dairy Cattle Evaluation & Management Challenge? We recommend these products:
Employment Skills
With specific lessons on networking, work ethic and time management, to name a few, you can rest assured that your students will be ahead of the game with Realityworks’ Leadership Soft Skills programs.
From the FFA website: Participants in the National FFA Employment Skills Leadership Development Event (LDE) get a leg up on their future careers by developing the skills needed to seek employment in the industry of agriculture.
Preparing your students to succeed in the Employment Skills Challenge? We recommend these products:
- RealCareer Employability Skills Program
- Online Employability Skills Program
- Online Leadership Skills Program
- Leadership Soft Skills Program
Floriculture
Solving potential floral problems and issues would be tough without knowing how plant systems work together. These models provide a magnified view of the many features and anatomy of a plant stem and flower.
From the FFA website: Students identify plants, judge flower arrangements and solve problems using skills important to horticulture and floral careers.
Preparing your students to succeed in the Floriculture Challenge? We recommend these products:
Food Science & Technology
There is a lot of responsibility when it comes to providing food for others. Students will learn common butcher and meat cuts as well as how to properly handle them in a safe and responsible manner with help from Realityworks’ food science products.
From the FFA website: Students display an in-depth understanding of food product development, food presentation and food safety issues.
Preparing your students to succeed in the Food Science & Technology Challenge? We recommend these products:
Horse Evaluation
Featuring realistic renderings of the muscular system as well as anatomy of a hoof, these horse models will give students detailed horse knowledge they can apply to real horse evaluation.
From the FFA website: Students who participate in the National FFA Horse Evaluation CDE gain new insights into equine science.
Preparing your students to succeed in Horse Evaluation Challenge? We recommend these products:
Livestock Evaluation
Prepare your students to be able to identify desired livestock breeding and physical qualities before heading to the market with these cool tools from Realityworks.
From the FFA website: Participants in the Livestock Evaluation CDE cooperatively classify livestock as “keep” or “cull” for market and breeding purposes. Understanding what makes a good market or breeding beef, sheep or swine is valuable knowledge for the decisions every livestock producer has to make.
Preparing your students to succeed in Livestock Evaluation Challenge? We recommend these products:
- Bovine Breeder™ artificial insemination simulator
- Swine Breeder™ artificial insemination simulator
- Cow model, Sheep Model, Pig Model
Meats Evaluation & Technology
Quality meat is in high demand. Help your students learn proper beef cuts identification as well as proper prep and cook procedures of each cut.
From the FFA website: In the Meats Evaluation and Technology CDE, students develop the skills needed for careers in the meat animal industry.
Preparing your ag students for FFA’s Meats Evaluation & Technology Challenge? We recommend these products:
Milk Quality & Products
Dumping poor-quality milk is a big loss for farmers everywhere. Use these simulators to teach proper California Mastitis Test performance and udder anatomy.
From the FFA website: Participants in the Milk Quality and Products CDE demonstrate their knowledge about the quality production, processing, distribution, promotion and marketing of milk and dairy foods.
Preparing your students to succeed in Milk Quality & Products Challenge? We recommend these products:
Poultry Evaluation
Give your students a great start to poultry evaluation with this life-sized replica of a hen detailing muscular, digestive and reproductive systems.
From the FFA website: The Poultry Evaluation CDE test students’ skills in the production, processing, and marketing of chickens, turkeys, processed poultry products and eggs.
Preparing your students for FFA’s Poultry Evaluation Challenge? We recommend these products:
Vegetable Evaluation
Frequently used for bringing gardens into the classroom, Realityworks’ Educational Hydroponics Systems provide ample space for growing an indoor vegetable garden. Adding common greenhouse insect identification takes vegetable management to the next level.
From the FFA website: The Vegetable Evaluation event is designed to test skills and knowledge of students in the area of vegetable production and management.
Preparing your students to succeed in the Vegetable Evaluation Challenge? We recommend these products:
- Greenhouse Insects Kit
- Plant Science Kit
- Plant Producer Educational Hydroponics System
- Plant Lab Educational Hydroponics System
- Plant Mini Educational Hydroponics System Class Pack (5-pack)
Veterinary Science
Life-sized models and simulators allow students to get a true feel for their future animal interactions and provide realism in the classroom. Realityworks offers numerous simulators and models students can use to develop skills related to vet science.
From the FFA website: The Veterinary Science CDE provides opportunities for participants to develop technical knowledge and demonstrate practical skills in the field of veterinary science.
Preparing your students to succeed in the Veterinary Science Challenge? We recommend these products:
- Canine Vet Trainer
- Calf Simulator
- Bovine Injection Simulator
- Cat Model, Small Dog Model, Large Dog Model
- Large Dog Skeleton Model, Small Dog Skeleton Model, Cat Skeleton Model
By pairing lesson plans with hands-on learning aids (plus activities and assessments), these products can help you prepare your ag students for FFA competitions. They’ll also help your students gain practical career preparation skills that will help them succeed in competitions – and in life.
Learn more
Looking for more information to prepare your Ag students for FFA competitions (and future success)? Consider these resources:
- Free, downloadable infographics and posters that could jump-start classroom conversations about the future
- On-demand webinars focused on a variety of Ag topics, from engaging students to teaching needed skills
- See what’s new for Ag education in our 2022 Ag Program Catalog
