What the Kansas FFA State CDEs Are
The K-State Career Development Events are the state finals for Kansas FFA's judging, evaluation and skills contests. Chapters compete in Manhattan, and the winners go on to represent Kansas at the National FFA Convention and Expo. The events cover areas such as livestock, meats, dairy and horse evaluation, agronomy, entomology, farm management, marketing plans, agricultural communications and veterinary science. The Kansas FFA Association runs them, and the contests are separate from the state convention, which follows about a month later.
The 2027 K-State CDEs are scheduled for May 2-4, 2027 in Manhattan. The 2026 round was held May 3-5, and earlier rounds ran April 28-30, 2024 and May 4-6, 2025.
The Contests
Kansas FFA lists these career development events, with the 2026 state champion chapters:
| Event | 2026 state champion |
|---|---|
| Agricultural Communications | Neodesha |
| Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems | Girard |
| Agricultural Sales | Labette County |
| Agronomy | Andale |
| Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management | Nemaha Central |
| Entomology (state-level event) | Labette County |
| Environmental and Natural Resources | Holton |
| Farm and Agribusiness Management | Paola |
| Floriculture | Spring Hill |
| Food Science and Technology | Yates Center |
| Forestry | Mission Valley |
| Horse Evaluation | Spring Hill |
| Livestock Evaluation | Uniontown |
| Marketing Plan | Junction City |
| Meats Evaluation and Technology | Uniontown |
| Milk Quality and Products | Anderson County |
| Nursery/Landscape | Washington County |
| Poultry Evaluation | Perry-Lecompton |
| Veterinary Science | Phillipsburg |
Land and Homesite Evaluation is also on the list of events; nine chapters (Andale, La Crosse, Stockton, Yates Center, Jackson Heights, Bucklin, Jayhawk-Linn, Thunder Ridge and Udall) were recognized for the national land and homesite teams in 2026.
Sweepstakes and Recognition
Kansas FFA also names a Career Development Sweepstakes winner. Anderson County won the 2026 sweepstakes.
Who Can Compete
The contests are for FFA chapters and their certified members. Several are team events. The Marketing Plan event, for example, uses teams of three certified chapter members, and certification changes for that event close after May 20. The Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems event is a modified version of the national contest, and the Agricultural Communications event has teams working as communication consultants to build a written media plan. Study guides for Agricultural Communications are posted on the Kansas FFA event page.
Dates and Hotels
The CDE dates are May 2-4, 2027. Kansas FFA holds group rates for the CDE weekend at several Manhattan hotels, and the cutoff dates are early:
- Comfort Suites, 785-539-9449: $105, by April 19, 2027
- DoubleTree by Hilton, 785-539-5311: $119 with breakfast, by April 1, 2027
- Fairfield by Marriott, 785-539-2400: $119, by April 2, 2027
- Hampton Inn, 785-775-5700: $149 with breakfast, by April 2, 2027
- Hilton Garden Inn, 785-532-9116: $115, by April 3, 2027
- Holiday Inn at the Campus (group code CDE): $124.95 with breakfast, by April 9, 2027
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 785-320-7454 (group code CDE): $149 with breakfast, by April 2, 2027
Mention Kansas FFA when you book.
Questions
When are the 2027 contests?
May 2-4, 2027, in Manhattan.
Do the winners go to nationals?
Yes. State winners represent Kansas FFA at the National FFA Convention and Expo.
Who do I call?
The Kansas FFA Association, 110 Umberger Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506: (785) 532-6424.
Official Links
- Group housing for state events: CDE and convention dates, hotel rates
- 2026 competitive event winners
- Career Development Events list and state dates
- Agricultural Communications CDE
- Agricultural Technology and Mechanics CDE
- Marketing Plan CDE
- Marketing Plan guidelines (PDF)
Kansas FFA Career Development Events (CDEs): The Essentials
Career Development Events (CDEs) are FFA contests that turn classroom agriculture into real-world skills, from livestock evaluation to agronomy and veterinary science. Kansas FFA lists 20 CDEs and has run these events since FFA began them in 1928.
Dates and path
State CDEs are May 3-5, 2026, and May 2-4, 2027. Chapters often warm up at invitational contests such as Aggie Day at Fort Scott Community College, and some events have their own route; Forestry runs through the Kansas Envirothon. Ask your advisor how your team qualifies.
Eligibility
Rules vary by event. Forestry teams have 5 members who must be registered FFA members, and Aggie Day teams have four contestants. The Kansas FFA Association at (785) 532-6424 can point you to each event's guidelines.
Read the full guide: Kansas FFA Career Development Events (CDEs): Contests, Dates and Eligibility
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- K-State Ag Ed Speech Event
Public speaking event for Kansas FFA students on January 30, 2027 at the K-State Student Union in Manhattan, hosted with K-State Agricultural Education.
- Kansas FFA State Convention
The 99th Kansas FFA Convention is set for June 1-4, 2027 in Manhattan. The 2026 convention ran May 26-29 at McCain Auditorium with a theme of Cultivate. Grow Leaders. Lead Change.
- Kansas Livestock Association Convention and Trade Show
Held each year; the most recent dates were November 19-21, 2025. Cattlemen gather for the banquet and live auction, Beef Industry University, committee meetings and the membership breakfast with policy votes.
- Kansas Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
Held each year; the most recent dates were December 6-8, 2025 for the 107th meeting. Workshops, a tradeshow, awards banquet and a delegate vote on 2026 policy, with a keynote from the American Farm Bureau president.
- K-State Junior Beef Producer Day
Held each year; the most recent date was March 7, 2026. One-day family program for young cattle exhibitors at the Bilbrey Family Events Center north of the K-State campus in Manhattan.
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.