What Idaho FFA Leadership Development Events Are
Leadership development events, or LDEs, focus on public speaking, decision making and leadership, according to the Minico FFA competitions page. Unlike career events, they usually start at the district level. They are a way for a nervous freshman to learn to stand up and talk, and they reward preparation more than ownership of a heifer.
The Events
The Idaho events listed on that page include:
- Prepared Public Speaking
- Extemporaneous Speaking
- English Creed Speaking and Spanish Creed Speaking
- Parliamentary Procedure
- Conduct of Chapter Meetings
- Employment Skills
- Reporter's Scrapbook (listed on the same page)
A chapter calendar from Nez Perce FFA groups Creed and Greenhand Knowledge, Extemporaneous Speaking and Parliamentary Procedure as LDEs on one November 2026 date, and lists Prepared Speaking and Conduct of Chapter Meetings on a February date. It also lists Job Interview and State Degree Sifting. The site does not give locations for those, so confirm with your advisor. The page also lists three agricultural stakeholder competitions: the Farm Bureau Discussion Meet, the Soil and Water Conservation Speech Contest and the Farm Bureau Speech Competition.
How Members Qualify
All leadership events and some CDEs have district contests, and only district winners advance to state, per the Minico page. In 2025, for example, the South Eastern Idaho District held its LDE at Bear Lake High School, where Malad took fourth in Parliamentary Procedure, second in Extemporaneous Public Speaking and third in Prepared Public Speaking, per the Idaho Enterprise. The first-place winner of each state event represents Idaho at the national level in Indianapolis.
State Convention in Twin Falls
The University of Idaho says the Idaho FFA State Convention is held in Twin Falls in April. The 94th convention in 2025 drew over 1,800 members statewide, per the Idaho Enterprise, and the 2019 conference was at the College of Southern Idaho, per Idaho Farm Bureau. Nez Perce FFA lists the State Leadership Conference for March 30 to April 3, 2027, so check dates with your advisor.
Besides contests, the convention awards State FFA Degrees. The Malad article lists requirements including two years of active membership, two years of ag classes or $1,000 invested or 300 supervised hours, five activities above the chapter level, 25 community service hours, and a knowledge and Parliamentary Procedure exam. State officers are also chosen there.
How Idaho Members Have Done
At the 2025 national convention, Hadlee Brown of the Homedale FFA Chapter won first place in Creed Speaking, which is open to seventh through ninth graders, per Ag Proud. In 2019, Madison won the Parliamentary Procedure title and Kuna the Creed Speaking, Marsing Prepared Public Speaking and Declo Extemporaneous Speaking, per Idaho Farm Bureau.
A Typical Season
Chapter calendars show how the season is stacked. Nez Perce FFA lists a November 2026 date for Creed and Greenhand Knowledge, Extemporaneous Speaking and Parliamentary Procedure, a winter date for Job Interview and Ag Sales, and a late-winter date for Prepared Speaking and Conduct of Chapter Meetings. The state leadership conference follows in the spring. That means speech writing and parliamentary drills start in the fall, long before the Twin Falls convention. Members who also compete in career events should plan the calendar early so practices do not collide.
Judges score both content and delivery. Sound speaking skills carry beyond the contest: the FFA motto, "Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, and living to serve," is quoted in the Idaho Farm Bureau coverage of the state conference, and the convention itself also includes workshops, career tours of Magic Valley agriculture businesses and a Day of Service.
Beyond the Contest Room
The 2025 convention in Twin Falls also included industry tours, according to the Idaho Enterprise: Bettencourt Dairy in Wendell, which milks about 12,000 cows, plus Chobani and Glanbia Cheese. Members served as delegates and Courtesy Corps, and one chapter member stood as a state officer candidate. At the 2019 conference, six state officers were chosen from 20 candidates after four days of interviews, and officers spend a year traveling the state and country promoting FFA. For many students, an LDE is the first step toward those roles.
Choosing an Event
- Shy beginner: try Creed Speaking, which has a fixed text, or Reporter's Scrapbook.
- Likes to think on its feet: Extemporaneous Speaking.
- Likes teams and rules: Parliamentary Procedure or Conduct of Chapter Meetings.
- Bilingual: Spanish Creed Speaking.
- Thinking about a first job: Employment Skills or Job Interview.
Preparing
- Ask your advisor for the current rules and score sheets, because formats are updated.
- Practice in front of people, then in front of strangers.
- Time every run and rehearse the questions that follow.
- Learn the district date early, since district winners advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to win districts?
Yes for leadership events. Only district winners advance to state.
Where is the state convention?
In Twin Falls, in April.
Is there a Spanish speaking event?
Yes. Spanish Creed Speaking is on the Idaho event list.
Who goes to nationals?
The first-place winner of each event represents Idaho in Indianapolis.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.