Nevada FFA Career Development Events

What Nevada FFA Career Development Events Are

Career development events, or CDEs, are contests that test the technical knowledge and skills of a specific agricultural career. Nevada FFA teams judge, grade, identify, diagnose and design their way through them at the Nevada FFA State Convention, held in Reno each spring. More than 700 members competed at the March 2026 convention, per the Mesa Valleys Progress, and the 2019 convention counted over 2,900 Nevada FFA members in 29 chapters, per the Nevada Department of Agriculture. This guide covers the technical contests. Speaking and meeting contests are in the companion leadership guide.

Where and When

The state convention is a multi-day event on and around the University of Nevada, Reno campus, with the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks as a host venue. The 2023 convention ran March 20 to 24 per the Mesa Valleys Progress. The 95th convention in 2024 ran March 25 to 28 per its coverage. The 97th, in 2026, was held in Reno per Carson Now. Some contests go off campus. In 2019 floriculture was held at the Sparks Florist Warehouse, and in 2017 contests used Sparks Florist, Rail City Garden Center and Wolf Pack Meats, per Northern Nevada Business Weekly. Dates change from year to year, so check with your advisor.

Contests Nevada Students Have Entered

Convention coverage from several years names these technical contests, though the lineup changes from year to year, so ask your advisor for the current list:

• Floriculture, including a novice division: designing arrangements, identifying species and equipment, and solving a floral order as a team
• Veterinary Science, also with a novice division
• Milk Quality and Products
• Meats Evaluation and Technology
• Horse Evaluation or Horse Judging
• Livestock Judging
• Nursery and Landscape
• Marketing Plan
• Farm Business Management
• Agricultural Sales
• Agricultural Mechanics
• Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems
• Environmental and Natural Resources, with practicums at the UNR field lab in 2024
• Soils and Homesite
• Employment Skills
• Agriscience Fair

Results lists in the Fallon Post show Nevada chapters winning national medals in Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems, Marketing Plan, Veterinary Science, Horse Judging, Milk Quality and Products, Nursery and Landscape, Meat Evaluation, Livestock Judging, Farm Business Management and Agricultural Sales.

How Teams Advance

Published coverage describes chapters traveling to the state convention and competing there, and winners go on to the National FFA Convention. A 2013 report said CDE winners advance to the national convention in October. A recent Fallon Post report places a Nevada contingent at the 98th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis. Soils and Homesite is a September contest recognized at the convention. Ask your advisor how your chapter qualifies for each event.

Choosing a Contest

• Animal-minded: Livestock Judging, Horse Evaluation, Veterinary Science, Meats Evaluation and Technology and Milk Quality and Products.
• Plant and land: Floriculture, Nursery and Landscape, Soils and Homesite, and Environmental and Natural Resources.
• Hands-on and tech: Agricultural Mechanics and Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems.
• Business: Marketing Plan, Farm Business Management, Agricultural Sales.

Newer members can start with a novice division where one is offered, such as novice Floriculture or Veterinary Science.

Preparing

• Practice as a team. Most CDEs score both individuals and teams, and Nevada coverage lists team placings such as high team and second place.
• Use real material. Floriculture teams practice arranging and identification, and Environmental and Natural Resources teams do field practicums.
• Work with your chapter advisor and local industry. Floriculture and meats contests have used florists, garden centers and meat processors as venues, so those are good places to ask for practice.
• Keep your records current. State degrees depend on hours logged in the FFA Agricultural Experience Tracker.
• Plan travel early. Rural chapters travel far: Moapa Valley sent 51 members to the 2026 convention.

What the Convention Is Like

The state convention is more than contests. In 2019 more than 550 students attended and the program included community service projects, per the Department of Agriculture report. Students also receive State Degrees there. Only 60 students statewide earned the degree in 2017, per Carson Now, and the 2024 report says students earned it by logging hours on the FFA Agricultural Experience Tracker. State officers are elected at the same event. Chapters also compete for awards such as the Best Program of Activities.

For families, the practical points are simple. The event runs several days, rural chapters travel long distances, and contest teams usually arrive with an advisor who handles registration. Ask the advisor early for the schedule, the lodging plan and any fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.