How North Carolina FFA Career Development Events Work
Career development events, or CDEs, are contests where FFA members show practical agriculture skills such as judging dairy cattle, selling a product, identifying tools or evaluating land. A NC State article on North Carolina FFA described 338 chapters and more than 30,000 students from middle school through high school, with CDEs as team-based competitions held at regional, state and national levels. The same article said members can choose from over 40 CDEs and LDEs in total. Details change each year, so use this guide to get oriented and ask your agriculture teacher for the current event handbook.
The Event List
The National FFA career and leadership events page lists these career-focused events, many of which North Carolina chapters enter:
- Agricultural Communications, Agricultural Sales, and Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems
- Agronomy, Floriculture, Forestry, and Nursery and Landscape
- Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management, Livestock Evaluation, Horse Evaluation and Meats Evaluation and Technology
- Environmental and Natural Resources, Farm and Agribusiness Management, and Marketing Plan
- Food Science and Technology, Milk Quality and Products, and Veterinary Science
North Carolina recaps also mention events such as Land Judging, Tool Identification, Introduction to Horticulture, Dairy Handler, Hunter Safety and Ag Mechanics, so the state list is broader than the national one. Speaking and meeting events are covered in the leadership guide.
Starting at the Region
Most students first compete at a regional rally. A recap of the West Central FFA Regional Rally on April 15, 2026 said many of the top three teams and individuals qualified for the state convention. Events named in the recap included Ag Mechanics, Tools, Introduction to Horticulture, Senior Poultry Evaluation, Senior Dairy Evaluation, Senior Hunter Safety, Junior Forestry, Land Judging, Senior Horse Evaluation and Dairy Handler. The article did not name every qualifier, so ask your advisor how your region sends teams on.
State Contests Through the Year
Not every state CDE happens at convention. Two examples:
- Agricultural Sales: the Senior Division state CDE was held March 11, 2026, at the University of Mount Olive. Cleveland High School's four-member team won, per the JoCo Report. The event had a five-minute sales presentation to a panel of judges, a sales knowledge test and a group pre-call plan presented to a judge.
- Land Judging: the 70th annual state Land Judging CDE was held November 16, 2024, at UNC Pembroke, the first college to host it, per National FFA. Students analyze traits such as soil type, erosion and drainage to decide the best use of the land.
State Convention CDEs
The 2026 North Carolina FFA State Convention ran June 23 to 25 at the Raleigh Convention Center, per the event listing. A Lumberton FFA recap reported chapter placings in Milk Quality and Products, Meats Evaluation, Forestry, Nursery and Landscape, Agronomy, Tool Identification and Food Science, which gives a feel for the range of state-level contests. In 2025, the North Moore High School Nursery and Landscape team finished first at the state convention, with Braden Sutherland the top individual, according to the Sandhills Sentinel.
For planning, the 2024 convention page at ncffa.org gives a sense of the logistics. Registration ran through judgingcard.com at $30 per participant, advisors had to register regionally advancing students for state, and the CDE and LDE registration cutoff fell in the first days of June. Expect similar steps and confirm each year's deadlines.
Moving On to Nationals
State winners can represent North Carolina nationally. The Cleveland sales team qualified for the National FFA Agricultural Sales CDE during the National FFA Convention and Expo in October, and the top three teams and top individual were recognized at the June convention. The Land Judging article said the top five senior teams advanced to the national Land Judging CDE in Oklahoma in spring 2025. The National FFA page lists the 99th National FFA Convention and Expo for October 21 to 24, with team certification and uploads due September 1.
Choosing and Preparing
- Pick an event that matches a class you are taking, and ask your advisor whether it expects related coursework.
- Ask your advisor for the event guidelines, score sheets and handbook, and for the dates of your regional rally.
- Count your team. Ag Sales teams had four members in 2026, and other events set their own sizes.
- Practice the full format, such as the written test plus the presentation in Ag Sales.
- Watch the registration deadlines for the state convention. In 2024 the CDE and LDE cutoff came about three weeks before the event.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a CDE and an LDE?
CDEs test career skills, such as judging or sales. LDEs test leadership skills, such as public speaking and parliamentary procedure. Some recaps lump all contests together as CDEs.
Where is the state convention?
Raleigh. The 2026 convention was June 23 to 25 at the Raleigh Convention Center.
How do I qualify for state?
Regional rallies send top teams and individuals on. The West Central rally recap said many top-three finishers qualified, so confirm your region's cutoff with your advisor.
Is the state list the same as the national list?
No. North Carolina holds events such as Tool Identification and Dairy Handler that appeared in state recaps but not on the National FFA page.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.