FFA Opportunities in the Food Science Systems and Environmental/ Natural Resource Systems Pathways

Agriculture is a broad area! When looking at it on a National level, the agricultural industry is divided into 6 sectors: agribusiness, environmental/natural resource systems, animal systems, food science systems, plant systems, and power/structural/technical systems. Over the next couple weeks, I will provide you examples of opportunities the FFA provides for those wanting to go into each specific sector of agriculture!

This week's focus is on the Food Science Career Path! And the Environmental/Natural Resource Systems!  

Find more information about any CDEs that the National FFA Organization provides here.

Within Food Science, there are multiple contests!

-Food Science and Technology: Within this contest, you have to be able to understand food product development, food presentation and food safety issues. In this event, you will compete individually and in teams. In the team portion of the contest, you and your team will create a new food product or redesign a pre-existing product, as well as completing a food safety and sanitation activity. Individually, you will complete a test, and 2 different practicums. 

-Meats Evaluation and Technology: During this contest, your individual scores come together to make the team score, but you go through the entire contest individually. You will yield and quality grade whole beef carcasses, place classes of cuts or sections of animals--with the possibilities being beef, pork and lamb-- and will identify retail cuts, and naming the species, primal area, cut name and cookery method. 

-Milk Quality and Products: This contest tests your knowledge of quality production, processing, distribution, and marketing of milk and dairy products.

With the environmental/ natural resource system area, there is only one contest that is provided on the national level.

-Environmental and Natural Resources: With this event, you compete in a team of 4, you showcase your knowledge of GPS navigation, soil science, water management, and wildlife conservation.

As always, thanks for reading, and come back next week for more "All About Ag with Esther" content!