The Modesto Junior College Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Department hosted the MJC Field Day for FFA members from around the state on Saturday, March 25. At the event, 19 Escalon FFA members competed in six Career Development Events (CDE’s).

The CDE’s Escalon competed in were: Agronomy, Livestock Judging, Farm Power, Ag Mechanics, Floriculture, and Veterinary Science.

In these CDE’s, students are given the ability to learn about many different fields in Agriculture that students may wish to pursue a career in.

In Agronomy, students learn to identify pests such as weeds and insects, plant diseases and disorders, and seeds, and they also learn how to evaluate seed samples based on how well they would grow if planted. In Livestock Judging, students learn what characteristics to look for in meat animals and explain to a judge why one animal is better than another. In the Farm Power contest, students learn to operate farm equipment and also to troubleshoot and fix problems that may occur. In Ag Mechanics, students gain hands on experience learning how to do many things that fall under the mechanics umbrella such as welding and electrical engineering. The Floriculture contest tests students’ ability to use their creativity to create floral arrangements as well as their knowledge of many floral procedures. Lastly, the Veterinary Science contest requires students put themselves in the role of a veterinarian or vet tech by identifying many tools used by veterinarians, identifying different breeds of animals, and even demonstrating knowledge of veterinary procedures (practicums) in front of a judge such as restraining a dog or inserting an IV.

At MJC, the Agronomy team, made up of Matthew Lima, Caitlin Pehl, and Rachel Swift won fifth place and Jake Kroon won third place in the Farm Power contest.

Everyone did great at MJC and we can’t wait to see how everyone will do at the coming State Finals Competitions that will be held at Fresno State and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.