STORRS — Every year, the Woodbury FFA, along with many other agricultural schools around Connecticut, attends the Fall Career Development Event Day at UConn. This is a competition where students compete in different CDEs, including Livestock Judging, Poultry Judging, Milk Quality, Floriculture, and Landscaping. 

This year’s event took place Nov. 4, and the Woodbury FFA entered a bit of a different situation than usual due to the busy fall schedule, including the National FFA Convention the week before. 

“It really did affect us,” said Alyssa Hodges, a senior who competed in Poultry Evaluation, “especially those of us who also had to go to the convention because we were so focused on that we had no time to practice for states.”  

Agriscience teachers Tom DiMarco, Eric Birkenberger, and Marisa Bedron, all of whom coach CDE teams, attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. Kathleen Gorman, another faculty member, was one of the many instructors who stepped up to help coach CDE teams while the regular coaches were away.

“I am happy to jump in where I am needed,” said Gorman. 

There are quite a few CDE teams at Nonnewaug, and the agriscience faculty can prepare students for competitions, but once those competitions begin, it’s up to the students.

“The power of the CDE contests is that it is in the students’ hands,” said Gorman.