Members of the Diamond Trail FFA chapter of Monroe were one of 34 teams participating in the National FFA Agronomy Career Development Event.

The event was in conjunction with the 85th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. The team, led by advisor Ed Ricks, was awarded a Gold emblem and placed ninth overall. Members also competed for individual awards with 131 other participants. Senior Alexandria Samson received a high silver emblem, junior Derrick Hoodjer received a gold emblem, senior Jodie DeVries received a silver emblem and senior Nathan VandeWall received a gold emblem.

The National FFA Agronomy CDE is a competitive event that allows students to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations. Participants’ knowledge of agronomic sciences was tested through several levels of competition including developing solutions for problematic scenarios; identification of seeds, insects, soil and crops; and other management practices.