Great Western Shootout Junior CDE Contest

Posted Date: 02/13/2020

Great Western Shootout Junior CDE Contest

By: Erika Meier, Shattuck FFA Reporter

What better way to get FFA members involved and educated than a CDE contest? On January 21, 2019, Shattuck FFA hosted the second annual Great Western Shootout Jr. Career Development Event Contest at the Woodward County Events Center and Fairgrounds. This contest was designed as an introductory event for 8th, 9th & 10th graders to compete in and learn more about the various career development events that are offered through the FFA.  The contest consisted of 13 different CDE areas. Kids tested in everything from ag communications to farm business management. They had the opportunity to identify real insect specimens, living plants, fresh cuts of meat, and dairy products. Area FFA chapters in the Woodward, Alva and Panhandle regions were invited, and over 300 students, from Ellis, Harper, Dewey, Woodward & Major counties competed. There was no limit on the number of areas in which a student could compete, the idea being that they could learn as much as possible about as many events as possible. The Shattuck FFA upperclassmen worked to not only setup the contests on the day of the event, they also wrote and administered the tests, and tabulated scores.  Although the Great Western Shootout Jr. CDE is only in its second year, we hope to continue this tradition in order to get more students involved in FFA. The future of agriculture depends on educating youth on the many career opportunities available within the industry. Contests such as these demonstrate to our younger students, that FFA isn’t just for farmers and stock show kids, we have something to offer every student!