East Knox brings home banner in state nursery event

The East Knox FFA nursery/landscape team grabbed one of the top five spots in the state.

To qualify for the state finals, members have to take two rounds of totally different online exams. The first part of round includes a general knowledge test that focuses on soils, landscape design, plant installation, landscape construction, landscape maintenance, professionalism in the green industry, plant growth and development, and plant health management. The second part of round one is an safety test.

The practicums rotate between even and odd years. So this year they were tested over landscape installation equipment, skid steer loader, brick saw, rototiller, and power blower. Along with those tests members must complete an online problem solving activity where they are asked to calculate the materials needed to complete the landscape feature in the scenario.

The during round two members must complete identification of specimens from deciduous trees, shrubs, and annuals; evergreen trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and perennials; 40 additional specimens with 80% being from weeds, insects, diseases and turf and 20% from supplies and tools. During round 2 members will also complete problem solving activities that focus on the practicums from that year.

After both rounds are completed the scores are tallied and the top 10 teams qualify for the in-person state finals event held at Delaware Area Career Center over Spring Break. In the state event competitors had to complete the following stations: grading and drainage; paver installation; skid steer loader operation, plant layout, elevation calculations, and an application calculation test.

Individually, Hayden Garman placed fifth overall. The team placed 5th overall and earned a state banner for the hallway. Those team members were Wyatt Baker, Hayden Garman, AJ Salmons and Caylynn Kieber.