Supporting agricultural students through sponsorship of awards is a key component of the California FFA Foundation's efforts.
The purposes of the Agricultural Award Program are to:
- Stimulate interest in the instructional program.
- Stimulate interest in agricultural occupations.
- Reward FFA members at the local, state, regional, and national levels for exceptional accomplishments in progressing toward specific occupational objectives in agriculture.
The Future Farmers of America Award Program is a competitive-based system in which members may compete in the development of specialized skills and abilities in an agricultural career. There are currently 8 different areas of competition under the Leadership program, 35 under the Career Development Events program, and 47 under the Proficiency program.
Studying vocational agriculture and participating in the Agricultural Award Program may open a wide choice of agriculturally-related careers. In addition to farming and ranching, job opportunities in agriculture include careers in processing, agricultural sales, and service, conservation, forest management, and horticulture.
Thanks to California FFA Foundation sponsors for their support of Career Development Events (CDE), Leadership Development Events (LDE), Proficiency Awards, Agriscience Fair, and Star Awards.
If you are interested in sponsoring an award, please contact California FFA Foundation.
Sponsors cover the costs for the judging of California FFA State Finals for Career Development Events.
Awards for each of the State Finals Contests consist of:
- One High Team Bowl
- One High Individual Plaque
- High Team Jacket Pins
- High Individual Jacket Pin
- Five Top Team Rosettes
- Five Top Individual Rosettes
- Various Sub-contest Ribbons.
Thanks to the following sponsors for their sponsorship.
| Madera County Farm Bureau | Agricultural Communications |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo- Agribusiness Department | Agricultural Issues Forum |
| Darol Fishman & Jake Dunn- In Memory of Bill King | Agricultural Mechanics |
| Kirby Manufacturing | Ag Mechanics Fair |
| California FFA Foundation | Agricultural Pest Control |
| Ranchview Livestock | Farm Record Books-Agriculture Experience Tracker |
| Almond Board of California | Agricultural Sales |
| California FFA Foundation | Agricultural Welding |
| Merced College Agriculture Foundation | AgriScience Fair |
| JMLord, Inc. | Agronomy |
| Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District/Tulare Irrigation District/Lower Tule River Irrigation District/Lindmore Irrigation District | California Water Issues |
| California Citrus Mutual | Citrus |
| Agricultural Council of California | Cooperative Marketing |
| California Cotton Alliance | Cotton |
| Ray & Erica Prock | Dairy Cattle |
| California FFA Foundation | Farm Business Management |
| East Bay Tire Company |
Farm Power/Farm Machinery |
| Hugh Mooney | Floriculture |
| The California Forest Foundation | Forestry |
| Yearout Investment Properties | Fruit Tree Judging |
| Smittcamp Ag Enterprises | Fruit Tree Pruning |
| Almond Board of California | Grapevine Judging |
| Sun-Maid Growers of California | Grapevine Pruning |
| Riverside Section, California Agricultural Teachers' Association | Light Horse |
| Bakersfield High School- In Memory of Robert Bowman | Livestock |
| Lloyd & Sheila McCabe | Marketing Plan |
| Harris Ranch Beef Company | Meats |
| Dr. Sam Rodriguez - In Memory of Sam R. Rodriguez, Jr. | Milk Quality & Dairy Foods |
| Matt Angell | Natural Resources |
| CANERS Foundation | Nursery/Landscape |
| JS West and Companies | Poultry |
| Kubota Tractor Corporation-Western Division | Small Engines |
| G & E teVelde Orchards, LLC | Soil & Land Evaluation |
| Almond Board of California | Vegetable Crops |
| Kim & Jim Williams |
Veterinary Science |
Contests for Leadership Development Events take place at the local, sectional, regional, and state levels. Plaques are awarded to the first and second-place winners, and ribbons are awarded to the first through fifth-place winners at the 31 sectional, 6 regional, and state-level contests.
These contests offer an opportunity for sponsors to witness excellence in leadership among California's agricultural youth. By supporting this activity, you are contributing directly to the continued strength of our agricultural industry.
Thank you to the following sponsors for their sponsorship.
| California Farm Bureau | Best Informed Greenhand |
| Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. | Creed Recitation |
| CALF Class 52 | El Credo de la FFA |
| Farm Credit Alliance | Extemporaneous Public Speaking |
| Farm Credit Alliance | Impromptu Public Speaking |
| California Cotton Alliance | Job Interview |
| Silkwood Family Foundation | Parliamentary Procedure-Advanced |
| Vino Farms, LLC | Parliamentary Procedure-Novice |
| Western Plant Health Association | Prepared Public Speaking |
Plaques are presented to each of the six Regional Winners, as well as a plaque to the State Winner in each Proficiency Award. Regional winners are recognized at regional ceremonies, while the State Winner will be named at the State FFA Leadership Conference. Each of the plaques presented includes the engraved name of the sponsor or the engraved name of the sponsoring organization.
Thank you to the following sponsors for their support of Proficiency Awards.
| Malcolm Media | Agricultural Communications | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| iCEV | Agricultural Education | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Ponderosa Telephone Company | Agricultural Mechanics Design & Fabrication | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Far West Equipment Dealers' Association | Agricultural Mechanics Repair & Maintenance | Entrepreneurship |
| Almond Board of California | Agricultural Mechanics Repair & Maintenance | Placement |
| Blue Diamond Growers | Agricultural Processing | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Ray & Diana Rezendes- State Farm Insurance | Agricultural Sales | Entrepreneurship |
| Gina Boster- In Memory of Karl Bakken & Sandy Harris | Agricultural Sales | Placement |
| Almond Board of California | Agricultural Services | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| California FFA Foundation | Agriscience Integrated Systems Research | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| California FFA Foundation | Agriscience Research-Animal Systems | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Tasteful Selections, LLC | Agriscience Research-Plant Systems | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Central Valley Meat | Beef Production | Entrepreneurship |
| California FFA Foundation | Beef Production | Placement |
| Associated Feed & Supply | Dairy Production | Entrepreneurship |
| Connor Agriscience | Dairy Production | Placement |
| California Farmland Trust | Diversified Agricultural Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Almond Board of California | Diversified Crop Production | Entrepreneurship |
| California State University, Chico- College of Agriculture | Diversified Crop Production | Placement |
| TS&L Seeds | Diversified Horticulture | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Associated Feed & Supply | Diversified Livestock Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| California Farm Bureau Federation | Environmental Science & Natural Resources | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Golden State Strategy Group, LLC | Equine Science | Entrepreneurship |
| Elk Grove Milling, Inc. | Equine Science | Placement |
| California Cotton Alliance | Fiber & Oil Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Pioneer, USA | Forage Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Vivayic, Inc. | Forest Management & Products | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Martinez Ranches, Inc | Fruit Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Mayo Club Lambs | Goat Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Wilbur-Ellis Company | Grain Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Southern Region, California Agricultural Teachers' Association | Landscape Management | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Almond Board of California | Nursery Operations | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Almond Board of California | Outdoor Recreation | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Foster Farms | Poultry Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Almond Board of California | Service Learning | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Superior Farms | Sheep Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| CalAgJobs | Small Animal Production & Care | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| California FFA Foundation | Specialty Animal Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| The Robert J. Lindeleaf Family | Specialty Crop Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| California Pork Producers Association | Swine Production | Entrepreneurship |
| Brady & Katie Otto | Swine Production | Placement |
| West Coast Turf | Turf Grass Management | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Tanimura & Antle, Inc. | Vegetable Production | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Mid Valley Large Animal Service | Veterinary Science | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
| Ralphs Prather Ranch Foundation | Wildlife Production & Management | Entrepreneurship/Placement |
Thanks to donors for their support of Star Awards.
| All Tech |
| Assemi Group |
| Bob Smittcamp |
| California Farm Bureau |
| Central Valley Community Bank |
| Don & Robin Watenpaugh |
| Filice Farms |
| Maisie Jane’s Sunshine Products |
| Pacific Coast Producers |
| Pearson Realty |
| Stanislaus Food Products |
| The Morning Star Company |
| Toni Lindeleaf |
The FFA Agriscience Fair recognizes middle and high school students who are studying the application of scientific principles and emerging technologies in agricultural enterprises.
Thanks to the following sponsors for their sponsorship.
| American Ag Credit | State Championship |
| California Beef Cattle Improvement Association | Animal Systems and Natural Resources |
| Land IQ | Environmental Services and Natural Resources |
| California FFA Foundation | Plant Sytems |
| Almond Board of California | Power, Structural, and Technical Systems |
| American Farm Bottle Company LLC | Social Science |
The Golden Owl Award award is sponsored by Nationwide in partnership with California Farm Bureau and California FFA Foundation. Regional winners and Golden Owl Award nominees will be announced prior to the California State FFA Leadership Conference in early April 2025. To submit a nomination, click here.
