In order to compete in this State contest, you must qualify in the top 25% or top 3 teams at an Area Contest.	Johanna Oosterwyk , Superintendent jmooster@wisc.edu

This contest begins at 8:30 a.m. and takes approximately 2 hours to complete.

Floriculture includes retailing and production of flowers, plants and foliage.

1. A team will consist of four members.
   
2. The contest will have three phases:

I. Identification of Plant Materials

II. General Knowledge Examination

III. One or more Practicums

3. Under no circumstances will any contestants be allowed to touch or handle plant material during the contest except during in the practicum. Any infraction of this policy will be sufficient cause to eliminate a team from the contest and nullify their travel award.
   
4. Observers will not be permitted in the contest area while the contest is in progress.
   
5. Any communications between contestants from the same team during the contest will be sufficient cause to eliminate the team from the contest.
   
6. A list of references for use as a guide for training teams will be made available, but the contest will not be based exclusively on the references. See reference sheet.
   
7. Contestants must provide their own florist shears or knife and pencil for the practicum phase of the contest. Contestants without them will be deducted points.
   
8. Contestants entering the National FFA Nursery Contest may not enter the National FFA Floriculture Contest the same year.
   
9. Coaches should be knowledgeable with the requirements of all phases especially all alternates of Phase III - Practicum.

Forty specimens from the "Floriculture Plant Identification List" provided on pages 174-176 of the Floriculture section of the National FFA Career Development Events Handbook will be displayed for contestants to identify by scientific and common names. Each specimen will be designated by a number. The contestant will write the appropriate number from the "Floriculture Plant Identification List" in the space next to the specimen's number on the official score card. Five points will be awarded for each specimen that is correctly identified. Each contestant will be allowed 20 minutes to complete this phase, or approximately 30 seconds for each specimen station.

Fifty objective-type multiple choice questions will be selected from the areas listed below. This phase will test the contestants' knowledge and understanding of the basic biological and scientific principles of producing and marketing flowers, plants, and foliage. Each contestant will be allowed 50 minutes to complete this phase. Each answer has value of five points. The test will cover the floriculture industry as reflected in the "Floriculture Career Development Event" section of the National FFA Career Development Handbook . The contest questions are based on current National FFA exams. National FFA exam questions and answers are available for a small fee at <http://store.yahoo.com/ffaunlimited/ed-resources-ffa-program-materials-cde.html>.

Each contestant will complete one or more of the following five possible practicums. Contestants must provide their own florist shears or knife, and pencil for this phase of the contest. Time will vary for each practicum.

1. Make a Dish Garden

2. Handling a Hazardous Situation

3. Floral Arrangement

4. Pinching Plants

6. Potting Plant Cuttings

Click on the national FFA's Floriculture documentation link below for a full description of the event. Scroll to page 173 for a full list of references.

National Floriculture Event