Events & Activities

The events and activities hosted throughout the school year (and summer) are intended to grow our students as leaders, help develop and build our communities, and strengthen the mission of agriculture. Below is a brief description of each event. Not every event occurs every year. The newly elected officer team decides which chapter events will occur for the upcoming year; these decisions are made during the annual summer officer retreat. 

If you are interested in becoming a chapter leader and help make these important decisions, consider applying for an officer position. Contact an advisor to learn more!

• Officer Sifting and Retreat

  • • FFA officers are selected annually in April/May. This process includes an application and an interview. A committee reviews the applications and interviews all the candidates and makes the best possible decisions for the upcoming year. The newly elected officer team is announced during the annual FFA banquet. All officers are expected to attend a 2-3 day summer officer retreat. The retreat is intended for planning the upcoming year and building a cohesive and well-trained officer team. The retreat usually takes place at a cabin in Island Park.

• FFA Banquet

  • • The FFA banquet is an evening dinner event that recognizes our members for their hard work throughout the year. The event is ran by the chapter officers. Not only do we recognize our members, but the community and local supporters are recognized for their support and dedication to the chapter.

• Alumni Donkey Basketball

  • • Each year, Donkey Sports brings in 8 donkeys for our annual alumni donkey basketball game and auction. Prizes and auction items are given out as a fundraiser. Alumni members and some FFA members have the opportunity to ride the donkeys and play a real game of basketball in the gym.

• 2nd Grade Safety Fair

  • • FFA members host a variety of stations that introduce agricultural equipment and animals to 2nd graders. The members share vital information about safety in a fun, engaging manner.

• 4th Grade Safety Fair

  • • FFA members work with St. Luke's and Simplot to host a progressive agriculture safety day with the 4th grade students of American Falls, Aberdeen, and Rockland. 4th graders learn how to be safe around animals, chemicals, and agricultural equipment.

• Pizza for 6th Graders

  • • FFA members visit 6th graders in their classrooms to help make pizza. Throughout this event, all the ingredients of pizza are discussed in great detail, including where the food comes from, how it's processed, and what it takes to travel to your plate.

• Business and Industry Tours

  • • FFA members take tours of local businesses to learn more about the local workforce. This is a one-day event. The tours take place in September during the school week. This event reinforces classroom ideas and content. 

• "Soft Skills Needed"

  • • No matter where you work, soft skills (or transferrable skills) are an important and necessary set of skills. High school classes teach you classroom content, while basic skills are oftentimes forgotten about. We bring in industry professionals that host fun and engaging workshops to teach the importance and specifics about various soft skills.

• River Walk

  • • The Snake River is important to the economy and environmental condition of American Falls. We take pride in our river and spend one day cleaning up garbage and repairing a sustainable state of the local trails.

• AET Work Days

  • • Everything we do in class and at various events and activities is recorded through the Agricultural Experience Tracker (AET). Members practice using this program throughout the school year, but we provide an AET Work Day once per week to allow time for members to work on their projects and guide them towards award programs.

• Blooming Seasons

  • • Floral arrangements a beautiful way to decorate your home no matter the time of year. In this workshop series, members teach the community how to create various designs based on the seasons.

• Greenhouse Plant Sale

  • • The greenhouse begins filling up in early spring and FFA members care for the production of bedding plants and vegetables throughout the spring. In late spring, the plants are sold to community members as a fundraiser.

American Falls is part of the East Magic Valley District, which is composed of Burley, Declo, Minico, Oakley, Raft River, and Rockland FFA Chapters. In addition to chapter events, there are several district events that take place throughout the year.

• District Social

  • • This one-day event is an opportunity for FFA members to meet other members at neighboring schools. The district officer team also hosts leadership workshops.

• District Officer Sifting

  • • There is a 7-member officer team that is made up of FFA members from local chapters. These members have the opportunity to strengthen their leadership abilities by hosting workshops and attending the annual summer District Officer Training (DOT).

• District Career Development Events (CDEs) and Leadership Development Events (LDEs)

  • • These are competitive events where members put their skills and experience to the test. There are a variety of district events hosted. Check out the CDE & LDE page to learn more about these events. The dates and locations vary each year and are kept up to date on the calendar.

The Idaho FFA Association does a phenomenal job at providing numerous opportunities at the state level.

• B.A.S.I.C.

  • • B.A.S.I.C. stands for Building and Achieving Success In Idaho Chapters and is a one-day leadership opportunity for chapter members to collaborate with other student-led organizations, such as BPA, FCCLA, DECA and others. Students receive leadership training and development that can be taken back to the chapter to improve the program.

• Summer Outdoor Leadership Retreat (SOLR)

  • • SOLR is a week of leadership enhancement delivered through activities and lessons learned in a rustic sleep-away camp environment. 

• State Range and Soils Career Development Events (CDEs)

  • • The Rangeland Assessment CDE takes place in October and the location rotates annually. In this competitive event, students analyze rangeland characteristics and evaluate management methods, as well as identify grasses, forbs, and woody plant species.

    • The Land and Soil Evaluation CDE also takes place in October in Burley. In this competitive event, students recognize soil factors and characteristics that affect agricultural production and suitability for selecting a home site.

• Gem State Leadership Conference

  • • This event is a 1-2 day in-state experience held in a few locations across Idaho. Members are engaged in sessions that focus on leadership, communication, personality style, agricultural advocacy, community service and inclusion, to name a few!

• State Leadership Conference

  • • Idaho State FFA Convention is a four-day celebration of members' leadership, personal growth and career success through competitive events, workshops, large group sessions, keynote speakers, talent exhibitions, community service, agricultural industry tours, and more!

• State Career Development Events (CDEs)

  • • These are competitive events where members put their skills and experience to the test. There are a variety of state events hosted. Check out the CDE & LDE page to learn more about these events.

• National FFA Convention & Expo

  • • This four-day event is the highlight of many FFA member's high school experience. The National Convention takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana. Members are encouraged to participate in events throughout the year at the chapter, district, and state level in order to qualify.

    • The National FFA Convention & Expo includes:

      • • General Sessions

        • American FFA Degree Ceremony

        • Competitive Events

        • National FFA Expo and Shopping Mall

        • Career Success Tours

        • National Days of Service

        • Entertainment

        • Delegate Sessions

        • Student and Teacher Workshops

        • Band, Chorus and Talent

        • National FFA Officer Selection Process

        • Courtesy Corps

• Washington Leadership Conference (WLC)

  • • Students interested in pursuing further leadership development and personal growth can attend the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) in Washington D.C. for one week during the summer. The Idaho FFA Foundation provides scholarships to students interested in attending. During this event, students experience the beauty and rich history of our nation’s capital while being inspired to become change makers in their homes and communities. 

• Western National Rangeland Career Development Event (CDE)

  • • Teams that are successful in placing in the top 5 at the State Rangeland Assessment CDE are qualified to participate in the Western National Rangeland (WNR) CDE. This event's location rotates between western states each year. WNR is a premier range judging event that is uniquely designed to be relevant to issues faced by land managers on western rangelands. The event was developed in 2010 to provide competitive opportunities to western teams that were disadvantaged at the National Rangeland CDE due to the unique aspects of western range.

• National Land and Soil Evaluation Career Development Event (CDE)

  • • Teams that are successful in placing in the top 5 at the State Land and Soil Evaluation CDE are qualified to participate in the National Land and Soil Evaluation CDE. This event takes place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma each year. This event is a competitive opportunity for students to exhibit their understanding of soil factors and characteristics that affect agricultural production and suitability for selecting a home site.