The Patrick County High School FFA Nursery/Landscape team traveled to Indianapolis, IN, last week for the National FFA Convention and National Nursery/Landscape team competitions. After an intense two days of competition, the team was awarded first place in the nation in team skills and fourth in the nation overall.

Team skills included surveying, irrigation controller setup, sod installation, irrigation system lateral line repair, chain saw operation, plant layout by using a landscape plan and service receipt preparation. In addition, for the overall competition, contestants must correctly identify plant species, insect, weed, and disease pests, beneficial insects, tools and supplies.

They must take a written general knowledge test, answer questions from a landscape plan, do a propagation activity, do verbal customer assistance and written customer assistance. Finally, the team must work as a team to solve a problem presented to them.

This year’s participants were Chaney Merritt, Duncan Merritt, Christian Taylor, and Ivan Byers. They won the state contest in June to earn the right to represent Virginia at the national contest where they competed against state winners from 37 states from across the United States.

“Needless to say, I am very proud of these young people,” said Wendell Terry, horticulture and landscape instructor at PCHS. “Their dedication and hard work in practices for the past six months paid off in a great showing for our school and county,” Terry added. (See photo on page 2)

The Patrick County High School FFA Nursery/Landscape team, (L to R), Wendell Terry, horticulture and landscape instructor at PCHS, Christian Taylor, Duncan Merritt, Ivan Byers and Chaney Merritt. (Contributed photo)