Representing Algona FFA were Cassidy Bierstedt, who placed 34th individually; Malea Divis, 39th; Alissa Engel, 48th; and Charli Dodds, 122nd.

The Floriculture Contest challenges students in multiple areas of the floral industry, including a general knowledge examination, problem-solving activities, plant identification, corsage construction, and a team design event. During the team event, members had 40 minutes to create six floral arrangements for a wedding, including two boutonnieres, a bud vase, a bridal bouquet, a centerpiece, and a flower girl halo.

The Algona team earned several notable team awards, including second place in general knowledge, fifth place in problem solving, and 11th place in the team design event.

Their combined efforts resulted in a Gold Rating and a 12th-place overall finish among the 51 teams competing in the state contest.

“This was an outstanding accomplishment for a team competing in the Floriculture Contest for the first time,” said Algona FFA Advisor Betsy Becker. “The students dedicated many hours to learning floral design skills, plant identification, and contest preparation, and their hard work paid off.”

The team’s preparation was supported by Kelsey Thompson of Bloom, who volunteered her time to teach floral design skills and provided flowers for practice sessions during the three weeks leading up to the contest.