WTGC Members Judge at NJ FFA Horticultural Exposition

WTGC Member, Barbara Lear (center right) and WTGC President, Anne Skalka (right)

WTGC President, Anne Skalka, and member, Barbara Lear, recently acted as judges at the 49th New Jersey Future Farmers of America (FFA) Horticultural Exposition, held at Mercer County Community College on March 13.

Anne and Barbara worked alongside two additional judges to evaluate entries across several categories, including Magical Miniature Gardens, Flowering-Holiday arrangements, Cactus and Succulent Dish Gardens, and Potted Herb Gardens. They shared how much they enjoyed seeing the creativity and care that went into each entry. Even viewing just part of the exhibition gave a real sense of the students’ talent—and as Barbara noted, the room “smelled heavenly” from all the fresh plant material.

They were especially impressed with the FFA student assistants, describing them as capable, enthusiastic, and a pleasure to work with throughout the day.

For a bit of perspective, the New Jersey FFA Association includes more than 3,300 student members across 38 chapters. This year’s exposition brought together students from 22 chapters, with over 600 entries on display. In addition, 65 students competed in the Floriculture Career Development Event, and 48 participated in the Nursery and Landscape competition. The level of skill and creativity on display made a strong impression.

Anne and Barbara described the experience as both interesting and rewarding—one of those opportunities that reminds us how promising the future of horticulture really is.

Full results from the event are available here: https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/ag_ed/ffa/career/cderesults26.html