MACON, Ga. – Winners of the Farm Business Management Career Development Event (CDE) were recognized at the 96^th Georgia FFA State Convention held at the Macon Centreplex on April 25-27, 2024. 

John Haven Stalvey of Berrien County was the state highest individual. In second and third place respectively were Imanol Reeves of Rutland FFA and Hannes Sobktta of Gilmer County. In the team competition, the state winner was Berrien County, followed by Rutland in second place and Gilmer County in third.

CDE and LDE awards are granted to FFA members and teams who have exhibited premier leadership, personal growth and career success in a variety of competitions. The Farm Business Management CDE is designed to teach management skills as well as critical and analytical thinking. It encourages and fosters the education of students in business management. Students complete a multiple-choice test individually and a problem solving activity as a team to demonstrate their understanding of business management practices.

The Farm Business Management Career Development Event was sponsored at the state level by the Georgia Development Authority.

All individual and team winners received a plaque and a cash award. Individual winners received $100. The second place individuals received $37.50. The winning team was awarded $2,000 travel money to attend the National FFA Convention. Additionally, the advisor of the state winning team received a $100 cash award. 

The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, changed its name in 1988 to reflect the growth and diversity of agriculture. There are nearly 940,000 FFA members nationwide. The Georgia Association has more than 80,000 members, making it the third largest Association in the nation. The FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success, through agricultural education.