FFA students from around the area began the competition season Monday.

Fourteen chapters were at the Vermeer Pavilion, including host school Pleasantville, Pella, with two Pella Christian students participating for the first time ever, Knoxville, Twin Cedars, and Melcher-Dallas, among others in the area.

Pella FFA Vice President Chandler Jahner says the contest aims to test the skills of students in chapters at different levels of competition.

“The state of Iowa is broken up into competition at the subdistrict, district, and state level, so this is the beginning of it,” he says. “What we’re doing here today is CDEs, and what that stands for is Career Development Events.”

Categories included public speaking, parliamentary procedure, ag broadcasting, welding, and chapter program.

Pleasantville FFA seniors Carlee Brent and Afton West say they’ve been impacted by their time in the organization.

“I never thought I’d be speaking in front of anybody ever, and now I compete in public speaking all the time,” Brent says.

“It gives you a lot of opportunities you wouldn’t have otherwise,” West says.

This week is national FFA week.