34 years of collaboration: UMN welcomes FFA to the annual Fall Invitational
The St. Paul campus came alive on October 7 as more than 700 high school students arrived for a day of competition
October 14, 2026
By Mary Lanoue, agricultural education and agricultural communication and marketing, BS '28
Every October, the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus welcomes high school students eager to test their knowledge about a variety of agricultural, food, and natural resource sciences topics. This year, 64 high school FFA chapters from across the state registered to attend the 34th Annual UMN Fall Invitational.
"It is tremendously important that CFANS continues to invest energy and resources toward events such as this," said Amy Smith, professor of agricultural education and one of the key faculty members who organize this event. According to Smith, the event brings prospective students and influential adults onto campus for a chance to see themselves within CFANS.
Planning for an event of this size is no small task, with Smith sharing that preparations for next year's event are already underway. “It takes a village to run an event of this size,” said Smith, who emphasized the critical role student volunteers from several CFANS clubs, faculty chairs, CFANS Ambassadors, and ag education faculty, students, and staff play in making the event a success.
Dairy: Isaac Haagen, Gopher Dairy Club Members
Livestock: Kyle Rozeboom, Block and Bridle, Livestock Judging Team
Poultry: Luna Ahktar, Minnesota Poultry Science Club
Soil: Kari Wolf, Soil Judging Team
AFNR Explorer: Amy Smith, graduate agricultural education students
