A sea of FFA blue: Recapping the 2026 Taste of CFANS

If you happened to be walking through campus this past Monday, you couldn’t miss the sea of iconic blue corduroy jackets: the Minnesota FFA State Convention had come to town. To kick off the session, CFANS welcomed FFA members, along with teachers and mentors, to the Taste of CFANS event at the St. Paul Student Center. 

The atmosphere was vibrant as students from across the state took a break from the busy convention schedule to see what life is like as a St. Paul-based Gopher. But this wasn’t your average "sit and listen" college visit. Instead, the room was a hub of hands-on science, technical displays, and plenty of snacks.

For students looking to dive into the science of what we eat, the "Sensational Food Science" station offered a chance to put their palates to the test, exploring how different ingredients change the texture and flavor of our favorite products. Nearby, the "Candy Chromatography" station used sweet treats to demonstrate the complex way molecules are separated in agricultural research — proving that science can be both fascinating and delicious.

Over in the forestry corner, things got competitive with foam axe throwing. While the axes were soft, the decisions were real; students learned about forest ecology by determining which trees to harvest and why, stepping into the shoes of a natural resource manager. Other students tested their agronomy knowledge at the "Name that Crop Seed Table" or discovered their inner fungi at the quirky “What’s Your Mycological Sign?” station hosted by the Department of Plant Pathology.

For those interested in the business side of the industry, the commodity trading floor simulation gave students a high-stakes look at how crops move from the field to the global market. Between activities, FFA members were seen laughing at the button-making station, grabbing snacks, and — most importantly — chatting with CFANS faculty and current students.

"Hosting these FFA members is always a highlight of our year," said CFANS Director of Student Outreach Cathleen Drilling. "These students are the future leaders in food, agriculture, and natural resources. Seeing their passion and curiosity firsthand makes us even more excited to see where their journeys take them — hopefully right here to CFANS on the St. Paul campus!” 

Whether they were exploring precision agriculture or networking with researchers who are solving world-sized problems, the visiting FFA members got a true taste of the endless possibilities within CFANS.

To the 145 students who joined us: thank you for bringing your energy to our campus! We loved seeing those blue jackets filling our halls and hope to see many of you back in St. Paul soon as future Gophers.