<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=48aENP_1F5VOdNB00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=48aENP_1F5VOdNB00" width="696" height="522" ><figcaption>FFA students competed in a speech competition on Thursday evening, Sept. 3, 2026. From left to right: Ella Schmitz, Wyatt France, Nicholas Campbell, Bryant Shaffer, Wade Holton, Johnathan Miller (senior winner), Lilly Dasher (intermediate winner) and Megan Maharrey. [Photo by Julie B. Maglio]</figcaption></figure>Local Future Farmers of America (FFA) students delivered speeches on numerous biological adversaries facing Florida agriculture and proposed several tactics to reduce or prevent invasive-species pressures last week.The speeches were part of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation District 6 Youth Speech Contest on Thursday evening at the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension Office.This event affords students a chance to gain experience in public speaking. Speaking skills will be an asset in any career they choose, so this competition helps with their future.District 6 is made up of Hernando, Citrus, Pasco, Lake, Sumter, Hillsborough, Polk and Pinellas counties. Each of the nine students in the competition won their respective county contest and advanced to the district-level competition. Five students in the senior division (ages 14-18) vied for the opportunity to go to the state competition on Oct. 29 in Daytona Beach. Four students (ages 11-13) also competed in the intermediate division for the District 6 win.Among the adversaries the students spoke about were the New World screwworm, feral hogs, pasture mealybugs and citrus greening.The topic was, “What are some of the proactive, collaborative steps that farmers, ranchers, local communities and organizations like Farm Bureau can take to help guard against invasive species threatening Florida agriculture?” Many of the speakers emphasized the importance of collaboration between farmers and research universities, regular monitoring, strict equipment sanitation and education in order to prevent the spread of invasive species and minimize damage.The students all spoke with poise and had an incredible grasp of the topic. Some students focused on a particular invasive species, while others highlighted several. This was a great opportunity for the students to build confidence and develop a skill that many adults struggle with. The high school winner, Johnathan Miller from Hillsborough County, spoke about cogon grass, which spreads via seeds and underground rhizomes, lowers overall agricultural productivity, and has become a serious economic problem in Florida. He highlighted the different strategies needed to mitigate slowly spreading cogon grass versus highly mobile feral hogs.He said the Farm Bureau serves as a collective voice to lobby for vital research, monitoring systems, and state-level funding, while also acting as an information hub that connects producers with extension specialists and government agencies so they can get the assistance they need. Judges evaluated students on several criteria, including speech delivery, helpful or distracting mannerisms, and the relevance of the research and evidence provided. Miller will represent District 6 at the state competition. The runner-up is Bryant Shaffer. The intermediate winner for District 6 is Lilly Dasher from Polk County. The runner-up is Wade Holton. </div></body>

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Local Future Farmers of America (FFA) students delivered speeches on numerous biological adversaries facing Florida agriculture and proposed several tactics to reduce or prevent invasive-species pressures last week. The speeches were part of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation District 6 Youth Speech Contest on Thursday evening at the UF/IFAS Pasco...

Pests, Policy, and Protection: District 6 Ag Speech Competition

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Local Future Farmers of America (FFA) students delivered speeches on numerous biological adversaries facing Florida agriculture and proposed several tactic

Pests, Policy, and Protection: District 6 Ag Speech Competition

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