On June 13^th, Karen Corrigan (CCA), Stephanie Porter (CCA), and Shelby Stoner, ISA Agronomy team intern, attended the 95^th Illinois State FFA Convention in Springfield, Illinois. They held a workshop for FFA students and led them in interactive activities.  A total of three workshops were held and 50 students participated.

The students divided themselves into groups and attended The Crop Detective Academy where they used real world scenarios that closely mirrored real-world agricultural challenges. The students completed a series of puzzles and brain teasers to identify the insect that was causing a ruckus in soybean fields. By completing these puzzles, the students learned the important role of a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) in the agriculture industry. They were also able to consult the CCAs if they happened to get stumped.

Each group completed a series of puzzles that led them to five “insect” suspects and the other puzzles helped rule out suspects that did not fit the bill. Each suspect exhibited distinct characteristics and damage patterns that provided them with clues as to which insect was causing the damage in their soybean field. Clues given included chewing mouthparts, triangle pattern, and threshold values. From there, they used a crop scouting manual and the clues to identify the insect.

Special thanks to Karen Corrigan, CCA for developing this fun and interactive workshop at the Illinois State Convention.