The third annual Haskell Ag Lab (HAL) CDE Invitational was hosted at the HAL Main Office and Farm on Wednesday, February 11th and Thursday, February 12th. Blue skies and warm temperatures made the event even more welcoming for the nearly 300 participants from 20 schools in four different contest areas.
Students had the opportunity to participate in Career Development Event (CDE) contests in the areas of Agronomy, Forestry, Meats Identification & Technology, or Environment & Natural Resources (ENR). The contests were crafted to emulate the state level competition at the Nebraska State FFA Convention later in March. But more importantly, this invitational will also help prepare students for their upcoming district contests which could help them qualify for the state competition.
Throughout the two-hour plus competition, students had the opportunity to have hands-on experiences and career exploration in plant, animal, and natural resource career fields. The focus included specimen and retail cut identification, problem solving and placing components, a written exam, as well as a team component involving real-world scenarios requiring collaboration, calculations, and cooperation.
This year’s HAL CDE Invite also was extremely fortunate to have sponsors for each of the four events. The Agronomy contest was sponsored by Lynn Junck Seeds, the Meats contest was sponsored by Tyson Foods, the Forestry contest was sponsored by the Nebraska Forest Service, and the ENR contest was sponsored by Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District.
Additionally, many thanks go to those who volunteered on one or both days of the event, as events such as this wouldn’t be possible without the efforts and support of many volunteers from the Agronomy and Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (ALEC) departments at UNL, Dixon County Extension, local supporters, and the dedicated crew at HAL. And a HUGE thank you goes to Schutte Charolais for sponsoring the meal for over 300 participants, teachers, and volunteers.
Individual and Team results for the 2026 HAL CDE Invitational are as follows:
- Agronomy CDE sponsored by Lynn Junck Seeds
- Team Champion: Eustis-Farnam
- Individual Champion: Hunter Kugler (Eustis-Farnam)
- Meats Identification & Technology CDE sponsored by Tyson Foods
- Team Champion: Eustis-Farnam
- Individual Champion: Bentley Stubbs (Eustis-Farnam)
- Environmental & Natural Resources CDE sponsored by Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District
- Team Champion: Bloomfield
- Individual Champion: Trenton Hansen (Arlington)
- Forestry CDE sponsored by Nebraska Forest Service
- Team Champion: Pierce
- Individual Champion: Brandon Thomsen (Pierce)
Currently, plans are underway for more HAL CDE Invitationals in the 2026-2027 school year to include the four events listed above as well as Farm & Business Management, Floriculture, Vet Science, and Food Science.
If you or your business would be interested in sponsoring a contest or learning more about supporting such events, reach out to Monty Larsen at monty.larsen@unl.edu or Agnes Kurtzhals at akurtzhals@unl.edu.
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