The second annual Haskell Ag Lab (HAL) CDE Invitational was hosted at the HAL Main Office and Farm on Wednesday, Jan. 29 and Thursday, Jan. 30. Blue skies and warm temperatures made the event even more welcoming for 180 participants from 15 schools in three different contest areas.
Students had the opportunity to participate in Career Development Event (CDE) contests in the areas of Agronomy, Meats Identification & Technology, or Environment & Natural Resources (ENR). The contests were crafted to emulate the state-level competition at the Nebraska State FFA Convention in April. But more importantly, this invitational will also help prepare students for their upcoming district contests that can 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 three events. The Agronomy contest was sponsored by Lynn Junck Seeds, the Meats contest was sponsored by Tyson Foods, 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 the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Wayne County Extension, local supporters, and the dedicated crew at HAL.
Individual and Team results for the 2025 HAL CDE Invitational are as follows:
Agronomy CDE sponsored by Lynn Junck Seeds
Team Champion: Elgin
Individual Champion: Blaize Brockmann (West Point)
Meats Identification & Technology CDE sponsored by Tyson Foods
Team Champion: West Point
Individual Champion: Bryce Popken (West Point)
Environmental & Natural Resources CDE sponsored by Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District
Team Champion: Summerland
Individual Champion: Carter Bergman (Summerland)
Currently, plans are underway for the 2026 HAL CDE Invitational If you or your business would be interested in sponsoring a contest or learning more about supporting this activity, reach out to Monty Larsen at monty.larsen@unl.edu or Agnes Kurtzhals at akurtzhals@unl.edu.
