SAE
About SAE
Every agricultural education program involved three components: Classroom instruction, FFA and SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience).
Every student enrolled in an agriculture class is required to have an SAE project and is a graded component of their grade, weighted 10%. Teachers will advise projects and assist as needed. SAEs allow students to explore career opportunities and build many skills needed for college and the workplace. Below are the types of SAE available.
Entrepreneurship
So, you want to be the boss? Now’s your chance. Own and operate an agriculture-related business or enterprise—start small and watch what happens with hard work and perseverance. The basic requirement is that you own the enterprise, equipment, and supplies, making the management decisions and taking financial risk, with the ultimate goal of earning a profit. As part of an ownership/entrepreneurship SAE, you might own and operate a lawn care service; produce bedding plants, flowers, or crops; or raise animals or livestock.
Placement
If you like working for someone else, this is the SAE for you. You’ll gain experience and knowledge, and you may be paid, too! Your job or internship could be on a farm or ranch or in an agricultural business, school laboratory or community facility. Track your progress by keeping records of the number of hours you work, your responsibilities and any earnings. Your placement SAE might involve working after school at a farm supply store, on Saturdays at a riding stable or even in a florist shop. Placement programs also include activities where you volunteer your time, learning valuable skills, but are not paid for your time. These unpaid hours can be done as directed school laboratory, community service or service-learning hours.
Research and Experimentation
If you like to research or analyze, this is the SAE for you. You will plan and conduct a major agricultural experiment using the scientific process and discover new knowledge. As a part of your research SAE, you verify and demonstrate or learn about scientific principles in agriculture. Some types of research opportunities include determining if phases of the moon have an effect on plant growth or determining the strength of welds using different welding methods.
SAE's Offered
Strathmore FFA offers many SAE opportunities. Check ParentSquare and social media regularly for meetings on the following SAE's. Students and parents must attend the meeting if they would like to show or participate for Strathmore FFA. See the advisor with any questions you may have. Some of the popular SAEs include (but are not limited to):
Market Beef - Advisor: Mrs. Allen
This project is a long commitment of a minimum of 120 days. Students will purchase, raise, care for, and train a beef animal for show. These animals will be sold at either at the Porterville Fair in May or at the Tulare County Fair in September.
Dairy Cattle - Advisor: Mrs. Allen
This is a two year project in which students purchase, raise, care for, and train a dairy heifer for show. The first year the animal is simply shown at the fair. The second year, the heifer is bred and sold at the Tulare County Fair in September.
Market Hog - Advisor: Mr. Hanger
Students will purchase, raise, care for, and train a market hog for show. For Porterville Fair, these projects will typically begin in January and will be sold in May. For Tulare County Fair, these projects will typically begin in May and will be sold in September.
Market Lamb / Goats - Advisor: Ms. Indendi
Students will purchase, raise, care for, and train a market lamb for show. For Porterville Fair, these projects will typically begin in January and will be sold in May. For Tulare County Fair, these projects will typically begin in May and will be sold in September.
Small Animals - Advisor: Mr. Shearer
Small animals include chickens, turkeys, and rabbits. Students purchase, raise, care for, and train the animal for show at either the Porterville Fair in May and the Tulare County Fair in September. These are much shorter project and do not have an exact start time.
Summer Farm Internship - Advisor: Mr. Shearer
The summer farm internships give students opportunities for students to participate in various parts of our school farm from planting crops to operating equipment to marketing our farm products in our Spartan Farm Market. There is no financial commitment, however, students will be paid by the school district for the hours that they work.
AET
Keeping accurate records is a life skill important to all careers. Students must keep records of their SAE projects and FFA involvements. California FFA has adopted The Agriculture Experience Tracker (AET) for students to track their progress. Students will set up an account with AET in their Introduction to Agriculture or Agriculture Mechanics 1 class. Every student is required to have an account and should be updated regularly.
Proficiencies
Agricultural Proficiency Awards honor FFA members who, through supervised agricultural experiences, have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers.
Nationally, students can compete for awards in nearly 50 areas ranging from agricultural communications to wildlife management (see areas below). Proficiency awards are also recognized at local and state levels and provide recognition to members that are exploring and becoming established in agricultural career pathways.
Helpful Resources
