Volusia County Farm Bureau’s Youth Speech Contest was held virtually on Tuesday, April 13. Students, ages 14-18 were invited to participate in this educational event. The 2021 contest had a record 11 participants who each gave a five-minute speech on the topic, “Agriculture impacts everyone’s daily life. What are three effective ways to educate young people about agriculture?”
“Two ideas the students mentioned as ways to educate young people about agriculture that I would never have thought of were virtual farm tours and video games,” said Steve Crump, Volusia County Farm Bureau executive director.
The Youth Speech contest is a statewide competition hosted by the Florida Farm Bureau Women’s Committee and is just one of the ways Farm Bureau encourages youth agriculture education.
Each county holds a contest. Winners are selected based on content, how well the student demonstrates knowledge of the topic, accuracy of information, effective delivery, clarity and expression. County-level winners move on to the District contest.
The 2021 winners are – first place, MacKenzie Cunningham, DeLand High School, 10th-grade; second place, Vedesh Swaminathon, Creekside Middle School, 8th-grade; third was David Austin, DeLand High School, 11th-grade.
“Volusia County Farm Bureau looks forward to being able to safely have an in-person speech contest next year,” said Crump.