What is an SAE?

"SAE" is an acronym used for Supervised Agriculture Experience. Supervised Agriculture Experiences are student created and maintained projects that take place throughout a students secondary Agriculture Education. 

 Why have an SAE? 

According to the National FFA Organization SAEs allow students to discover career options, learn how to act in the workplace, develop, and refine the skills related to their chosen SAE(s). Students apply knowledge from the classroom and apply their leadership skills from the FFA in order to be a successful employee at their SAE. Students also have the opportunity to make extra money and explore their interest. 

How Do SAE Help Me?

SAEs Develop knowledge and skills that could be helpful in college, as a hobby or for recreation. They also provide the opportunity to win awards:

All FFA proficiency awards are based on the SAE program! 

SAEs also contributes to a students classroom success 

  What Types of SAE are There to Choose From? 

1. Placement 

2. Entrepreneurship

3. Research

      - Experimental

      - Non Experimental

4. Exploratory 

5. Service Learning 

Which one will you choose? 

Placement

Placement SAEs take place outside of the classroom. These SAEs are both paid and unpaid. Placement opportunities provide a "learning by doing" environment. Students may be placed on farms, ranches, in agricultural businesses, laboratories, restaurants, vets officers, or other ag related businesses. 

Placement Examples

- Placement in a florist shop

- Working construction during school breaks

- Working after school at a farm supply store

- Working on Saturdays at a riding stable

- Working in the school shop after school 

- Placement on a general livestock farm

- Placement at a Grocery or General store

Entrepreneurship 

When a student plans, implements, operates and assumes financial risks in a farming activity or agricultural business they have an Entrepreneurship 

SAE. Student must own their own materials and other required inputs. They need to keep financial records 

to determine the return on their investments.

Entrepreneurship Examples

- Growing an acre of corn

- Operating a Christmas tree farm

- Raising a litter of pigs

- Showing live stock 

        When students provide their own inputs

- Running a pay-to-fish operation

- Owning and operating a lawn care service

- Raising a vegetable garden

- Marketing projects you make

- Selling fresh baked goods at the farmers market

- Making and selling soaps

Research: Experimental

For Research SAEs Students must plan and conducts a major agricultural experiment using the scientific process.

Research provides students "hands-on" experience in:

1. Verifying, learning or demonstrating 
     scientific principles in agriculture.

2. Discovering new knowledge.

3. Using the scientific process.

Research: Experimental Examples 

- Analyzing the effectiveness of different display methods on plant sales in a garden center

- Demonstrating the impact of different levels of soil acidity on plant growth

- Determining the strength of welds using          different welding methods

- Comparing the effect of various planting media on plant growth

- Comparing three rooting hormones on root development