Supervised Agriculture Experiences

Superviced Agricultural Experiences

Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). Students with an SAE learn by doing. With help from their agricultural teachers, students develop an SAE project based on one or more SAE categories.

SAE Categories
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 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 principals 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.

Exploratory
In an exploratory SAE, you get to explore agriculture in one of a variety of ways. As a part of your exploratory SAE program, you might attend an agricultural career day or prepare a scrapbook on the work of a veterinarian.

Chapter SAE's

St. Helena FFA offers SAE's focused on different career areas such as Floriculture, Livestock, Poultry and Vegetable Production

Market Goat Enterprise - Goat Production - Summer

Market Steer Enterprise - Beef Production - Summer

Market Hogs Enterprise - Swine Production - Summer

Market Sheep Enterprise - Sheep Production - Summer

Agriculture Floral Sales - Agriculture Sales - Fall, Winter, Spring

Thanksgiving Turkeys Enterprise - Poultry Production - Summer, Fall

Pumpkin Patch Enterprise - Vegetable Production - Spring, Summer, Fall

FFA Members are able to have an SAE of their very own that is not sponsored/offered by the Chapter

Top Chapter SAE's

Agriscience Research Intergraded Systems - Alexys B.

Alexys's SAE project is determining the threshold level of guaiacol in which consumers can aromatically detect guaiacol in red Zinfandel wine. Guaiacol was discovered to be the chemical compound that diffuses into grapes prior to harvest that causes the aroma of smoke taint on wine. This SAE allowed him to learn the average parts per billion of guaiacol that must be present in red Zinfandel wine in order for people to be able to detect it using their olfactory system.

This SAE was a Regional Proficiency Award Winner and State Qualifier

Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management - Liesl W.F

Liesl’s SAE project is the replacement and upkeep of the Sulphur Creek fish ladder. This includes keeping the ladder clear for local fish such as steelhead and salmon to travel upstream to spawn. Over the next few years, Liesl will be applying for numerous grants, in order to begin the constitution of the new fish ladder. She enjoys working hands-on in the community, helping wildlife and promoting the population of local fish.

This SAE was a Regional Proficiency Award Winner, State Winner, and National Gold Ranking

Goat Production - Ernesto M.

Ernesto has spent the last 4 years expanding and advancing his herd of competitive Boer goats. He has participated in numerous shows across the state and country as well as our local Napa Town and Country Fair. He has also learned much about genetics and breeding livestock and hopes to continue his success in the upcoming years.

This SAE was a Regional Proficiency Award Winner and a State Qualifier

Specialty Animal Production - Brandon F.

Brandon’s SAE is beekeeping he has been working with bees for the past 6 years. Brando is responsible for maintaining up to 10 hives at a time. He has learned many valuable lessons.

This SAE was a Regional Proficiency Award Winner and a State Qualifier

Swine Production - Lucia A.

Raising and showing hogs is a family tradition for Lucia. Both of her older brothers showed hogs. She has learned many valuable skills throughout the years of raising pigs. She has traveled all over the country showing high quality hogs at the biggest stock shows in the nation. She has learned that by working hard and being dedicated to what you love is the key to success.

This SAE was a Regional Proficiency Award Winner and a State Qualifier

Vegetable Crop Production - Alexys B.

Alexys has been been working at the St. Helena FFA Pumpkin Patch Enterprise for 2 years. His duties included installing irrigation lines, planting pumpkin seeds, caring for the pumpkins over the summer, harvesting and selling the pumpkins. He also works on 22 Garden Beds where a variety of vegetables are produced and harvested.

This SAE was a Regional Proficiency Award Winner, State Winner, and National Finalist

Viticulture Production - Alexys B.

This past year Alexys has worked at a Vineyard Management Company. His duties included installing new trellis systems, summer pruning, and harvesting. Alexys decided to leave the boundaries of the classroom to explore an interest in viticulture because it has made all the difference in his understanding of the field and motivation to explore agriculture as a career.

This SAE was a Regional Proficiency Award Winner, State Winner, and National Qualifier