The State Forestry Contest was held at Mountain Gateway Community College in Clifton Forge, Virginia, on April 22, 2026. The forestry contest tests the FFA members’ knowledge of tree identification, equipment identification, estimating tree volume, and reading topographic maps. The senior division team has additional contest requirements of identifying insects and disorders, wood product identification, timber stand improvement, and a written test.
The Middle School team placed 7th overall with team members Brantley Mills (7th place individual, Nekhi Whitehead, Sage Gross, and Ashlyn Bryant.
The Buckingham 4H Forestry Team won the State Forestry Contest held at Mountain Gateway Community College. 4H Team members include Owen Anderson, Kaylee Staton, Collin Snoddy, and Luke Llewellyn. Individually, Owen placed 8th, Kaylee placed 7th, Collin Snoddy placed 4th, and Luke Llewellyn was the 1st place individual. They have advanced to compete in West Virginia at the National 4H Forestry Contest in July.
The Senior Division FFA team placed 2nd overall. They advanced to participate in the Big E Contest this fall in Massachusetts. Team members include Luke Gilliam, Bryan Haldane, Ben Gilliam, and Sarah Bryant. Individually, Bryan Haldane placed 4th, Ben placed 3rd, and Sarah was the 1st place individual.
