SAE

SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience)

Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is a student-led, instructor-supervised, work-based

learning experience that results in measurable outcomes within a predefined, agreed-upon set

of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) Technical Standards and Career Ready

Practices aligned to a career plan of study.

SAE is a...

• career exploration and planning system for all students.

• student-led, teacher-supervised path to college and career readiness.

• tool for measuring student progress toward college and career readiness.

• method for authentically enhancing the high school experience.

• small business incubator for young entrepreneurs.

• path to connect students to STEM careers and mentors.

• critical component of a comprehensive Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.

My name is Elizabeth Mooney, my SAE is running my goat breeding business Nativity Acres. Nativity Acres breeds, shows, and sells American Dairy Goat Association-registered Nigerian Dwarfs and Nubians. I breed 8 goats a year and sell the offspring to other performance herds or as pets. Our herd attends up to 12 American Dairy Goat Association shows a year. Our goats have won several Reserve and Grand Champion awards at these shows.  My goal with this business is to produce goats with qualities that will enable them to excel in the show ring, milk production, and overall health and longevity. I base these qualities on breed standards and genetic research, and I carefully select breeding pairs that exemplify these qualities to pass on to their offspring.  I also currently manage our Facebook page, and I am in the process of creating a website.

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"My goats are the Greek chorus of my life. They watch me closely and remind me that I am foolish," Jon Katz

My name is Ryan Freiberger, and my SAE involves working and helping manage parts of my family's farm. We currently farm over 1,000 acres of hay and grain and are well established in the hay-making industry. In my SAE, I document my progress as I become more involved and knowledgeable with operating machinery, maintaining machinery, understanding the growth of crops, and understanding how to successfully run our farm business. My main jobs in my SAE include handling and delivering hay, maintaining equipment, and operating various pieces of equipment to manage our ground. My SAE has been in effect since I started FFA in September of 2023 and is currently still going. My goal with this SAE is to further prepare myself for hopefully fully managing my family's farm later on in my career.

My Name is Ava Cardwell and my SAE is raising reptiles. I currently have 3 ball pythons and 4 leopard geckos. I have had them for 3 years now and I have started with no previous experience but I have improved to help myself work through issues that they have started with. With nearly all my leopard geckos they all came with Tail rot and other problems, along with my one female baby ball python coming with mites and extreme weight loss and fatigue. Currently they are all in great shape gaining weight, and their own individual personalities. I have been working on many different animals including treating one leopard gecko for teeth rotting, extreme fatigue and weight loss, tail rot, as well as stuck shed. He is now in a very loving home with the best care and family he can get. Through this time investment among other investments, I am learning responsibility, proper care, and how to truly understand animals. I plan on working more with my SAE by expanding my habitats for them and giving them the husbandry I can with a possible breeding program. My final goal is to gain enough experience to one day become an exotic vet.