Washington FFA State Stars
These FFA members have excelled in their Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) by living the FFA motto: “Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, living to serve.” The District and State Star nominees exemplify the hard work that our organization was founded upon.
Congratulations to our 2026 Washington State Stars:
2026 Washington State Star Farmer
Grayson Slaybaugh of the Pomeroy FFA Chapter
2026 Washington State Star in placement
Brody Brown of the Oakesdale FFA Chapter
2026 Washington state Star in Agribusiness
Abby Casillas of the New Horizons FFA Chapter
2026 Washington State Star in Agriscience
No Winner in 2026
State Star Award Process & Categories
Students applying for State Star recognition must have first been selected as their District star through the District Award Review Process. After an initial review of all district stars by agricultural educators from across the state, the Top 4 Individuals in each category will then be put forth for review by a state committee (led by the Washington FFA State Advisor). This committee will review and score applications and conduct interviews with applicants (new in 2023) to determine the state winners.
State Star categories are summarized below:
-
The FFA member with the top production agriculture SAE program each year is recognized as the Washington Star Farmer. Four state finalists vie for the star award. Considered the highest recognition in the state for an aspiring young farmer, the award recognizes achievement in both career and leadership development.
-
One member with the best placement SAE program and proven leadership skills is selected to be the State Star in Agricultural Placement. The member’s placement experience can include paid labor hours or directed laboratory unpaid labor hours.
-
Each year one member with the best non-production entrepreneurial agribusiness SAE and proven leadership skills is selected to be the Washington FFA Star in Agribusiness. Four state finalists compete for this prestigious award, the highest achievement for a person pursuing a career in agribusiness.
-
The Washington Star in Agriscience winner will have an SAE program in which the student is actively engaged in Agriscience research and experimentation. This includes students who are actively engaged in doing their own research individually, as well as those students who may be cooperating on research projects with others including but not limited to teams in school, experiment stations or colleges/universities. The hypothesis may be formulated by the student or provided to them by a co-researcher. The students must be actively involved in the development of the experimental design, collection of data, interpretation of the data and publicizing the results to be considered as a State Star in Agriscience. Their program could be an entrepreneurship or placement type program. The placement type program does not have to be paid hours, but the member must have met the minimum requirements for the State FFA Degree.
APPLY FOR STATE STAR AWARDS
Each District will identify District stars selected during District reviews that will be considered for State Star awards. All District Stars will submit their State Star Battery Application through the AET. The state committee will not review any incomplete or late applications. All applications are due by March 1, 2026.
A complete application should include:
Completed Generic Chapter/GH/State Star Application in The AET and have advisor submit through The AET
State Star Finalist Interviews-(TBD 2026)
Rubrics & Scorecards
The state review committee utilizes the attached rubrics and scorecards when reviewing and judging State Star applications. These rubrics are provided for reference to FFA members and advisors.