With muddied fingers, pursed lips, solid stares and matching jackets, five teenage students focused their attention on potting plants Friday at the 77th Annual Idaho State Future Farmers of America Leadership Conference held at Kimberly Nurseries.

The conference is hosted by the College of Southern Idaho.

"I didn't get a lot of practice on this one," said 15-year-old Taylor Lusk, Sugar City. "But I felt pretty comfortable."

Lusk dusted off dirt from his hands - clad in shiny aviator glasses, he said he hopes he did well on a 50-point practical that tested his ability to plant plants in 10 minutes.

About 1,200 students in matching blue jackets decorated by pins are participating in the Idaho State FFA Leadership Conference. About 44 students participated in the nursery and landscape career development event at Kimberly Nurseries and were tested on gardening principles involving potting, measuring, landscape drawing, general knowledge and pruning.

Their performance was judged by horticulture students from CSI, who quietly watched and graded the FFA competitors as they performed their tasks.

Winners from the Idaho State FFA Leadership Conference will go on to represent the state of Idaho at a national FFA conference in the fall, said Dave Kiesig, assistant professor of horticulture at CSI. "They get to see our program," said Kiesig. "Hopefully we'll recruit a couple."

Student teams paid about $30 each to participate in the nursery and landscape event, said Kiesig.

The 77th annual Idaho State FFA Leadership Conference involved more than just plants and a single day. It kicked off on Wednesday with events involving floriculture, and continued Thursday with horse evaluations, extemporaneous speaking, farm business and awards. Awards for the nursery and landscaping event, as well as floricultural and agricultural sales will be presented today before closing ceremonies.

FFA can be a positive experience for young adults. "It gives them a lot of confidence and helps them in career development," said James Wilson, associate professor for the CSI Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Science Department.

At least 14 workshops were held during the four-day event, according to the program schedule.

Andrea Jackson can be reached at 735-3380 or Andrea.Jackson@lee.net.