Gustine High School senior Emma Woods has been an active member involved in 4-H and FFA through much of her school career. She has taken on projects and served as leadership, earned awards and overall been involved. One of the highlights of her four years with Gustine FFA is her proficiency scoring at regionals and then sectionals putting her in contention to interview at the state level and possibly moving forward to nationals.
This event is only for seniors. Students have been developing their proficiency projects for four years. Woods received qualifying scoring in Nursery Operations.
Woods grew up in her family’s business Wood Transplant Services. She was familiar with the greenhouses, the plants, the watering, the equipment but only as a child helping here and there. She learned about the business of the operation through her project.
Her father helped her get started, teaching the ropes, the technical aspects, the logging, the finances, the customer service, and more.
Woods named her business “Emma’s Greenhouses.” She manages her own transplant business. Once the seeds grow to full seedlings they are sold to customers for transplant. Seedlings for tomatoes, broccoli and lettuce grow in her greenhouse. Her customers are in major agriculture in Newman, Salinas and Arizona.
By sophomore-junior year, as Woods recalls, she was running her business self-sufficiently.
Learning time management has been key to the success of her enterprise as well as her proficiency scoring.
FFA projects wise — proper and detailed record keeping is what members are judged on. Records of expenses, goals and responsibilities are required.
Woods said the financial records are simple to keep up as that is an essential element to business success. The detailed journal records of day to day operations, goal setting and reviews, and periodic assessments of the business, require making a conscious effort to complete. Woods said she decided to set a time limit every week to get the work done. She finds her technique helpful not only in completing the requirement for FFA competition but also as a good business practice. It is good to take a moment and look where you’re at with the goals you have set, she explained.
Woods was expecting to hear this week if she was selected to interview for the top spot in her project category at state convention in March. The winner will represent California at the National contest.
The GHS senior plans to major in Ag Business after graduation. She hopes to work in the family business after achieving her degree.
