Two judging teams from the PVHS FFA placed among the top competitors at a recent Citrus Judging Competition hosted by Fresno State University. Veronica Ramirez finished second high individual in the contest, leading her team to a second place finish. Paola Zarate, a member of the other team, finished third high individual and her team finished fourth. The Citrus Contest seeks to effectively prepare students for the expectations of the citrus industry. Students seeking careers in the citrus industry must develop a high degree of knowledge and skill in industry standards as well as critical thinking, oral communication, and plant biology. The knowledge gained from this contest can also be applied to general fruit production. There are eight classes in the contest and oral reasons were given for three, according to FFA Advisor and Teacher Hector Guerra. The contest involved varieties of fruit, citrus diseases, defects, insects and general citrus quality through natural and mechanical damage, Guerra added. The second high team: Veronica Ramirez, Cassandra Ortega, Danny Morales, Belen Zacarias. Fourth high team: Paola Zarate, Miguel Perez, Moises Novoa, Marina Cuevas.
