Students representing the Missouri State University Horticulture Club showcased their skills with excellence at last fall’s MACHS (Mid-American Collegiate Horticulture Society) Floriculture Contest.  

Hosted by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, the event took place from Sept. 25-27.  

About the competition

This year’s competition featured four teams and 21 students from Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. The Mo State team, which competed for the first time in nearly a decade, included:

• Sophie Bryan, senior biology (wildlife and fisheries) major 
• Eli Inmon, junior biology (education) major 
• Erin Nelson, senior environmental plant science (horticulture) major 

“This contest gave our students the chance to interact with peers from other universities. Competing allowed them to evaluate their skills and see how they compared regionally,” said Cheri Hamilton, instructor in the School of Agriculture Science and Conservation.   

During the competition, students demonstrated their horticulture skills and knowledge across four areas: a knowledge exam, herbaceous identification, woody identification and judging.

Students identified 25 herbaceous and 25 woody plants and judged the quality of fruits, nuts and vegetables.

An admirable performance 

Thanks to guidance from Hamilton, the Mo State team finished with a strong showing. 

• Nelson – first place for knowledge exam, fourth place for judging and eighth place for both herbaceous ID and overall individual 
• Inmon – third place for judging 
• Bryan – fifth place for woody ID and sixth place for knowledge exam 

For Nelson, who is president of the Horticulture Club, participating in the competition was a fun and rewarding experience. 

“It helped me to have a better understanding of horticulture concepts, which I think is necessary to have as a professional going into the industry,” she said. 

She and her teammates trained for the contest through classroom learning and practical activities. Courses such as herbaceous identification, plant pathology and greenhouse management supported their preparation for the knowledge exam. 

In addition to teaching, Hamilton has owned and operated a greenhouse for 30 years. There, she grows many of the plants students had to identify in the contest.  

“They helped pot these plants and during the summer, they visited the greenhouse to observe their growth and practice identifying them in person,” she said. “They also visited local nurseries to learn more about identifying plants.” 

A beneficial learning experience   

Beyond the competition, students participated in industry tours. They visited large nurseries producing plants like hydrangeas and lilacs and an apple orchard on a lake, which used various production methods.

“It was more than just a contest. It was also about exposing students to different industries and connecting them to potential internships and job opportunities,” Hamilton said.  

Nelson noted the value of the experience. 

“At the industry tour, we explored different greenhouse and business operations. It gave us insights into management practices, advancements in technology and how current policies are affecting the agriculture industry,” she said.  

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