Growing Skills, Growing Futures: Spring Education & Outreach Recap

This spring has been packed with exciting opportunities to connect with students and professionals across the state. From competitions to classroom visits, our team continues to support the next generation of landscape industry leaders. Here's a quick look at some of the various events we participated or helped with: 

FFA State Nursery Landscape CDE - Maintenance Year

We were proud to support this year’s FFA State Nursery Landscape CDE, the second year of a two-part event focusing on the maintenance side of the landscape industry. Ten schools competed across six hands-on events: Irrigation, Estimating, Tree Installation, Sod, ZTR Riding Mower, and Walk-Behind Mower.

A big thank-you to everyone who helped make this event a success. As Mike Lynch shared:

"Thank you everyone for helping with the state FFA Nursery Landscape CDE yesterday. As always, everything went very well, mostly due to the giving spirit and professionalism of all of you and others in our great industry!"

Congratulations to East Knox, the first-place team! They'll receive their award banner at the State FFA Convention in May and will represent Ohio at the national event in Indianapolis this October.

SkillsUSA Ohio – Landscape Skills Competition

We were also proud to participate in the SkillsUSA Ohio Landscape Skills Competition, sponsored by the Ohio Green Industry Association (OGIA). Four students from four schools competed in this team event, showcasing their abilities in:

• Block wall building

• Paver installation

• Landscape installation

• Mulching, lighting, sod & irrigation

Participants were judged on construction knowledge, plan reading, tool use, safety, and teamwork. It was inspiring to see their dedication and skill on full display.

OSU – Introduction to Landscape Design Class

We spent time with a group of six students from OSU’s Introduction to Landscape Design course. With one Landscape Architecture major and five Horticulture majors, we explored design principles, hand drawing vs. computer design, graphics, and plant selection.

Marysville Reformatory for Women

Molly visited the Marysville Reformatory for Women to talk about Landscape Maintenance and Seasonal Color. The women in this program are working to build new skills that will help them transition into careers post-release. It's a powerful opportunity to make a real impact through education and encouragement.  

Tolles Career Center Visit

We also welcomed the Outdoor Careers class from Tolles Career Center for a tour of our facility. Eight students got an inside look at how a real-life landscape company operates and the range of career opportunities available to them after high school.

Union County Master Gardeners Tour

We were excited to host the Union County Master Gardeners Group for a garden tour led by Joel. After exploring the gardens, Joel gave an engaging talk on native grasses, the best methods for composting, and the benefits of using Sweet Peet in garden beds. The session wrapped up with a lively Q&A where attendees asked for personalized advice for their own garden challenges. It was a great exchange of ideas and growing knowledge!

It’s inspiring to see such strong enthusiasm for landscaping from both the next generation and lifelong gardening enthusiasts. Our collective support plays a vital role in giving back to the community. Through these efforts, we are not only fostering workforce development, but also mentoring students, expanding educational opportunities, and nurturing a lasting passion for horticulture and landscape careers.

We’re proud to support these efforts and excited to see the industry continue to grow and thrive.

At M.J. Design, it’s important to us to empower our employees to be able to attend and compete in gatherings like the above. See why working for M.J. is so great!