The FFA member with the top production agriculture SAE program each year is recognized as the Washington Star Farmer. Four state finalists vie for the star award. Considered the highest recognition in the state for an aspiring young farmer, the award recognizes achievement in both career and leadership development.

One member with the best placement SAE program and proven leadership skills is selected to be the State Star in Agricultural Placement. The member’s placement experience can include paid labor hours or directed laboratory unpaid labor hours.

Each year one member with the best non-production entrepreneurial agribusiness SAE and proven leadership skills is selected to be the Washington FFA Star in Agribusiness. Four state finalists compete for this prestigious award, the highest achievement for a person pursuing a career in agribusiness.

The Washington Star in Agriscience winner will have an SAE program in which the student is actively engaged in Agriscience research and experimentation. This includes students who are actively engaged in doing their own research individually, as well as those students who may be cooperating on research projects with others including but not limited to teams in school, experiment stations or colleges/universities. The hypothesis may be formulated by the student or provided to them by a co-researcher. The students must be actively involved in the development of the experimental design, collection of data, interpretation of the data and publicizing the results to be considered as a State Star in Agriscience. Their program could be an entrepreneurship or placement type program. The placement type program does not have to be paid hours, but the member must have met the minimum requirements for the State FFA Degree.