I have a concern about this announcement from the FFA.
With more than 100,000 new farmers needed over the next few years, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued the young leaders of the National FFA Organization a challenge in 2011. “I would like you to with your fellow students and the adult leadership of the organization to develop a series of recommendations around the upcoming Farm Bill that will encourage more young people to pursue careers in farming,” Vilsack said.
It was a challenge that the national FFA officer team for 2010-11 took seriously. The students immediately began work- framing key questions, consulting FFA members, engaging leaders in agriculture, compiling input and formulating recommendations.
Okay. On the surface it looks and sounds nice that the government wants to do something to encourage youth in agriculture. We certainly do! But . . . Here’s more from FFA. I’ve highlighted section that immediately drew my attention and comment below.
“Never before had we been invited to submit direct input to the Secretary of Agriculture that could enhance the ability of agricultural education and FFA to help students succeed and strengthen American agriculture,” said Riley Pagett, national FFA President, 2010-11. “We were honored to be invited to be a part of this process.”
In December 2011, the 2010-11 national officer team met with Sec. Vilsack to share their recommendations which fell under four main categories. Those are: Getting started in production agriculture; creating vibrant rural communities; who should care about agriculture and why; planning for the future.
Items that were recommended were as follows: USDA and other agencies should encourage and assist beginning farmers to start or continue in production agriculture; USDA should help transition farms from older related and non-related farmers to younger of beginner farmers who may not come from a farm; USDA should help keep young people in rural communities and make rural communities an even more important part of our nation’s economy and society; USDA should support efforts to increase the public’s knowledge of agricultural literacy; USDA should strengthen the capacity of agricultural education o produce more students that pursue production agriculture and other agriculturally related careers and the USDA should provide authority, responsibility and support for school-based agricultural education and FFA.
So, FFA student leaders, everything you mention here is all asking USDA to do something for you. As in “USDA should . . . ” Where’s the money for that going to come from? Are you sure you want more involvement fromt he government in your business or potential business? I think it’s great that the Secretary invited you in but I’d urge caution before you ask for too much, if anything. I think you’d be better off talking with agribusiness leadership about stand alone private practice programs to help you get established in farming or make transitions on your farm. These things are being done. I think most agribusiness companies would be quite willing to talk with you about that. Then maybe we wouldn’t need the government to “take care of us.” What do you think?
Appropriately for the International Year of Cooperatives, the theme for the 2012 GROWMARK essay contest is “Cooperatives in a Global Environment.”
This is the 19th year for the program, sponsored by the GROWMARK System and FS member cooperatives, in conjunction with state FFA leaders, to help young people develop their writing skills, learn about current issues impacting agriculture, and understand the unique role of cooperatives. This year, students will focus on three questions: What benefits do co-ops provide their member-owners? How do co-ops improve the quality of life in their communities? How do co-ops contribute to economic growth throughout the world?
The contest is open to all high school FFA members in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Essays should be approximately 500 words, typed and double-spaced. The postmarked entry deadline for Iowa FFA members is February 15. The postmarked entry deadline for Illinois and Wisconsin FFA members is March 15. Additional program details have been sent to agriculture teachers and are online at www.growmark.com.
Congratulations to the newly elected National FFA officers for 2011-2012. Here they are closing out the 84th National FFA Convention.
Ryan W. Best of New Mexico, Jason Troendle of Minnesota, Kenneth D. Quick Jr. of New York, Alicia Hodnik of Wisconsin, Cain Thurmond of Georgia and Seth Pratt of Idaho have been elected National FFA officers for 2011-12.
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I Believe the National FFA Convention is in full swing. Watch it live via the Alltech Ag Network.
Yesterday Farm American and Furniture Row Racing made a big announcement about a new relationship with FFA. Pictured are Farm American’s Pat Driscoll (left) and National FFA Organization COO Bill Fleet (right) along with FFA members. (Photo by DeLoss Jahnke/National FFA Organization).
Together, FFA and Farm American announced today that the National FFA Organization will become a communications partner with Farm American for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season. FFA and Farm American will work hand in hand in furthering American agriculture by telling the story of agriculture’s important role both today and tomorrow.
The National FFA Organization, on the heels of announcing major increases in nationwide membership in the past year, will support Farm American’s effort to grow the role the of American agriculture because of the basic connection it has with the goals of FFA and agriculture education.
“FFA is all about making a positive difference in the lives of our members by expanding their leadership and career horizons,” said National FFA Organization COO Bill Fleet. “By working with Farm American to increase the stature of American agriculture, we’re hoping to increase their future career possibilities while also assisting American agriculture as a whole.”
The Farm American program promotes the importance of U.S. agriculture, which employs directly and indirectly more than 22 million people in the American workforce. The details and schedule of the 2012 Farm-American program are still being worked out and will be announced at a later date.
So what’s your take on a member organization becoming a “communications” partner. The media world is very different than it used to be!
The FFA is taking advantage of the Alltech Ag Network to stream live from the convention in October. Here are (pictured left to right) Dwight Armstrong, CEO of the National FFA Organization, and Billy Frey, general manager of the Alltech Ag Network.
In a significant technological move forward for agriculture, the National FFA Organization will stream its 2011 National Convention in Indianapolis Oct. 19-22 live online via the newly launched Alltech Ag Network on iHigh.com. The televised convention will be accessible real time via computers, iPads and all iPhone, Android and BlackBerry mobile devices.
As FFA membership stands at more than a half-million students throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, iHigh.com expects this to be their largest telecast ever. Yet the significance of the convention broadcast goes beyond record-breaking metrics.
“Agriculture is taking the lead in communications, moving high tech to engage the world in its story,” said Billy Frey, general manager of the Alltech Ag Network. “iHigh.com’s unique platform enables it to, for example, on a recent Friday night, broadcast more than 170 high school football games simultaneously and live to mobile devices free of charge. This is a capability far beyond many major sports organizations and applications. FFA is now harnessing this power, broadening its reach at a time when our growing population is moving increasingly far away from the stories of the farm and the origins of their food.”
You can find the broadcast schedule here.
I ran into DeLoss Jahnke, FFA Marketing/Communication Specialist (center), at the Farm Progress Show. I had not seen DeLoss since shortly after I left the Brownfield Network once upon a time. At that time he was our Indiana reporter. With him was Geoffrey Miller who works with him in communications at FFA.
The guys were out at the show to find and talk with former FFA members. They didn’t have to go far to look! In the photo they’re interviewing one former member who was attending the show. The FFA convention was a topic of discussion so I got a look ahead from them. It’s going to be October 19-22. There’s an expanded area in the Indianapolis Convention Center so the National FFA Expo will be bigger than ever. Blake Shelton will be performing too. DeLoss says that this year there will be a Native American Heritage Celebration so they’ll be highlighting contributions from native Americans to FFA. They also previewed the new FFA Ag Career Network that is coming soon.
You can listen to my interview with DeLoss and Geoffrey here: Update From FFA
2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album
The U.S. Department of Education has selected Dr. Steve A. Brown as national advisor of the National FFA Organization and chairman of the national FFA board of directors.
Brown is now responsible for providing catalytic leadership for FFA and will serve as chairman of the board. He’ll also advise national FFA officers, delegates and committees on policy matters and serve as an ex-officio member of all FFA committees. Brown will also review all applications for the American FFA Degree.
An educational program specialist in agriculture, food and natural resources sciences with the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., Brown had served as national FFA executive secretary since 2008. In that role, he provided leadership for FFA and agricultural education while coordinating activities between the FFA’s board of directors and the National FFA Foundation’s board of trustees.
Brown has more than 30 years of service to agricultural education. Originally from Orrick, Mo., he received his doctorate in agricultural education and both his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri at Columbia. He and wife Rhonda currently reside in Alexandria, Va., and have have four daughters and three grandchildren.
We’ve all heard of Red Brand fence, right? They’re a milestone sponsor of the FFA (in fact they’ve been doing so for over 60 years).
Did you know that Red Brand fence is manufactured in Peoria, Ill.? Keystone Steel and Wire Co began the Home Grown program in 2010. It gave opportunity for local Red Brand retailers to give back to local FFA Chapters. In its first year – the Home Grown program raised over $100,000 for FFA Chapters across the United States. On average 704 FFA Chapters across the US received between $400 and $500 each. One FFA Chapter in Platte, South Dakota was awarded more than $4,000.00.
It’s actually a pretty simple process. As Christopher Bell, Regional Director with the National FFA Foundation explains all retailers have to do is sign up on Red Brand’s website and for every roll of Red Brand agricultural fencing purchased by a participating retailer $1 is donated to the designated FFA chapter or chapters of their choice.
It’s an easy way to give back and help continue to fund a program that does so much for the future of the agriculture industry. Also a huge round of applause to Keystone Steel and Wire Co for giving back to a program that does so much (it makes a girl even more proud to be from Central Illinois). Here’s to a successful 2011 Home Grown Initiative!
>Christopher Bell - National FFA Foundation
The National FFA is preparing 50 young people from 23 states this year to take on the challenge of new century farming.
The FFA’s 2011 New Century Farmer program is designed to help young men and women who are pursuing a career in production agriculture.
The participants will take part in an intensive seminar July 24-30 in Johnston, Iowa where they will learn from each other and industry experts during a series of workshops and sessions. Topics will include the global marketplace, farm financing, demographic trends and risk management. New Century Farmers will hear from motivating and informative keynote speakers who will educate them on the risks and rewards involved with agriculture production. In addition to classroom learning, students will experience the latest developments in agricultural technology.
The New Century Farmer program is sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business; Rabo AgriFinance; Case IH; and CSX Corporation; with media partner Successful Farming as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
Two National FFA officers and a regional director for the National FFA Foundation were among those who participated in the third annual “Science in Action: A Foundation for Dynamic Careers” Day sponsored by Novus International.
Christopher Bell with the FFA Foundation said it was a good opportunity for the officers to visit an agricultural company that is making a difference in the world. “Novus has put a lot of emphasis on sustainability in agriculture and that’s becoming one of our big initiatives in the FFA is making sure that our 523,000 students are practicing sustainable agriculture,” he said.
“I’m very passionate about agriculture and it’s great to come here today and visit with people from Novus and see the passion that they have for making a difference in the agriculture industry,” said National FFA Secretary Landan Schaffert of Colorado, pictured on the right next to Christopher listening to Novus’ Jim Richards on the laboratory portion of the tour.
Shannon Norris of New Mexico, who serves as Western Region Vice President for FFA, is pursuing a career in agricultural communications and possibly a doctorate in ruminant nutrition so she was very interested in getting to know the people at Novus. “It’s interesting to see how the mission of the company is intertwined with the values of each individual employee,” she said.
You can listen to my interview with Christopher, Landan and Shannon here: Interview with FFA representatives on Novus Science Day
Novus Science in Action Day 2011 Photos
Speaking of very impressive young people making an impact at National Ag Day activities let’s hear from Iowa State University student, TJ Masker. Why? Because he told me that his iPod Touch has the AgWired App installed on it! Yes, this is a pure testimonial for why you should have the app on your iPhone, Touch or iPad (Android version coming soon). TJ also did a great job introducing Ag Day speaker Jonathan Coppess too.
You can listen to my interview with TJ here: TJ Masker Interview
2011 National Ag Day Photo Album
AgWired coverage of National Ag Day is sponsored by:
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During National Ag Day activities I visited with some big time supporters who are urging other companies and organizations to get involved. I’m going to share their thoughts with you here starting with Barry Nelson, John Deere, who is serving as Secretary/Treasurer for the Agriculture Council of America (pictured center). John Deere is one of the partner sponsors of Ag Day. Barry says they’ve been having Ag Day activities in Washington, DC since 1973 and have developed a pretty good brand. He says the job of the board of ACA is to plan what they’re going to do for the next Ag Day. In addition to the events in Washington, DC they also supply materials and support for other Ag Day events around the country via the website. He also makes a point that this is one day out of the year when everyone can get together to support the industry even if their competitors.
You can listen to my interview with Barry here: Barry Nelson Interview
Also serving on the board of the Agriculture Council of America is Kent Schescke, National FFA. He says that FFA has been involved for years as a sponsor and by having students participate as student advocates. They spent Monday at the 4H Center getting some preparation for visiting with legislators to talk about agriculture. He says that building good leadership skills goes hand in hand with good advocacy skills.
You can listen to my interview with Kent here: Kent Schescke Interview
The newest member of the board of the Agriculture Council of America is Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (pictured on the right). Colin says there are two things that really prompted NCBA to become involved as a sponsor of Ag Day. One is the ability to use Ag Day as a mechanism to reconnect with the American consumer. The second thing is getting young people involved and Ag Day spends a lot of time getting that done. He says that these things are extremely important. Like Barry and Kent, he encourages more companies and organizations to get involved.
You can listen to my interview with Colin here: Colin Woodall Interview
Another board member of the Agriculture Council of America is Tamara Freund Kass, DTN/The Progressive Farmer. The company is also a partner sponsor of Ag Day. Tamara says she got nominated to the board by Barry. She says the board had a great meeting prior to the banquet and discussed how they can continue to get more people involved in Ag Day. She also makes a point of how this celebration of agriculture is an opportunity for varied industry interests to come together in a united way.
You can listen to my interview with Tamara here: Tamara Freund Kass Interview
2011 National Ag Day Photo Album
AgWired coverage of National Ag Day is sponsored by:
and and
The National FFA Organization will celebrate National FFA Week Feb. 19-26, 2011. Infinite Potential is the theme this year and members are encouraged to envision, discover and achieve their potential within their communities.
The week of George Washington’s birthday was designated by the organization as National FFA Week in 1947. “George Washington made a lot of contributions to agriculture and the development of the United States,” explains Landan Schaffert, national FFA secretary. “He had a very diligent work ethic, an honest character and also was very good at record keeping. Those are all things that we hope for our members to accomplish in the National FFA Organization.”
During the week, national officers will travel to different parts of the country to visit FFA members, participate in special events and meet with leaders of the agriculture industry. Individual chapters initiate events throughout the week to promote FFA and agriculture in their classrooms and communities. Events include community service projects, educational lessons for elementary students and promotional programs for students, teachers, and alumni.
For more information about National FFA Week, visit www.ffa.org/ffaweek.
The National FFA Organization is now accepting applications for its 2011 New Century Farmer conference to be held July 24-30 in Johnston, Iowa.
The exclusive, highly competitive conference is open to college of agriculture students who intend to pursue careers in production agriculture after college. Those selected to attend the conference will be among the first in the nation to learn about the latest technological developments in the agriculture industry, and will receive business management advice from top industry leaders. The program will also help students begin to develop a nationwide network of industry professionals and colleagues to whom they can turn for support when they begin their own operations.
The deadline for applications is March15. Only 50 students will be selected to participate. Potential participants can learn more about the program and download an application at www.ffa.org/collegiate.
The conference is sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business; Rabo AgriFinance; Case IH; and CSX Cooperation; as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. Successful Farming is a media partner of the conference.
Georgia FFA officers from around the state are helping out with AG CONNECT Expo this year.
I spoke with Josh Daniel, State Vice President from Oconee County, and Beth Hickey, State Vice President
Stephens County, about their involvement in the expo. “We’re helping with some of the educational breakout sessions and with some of the other educational opportunities and tours that AG CONNECT is offering,” Beth told me.
They are both very excited about meeting people from the agriculture industry all over the world. “It’s really a joy to meet people in the industry and seeing the way it’s growing and changing and always learning more about agriculture,” said Josh.
Listen to my interview with Josh and Beth here: Georgia FFA at AG CONNECT
2011 AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album
The 83rd National FFA Convention, which concluded over the weekend in Indianapolis, set an all-time event attendance record with a total crowd of 54,942 members, advisors, sponsors and guests.
The new slate of young leaders for the organization are pictured here, left to right: Riley Pagett of Oklahoma, president; Landan Schaffert of Colorado, secretary; Shannon Norris of New Mexico, western region VP; James Flatt of Tennessee, southern region VP; Tiffany Rogers of Michigan, eastern region VP; and Wyatt DeJong of South Dakota, central region VP.
The organization recognized the service of and bid farewell to its long-time national FFA advisor, Dr. Larry D. Case, who will retire on Jan. 1, 2011. “FFA members, you are the future and you make this Missouri farm boy proud,” Dr. Case said to the crowd at the convention. “I’m a thankful man. More than anything I’m thankful for the love of my family…thank you from the bottom of my heart for making it possible for me to be of service to others.”
To honor Dr. Case for his 26 years of service to the organization, the FFA instituted the Larry D. and Joy L. Case Endowment that will be used to benefit agricultural instructor training, student leader development and global agriculture career opportunities. As of Oct. 22, $63,500 has been raised for the Case Endowment principal. T-shirts with the national advisor’s face are being sold and “FFAowl” can be texted to 20222 by any cell phone and $10 will be donated to the endowment.
The USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service and FFA are teaming up to develop new tools for classrooms to “help promote agricultural and statistical literacy among kindergarten through 12th-grade students.”
“By including these materials in the classroom curriculum, teachers can help students better understand statistics and their importance to the farming community, rural America and society as a whole,” said Dr. Cynthia Clark, NASS administrator. “These lesson plans contain relevant information to give students a realistic view of statistical processes used to track trends and changes in U.S. agricultural production, economics and demographics.”
The classroom-ready resources, which include lesson plans and supporting materials, are aligned with national curriculum standards for science, math and social studies. The materials use current Census of Agriculture data to teach a variety of concepts including discovering new trends in population subsets and evaluating diversity among farmers.
The materials are available online via the NASS website (http://www.nass.usda.gov/Education_and_Outreach/index.asp) and the FFA Learning Center (http://ffa.learn.com).
One of the organizations that I met during the AG CONNECT Expo is the National FFA Organization. FFA was founded in 1928 and today has more than 7,400 chapters in all 50 U.S. states plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The organization’s mission is agricultural education for kids in junior high and high school. I sat down with Phyllis McDonald and Rita Robertson, both with the foundation, to learn more about what they do.
The foundation’s main focus is on scholarships and grants that help students and ag teachers. One of their big initiatives is helping students go to their Washington Leadership conference in D.C. each year. Last year, the foundation provided $2 million in scholarships.
In addition to educational efforts, members of FFA spend a lot of time donating their time to charitable causes. Several of their largest programs are their work with Habitat for Humanity, and in conjunction with Campbells, their barn restoration program. FFA recently announced the five barns that will be restored this year and the local FFA chapters will be helping with the construction. And for alumnus a big program is Harvest for America, where members glean food and donate it to their local communities.
You don’t have to be a former member of FFA to become a member of the alumni organization and Phyllis and Rita were able to catch up with more than 100 former FFA members and current alumni members. They were also able to spend time with many of their corporate sponsors, who were also exhibiting at the show. To learn more about becoming an FFA alumni member or sponsor, visit www.ffa.org.
AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album
Listen to my interview with Phyllis and Rita here.
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Here’s Samantha Warner, 19, Archie, MO, putting the last rose on the RFD-TV float before the 2010 Rose Parade. Warner, Missouri FFA President will walk beside the float, which honors the association for its work guiding students toward careers in agriculture.
On the morning of January 1, 2010, the National FFA Organization will make contact with an estimated 42 million people in the United States, and more than 100 million people worldwide, through participation in the 121st Tournament of Roses Parade. Television viewers settled in to watch this New Year’s Day tradition will witness history being made, as the first-ever FFA float in the Rose Parade not only makes its way down Orange and Colorado Boulevards before the crowds in Pasadena, but into the living rooms, and into the hearts, of families watching at home. On and surrounding the float will be the 2009-2010 National FFA Officer Team, National FFA Advisor Dr. Larry Case and the four Stars Over America, along with 52 invited FFA presidents from every U.S. state, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Tune in to RFD-TV New Year’s morning at 11 a.m. (EST) to watch our special coverage of the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade with hosts Lorianne Crook, Charlie Chase and Pam Minick “live” from Pasadena, California.
National FFA members will be getting an education in the growing field of renewable fuels, thanks to a new partnership.
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Renewable Fuels Foundation (RFF) are partnering with teachers and the National FFA Organization to provide tens of thousands of high school students information about the opportunities available to them in the field of renewable fuels.
The curriculum was designed to provide FFA members with details about the nature of the renewable fuels industry today and focuses on the ethanol production process, the benefits of ethanol production, the interplay between renewable fuels and agriculture, and wide range of other issues. The lessons are available through the Team Ag Ed Learning Center, a website designed to provide agriculture teachers with new and exciting instructional materials, tools and resources.
The RFF is also offering 10 scholarships to cover the cost of the registration fee for the National Ethanol Conference. More information is available here.
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In this week's program Chuck talks with Mike Adams, AgriTalk.
