In honor of its 75th anniversary, Garst Seed Company is sponsoring 75, $1,000 collegiate scholarships for the National FFA Collegiate Scholarship Program. Garst will make an annual donation of $25,000 during the next three years.  

“Students involved in agriculture today represent the greatest asset to the future of the industry,” says David Witherspoon, head of Garst Seed Company. “As a company, Garst believes the best way to celebrate 75 years in the seed industry is to invest in agriculture’s future. We have a history of supporting youth through organizations such as FFA that make a positive difference in education, leadership and career development, and Garst is proud to continue that tradition.”

Garst has been an active sponsor of the National FFA Collegiate Scholarship Program, donating $8,000 in recent years.

The 25 annual scholarships will be awarded to students pursuing various degrees in agriculture. Five scholarships will be awarded to students studying ag communications or ag education; 10 are designated for an ag marketing, merchandising, or sales degree; and 10 are designated to students pursuing any ag-related degree.

“The National FFA organization is excited by Garst’s recent commitment to the scholarship program,” says Doug Loudenslager, chief operating officer at FFA. “Garst has been a strong supporter of the scholarship program in the past. This additional donation will help many FFA members reach their goal of obtaining a degree in agriculture.”

Garst’s Classroom Curriculum and FFA Commercial Competition

In addition to supporting the National FFA Collegiate Scholarship Program, Garst also sponsors an FFA Commercial Competition where FFA Chapters vie for nearly $7,500 in prize money. The program has two components: 1) a unique, hands-on classroom curriculum that teaches students about marketing and promoting agriculture and 2) a commercial competition where students develop advertisements based on the program’s theme. This year the theme is “Raising Leaders Through FFA — Cultivating Agriculture’s Future.” Garst recognizes the winners at the 2005 National FFA Convention.

Ag instructors may request the curriculum and competition materials by sending an e-mail to askgarst@garstseedco.com. Advisors may also download the materials from Garst’s Web site at www.garstseed.com.

“Communications and marketing skills are important in any career,” adds Witherspoon. “Students who have participated in the program have told us they’ve enjoyed learning more about marketing communications and creating advertisements. Many FFA Chapters shared their entries promoting agriculture with their school boards, entire student body and local media.”

For more details about Garst’s 75th anniversary activities, its FFA Commercial Competition or the company’s support of the national FFA organization, contact your local Garst ProSeller or Garst district sales manager, call Garst at 1-888-GO-Garst or visit the company Web site at www.garstseed.com.  
 
About Garst Seed Company

Garst Seed Company, with headquarters in Slater, Iowa, provides seed solutions for growers across North America with high yielding corn, soybean, sorghum, alfalfa and sunflower products. For more information about Garst products, contact your local Garst ProSeller or visit Garst’s Web site at www.garstseed.com.

Garst Seed Company is affiliated with Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. Syngenta is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2004 were approximately $7.3 billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further information is available at www.syngenta.com.

About FFA

FFA is a national youth organization of 476,732 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with 7,223 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. FFA strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ffa.org for more information.