Exciting. Interesting. Unique. Motivational. That’s how FFA advisers describe Garst Seed Company’s popular ag communications curriculum and FFA commercial competition. Garst is proud to announce this year’s theme: “America’s Farmland. Today’s Solution to Tomorrow’s Energy Needs.” FFA chapters across the nation will compete for $7,500 in cash and prizes.

 “Garst is very much committed to the FFA program and to encouraging future leaders and spokespeople for the field of agriculture,” says Steve Klein, director of marketing for Garst. “It is fitting that our theme this year also looks to the future — to agriculture’s promising new role as a supplier for our nation’s energy needs.”

Each spring Garst Seed Company develops a unique classroom curriculum, available free of charge to FFA advisers, to teach high school students the basic principles of marketing communications and provide students several hands-on classroom activities. A second component of the curriculum is a nationwide competition in which FFA chapters apply the principles they learned in the classroom to develop communications or “commercials” about each year’s theme. The 2006 renewable fuels theme reflects one of the most exciting new fields in agriculture and Garst’s commitment to breeding corn hybrids and soybean varieties specifically for ethanol and biodiesel production.

Students can submit their contest entries in print, radio, television and, new this year, a public relations category. The public relations curriculum will expose students to different career possibilities in the field and prepare them to be better consumers of public communication. The curriculum is designed to develop their abilities in writing, problem solving, critical thinking, decision-making and working with the media.  The new curriculum will be available early this summer.

Also new to the competition this year, Garst is allowing FFA chapters to submit two contest entries — up from the one entry limit last year — as long as one of the entries is in the new public relations category. For example, an FFA chapter could submit one radio entry and one public relations entry, or one television entry and one public relations entry.

“Garst’s curriculum is easy for me to understand and teach to the students,” says Josh Christiansen, FFA adviser at Flandreau Public School in Flandreau, S.D. Christiansen’s students placed second in the radio category in 2005. “I have very little experience in advertising, but with this curriculum I can help the students to comprehend the material. I also learn from it, and it helps us to better promote our own FFA chapter.”

Garst will donate $750 to the winning chapter in each division. Second- and third-place prizes of $500 and $250, respectively, will be awarded in each of the four categories. An additional $500 will be awarded for Best of Show. As an added bonus this year, Garst will hold a drawing for special prizes for all students who submitted entries.

“The competition served as the motivating factor for my students to learn the material and provided an exciting opportunity to apply what they learned,” says Paul Timm, FFA adviser at Laurel-Concord Public Schools in Laurel, Neb. Timm’s team placed first in the radio division in 2005.  

This is the third year for Garst’s FFA curriculum. Each year the winners of the competition are announced at the National FFA Convention, held this year in Indianapolis, Ind. The top entries in each category will be on display at the Garst Seed Company booth throughout the convention.

 “As word spreads through the FFA community about this easy-to-use curriculum and exciting competition, more and more FFA chapters are getting involved,” Klein says. “We encourage FFA advisers to look at the curriculum this summer and incorporate it into their classrooms this fall. The students really seem to enjoy the creative aspect of the competition and competing for cash prizes.”

Ag instructors may request the curriculum and competition materials by sending an e-mail to askgarst@garstseedco.com or by logging onto Garst’s Website at www.garstseed.com to download the materials, beginning early this summer. Entries for the commercial competition must be postmarked no later than Oct. 6, 2006.

In addition to the FFA curriculum program, Garst has committed $75,000 to the FFA Collegiate Scholarship Program to be awarded over three years. Beginning this year, 25 FFA students from around the country will receive a $1,000 scholarship to help them pursue an ag-related college degree. The donation was in honor of Garst’s 75th anniversary, which it celebrated in 2005. Students interested in applying for Garst’s 2007 FFA Collegiate Scholarship should ask their FFA adviser or the National FFA Organization for an application.

Garst Seed Company, with headquarters in Slater, Iowa, provides innovative 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 Website at www.garstseed.com.
 
Garst Seed Company is affiliated with Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2005 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs more than 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.