Slater, Iowa
April 19, 2007
Six thousand years ago, new
technology in agriculture meant the invention of the scratch
plow in Mesopotamia. Today, new technologies are helping
researchers develop seeds with higher levels of healthy oil and
better starch content for ethanol production, even seeds that
can protect themselves against drought, insects and disease.
Garst Seed Company’s 2007
Ag Communications Curriculum and FFA Commercial Competition
helps high school students understand the advancements in seed
technology that will one day benefit farmers around the world,
and provides hands-on learning activities for FFA classes.
The 2007 competition theme is “Technologies of the Future.” The
updated curriculum is now available for download on Garst’s Web
site: www.garstseed.com,
under the FFA Support button.
“This year’s FFA curriculum and competition theme reflects
Garst’s ongoing pledge to be the innovative seed leader that
provides growers with new seed products to improve their
productivity,” said Steve Klein, director of marketing for Garst
Seed Company. “Young people are often the first to learn about
and adopt new technologies, so it’s natural for Garst to help
them learn about technology’s important role in future crop
production.”
Each spring, Garst develops a unique classroom curriculum,
available free of charge to FFA advisers, to teach high school
students the basic principles of marketing communications. A
second component of the curriculum is a nationwide competition
in which FFA chapters apply the principles they learn in the
classroom to develop communications or “commercials” about each
year’s theme. FFA chapters compete for $7,500 in cash and
prizes.
New to the competition this year, Garst is asking students to
brand, launch and market their own seed product. Students will
choose from one of four products currently in the seed
industry’s technology pipeline — drought-resistant corn,
aphid-resistant soybeans, ultra low-linolenic soybeans or
ethanol corn hybrids. Students will create a brand name, slogan
and logo for the seed product they choose.
“Garst’s curriculum is great because it motivates students to
learn the material and complete the homework so they can enter
the competition. The contest is a good goal to keep them
interested and involved,” said Brent Niemeyer, FFA adviser from
Sweet Springs, Mo., whose team took home first place in the
radio ad category in 2006. “This curriculum applies to everyone,
not just those working toward agriculture-specific careers. We
all hope our FFA students will choose jobs in the field of
agriculture, but that doesn’t always happen. This curriculum
helps prepare them for any career in the business world.”
There are four categories in the FFA Commercial Competition:
print ads, television ads, radio ads and public relations. Each
FFA Chapter may enter the public relations category and one ad
category. 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
incentive this year, Garst will give a free t-shirt to every
student who enters the competition.
Competition winners will be announced at the annual National FFA
Convention, held Oct. 24-27 in Indianapolis, Ind. The top
entries in each category will be on display at the Garst Seed
Company booth throughout the convention and will be posted on
Garst’s Web site.
“Last year was our first year to enter the competition, and we
were thrilled with our win,” Niemeyer said. “I would definitely
encourage other FFA chapters to participate. The curriculum is
big enough to have substance, but compact enough to add as an
extra unit without throwing off your class schedule. My students
really enjoy it.”
Ag instructors may request the curriculum and competition
materials by sending an e-mail to askgarst@garstseedco.com or by
logging onto Garst’s Web site at www.garstseed.com to download
the materials under the FFA Support button. Entries for the
commercial competition must be postmarked no later than Oct. 6,
2007.
In addition to the FFA curriculum program, Garst has committed
$75,000 to the FFA Collegiate Scholarship Program to be awarded
over three years. Continuing 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 in 2005. Students interested
in applying for Garst’s 2008 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.
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 2006 were approximately $8.1 billion.
Syngenta employs around 19,500 people in over 90 countries.
Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New
York (SYT). |
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