South Dakota FFA Foundation, Inc. Newsletter

SD FFA Foundation Email Newsletter ~ | ~ Volume 6, Issue 11 ~ | ~ May 2016

The SD FFA Email Newsletter highlights special projects of the SD FFA and SD FFA Foundation. Please forward this newsletter to others you know who are involved and interested in FFA and agriculture education. Thank you for your support of the FFA in South Dakota! Amplify

Director’s Message:

Spring is my favorite time of year – the smells, sights and excitement of fresh worked soil, lush green pastures, flowers poking up, tractors putting in crops and school nearing the end. Although summer break means fun, FFA members will continue to learn throughout the summer. Local members and officers are getting ready for State Leadership Retreat and planning local chapter officer retreats. These students are preparing to lead their local chapter next year through leadership and chapter planning workshops.

Students are also working on their Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) year-round. Whether it's working on a family farm, running a greenhouse or doing research, these students get purposeful hands-on learning with their projects. Remember, safety 1st at work or play!

While our students continue to learn and work, it's our responsibility to continue to work to support them. The SD FFA Foundation is working to grow FFA in more communities, get students plugged into the agriculture industry, support agriculture teachers and support statewide leadership capacity. Thanks for your part in all we do for our members

Gerri Ann Eide, Executive Director, SD FFA Foundation, Inc.

Students AMPLIFY their talents because of FFA!

Students are not always great about writing thank you notes. But they DO appreciate people that help them! This was obvious at State Convention when members visited one on one with their proficiency sponsors. Observing, it was great to see the connections happening between FFA members and supporters! Know your sponsorship, great or small IS appreciated! Kalee

Kaylee Walker, Selby FFA member shares, “I am so thankful to FFA for giving me the opportunities that I have had. I’ve made so many new friends in the process. FFA changed my life. I was so shy before and now I love being out there and meeting new people. Thanks so much FFA!”

Your donation inspires students to go all out. – thank you!

Upcoming events:

May 20 - Leadership Retreat scholarships due, emailed to Gerri
June 8-10 - SD Range Camp
June 21-22 - Rangeland & Soils Days, Chamberlain
June 28-30 - FFA Leadership Retreat, Swan Lake
July 12-15 - FFA Leadership Retreat, Custer
July 15 – FFA Day with the St. Paul Saints
July 31 - FFA Foundation Board meeting, Sioux Falls
Aug 16-18 - FFA booth with SD Soybean Research & Promotion; Dakotafest, Mitchell
September 1-5 - SD State Fair, Huron

Construction is underway!

The exciting project of reinventing the SD FFA Ag Learning Center at the SD State Fairgrounds and creating the SD FFA Ag Adventure Center is starting! We are shifting the focus from a “petting zoo” experience to interactive exhibits and displays that address food safety and the environmental impact of agriculture. The current facility is dated and needs multiple physical improvements and technology additions to make it more vibrant, interesting and relevant for fair goers.

Vision: The FFA Ag Adventure Center empowers consumers to value today’s agriculture.

Mission: The FFA Ag Adventure Center showcases modern agriculture practices, communicates commitment to natural resources, and demonstrates wholesome, safe food production.

THANK YOU to all those who have committed to making it a reality, we have more work to do! What to be part of it? Contact gerri@sdffafoundation.org

	AGP
	Citibank
	Crystal Spring Hog Equipment
	East River Electric
	Gromaster, Inc.
	Kendal & Janice Thompson
	Marvin & Corinne Wastell
	Pipestone Systems
	Riverview
	Sanborn Central FFA BOSDRC grant
	SD Farm Bureau
	SD FFA Chapters
	SD State Fair
	SDSU College of Agriculture & Biological Sciences
	Stuart Hanson
	USDA NRCS
	Val-Co
	Venture Communications

Summer Leadership Retreats

For us alums, that means CAMP! This year the SD FFA is hosting 2 Leadership Retreats – one at camp Bob Marshall, Custer, and one at Swan Lake, Viborg. State officers are excited and working on curriculum which focuses on defining leadership, identifying personal strengths, setting goals, respecting diversity, exploring opportunities available through FFA, and service learning. FFA members can earn one of the following scholarships to attend:

5 Sioux Valley Electric scholarships for students from Moody, Lake, Minnehaha, and Brookings counties
2 Walt Johnson memorial scholarships - 1 for District 5 member, 1 for member from anywhere in the state
2 Leonard DeBoer memorial scholarships - for member anywhere in the state
4 West River Electric scholarships for students from Rapid City, Wall & Sturgis

Members apply for the Advisor Tribute Scholarship which honors past advisors, Leonard DeBoer and Walt Johnson. Spread the word to your local members, and contact me if you’re interested in sponsoring one of these scholarships.

SD FFA members bound for Washington D.C.!

The Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) is a service orientated National FFA program. Members take part in a service project, gain a better understanding of their own personal leadership styles, and develop a community service action plan to implement back home. SD FFA has many members attending, and the South Dakota FFA Foundation awarded four $500 travel scholarships to help.

Congrats to:
Tanner Peterson, McCook Central
Mary Dybedahl, Tri-Valley
Hannah Renken, Alcester-Hudson
April Hamilton, Hitchcock-Tulare

Congratulations to These Ag Ed supporters!

Each year at State Convention, a few supporters are recognized for their commitment to FFA. Congratulations to these individuals and thanks for your continued support of FFA!

The following individuals received Honorary State Degrees:

Alan Machmiller, Renner, SD
Daniel Robbins, Agriscience instructor and FFA Advisor, Elkton, SD
Betty Brink, Redfield, SD
Chris Howard, Miller, SD
Ann Price, Ag in the Classroom program
Terry and Brenda Hansen, Redfield, SD
Ed and Julie Mueller, parents of a state officer
Stuart and Janelle Schubloom, parents of a state officer
Paula and Henry Linke, parents of a state officer
Joe and Nicole Klein, parents of a state officer
Donnie and Krecia Leddy, parents of a state officer
Lance and Shirley Howe, parents of a state officer

The following individuals received the Distinguished Service Award:

Sioux Empire Fair Association, Sioux Falls, SD
Madison Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee, Madison, SD
Brookings County Extension and 4-H Office, Brookings, SD
Steve Winter, Redfield, SD
Carmen Grace, Hartford, SD

**It's more than Cows, Sows, Plows – IT'S SCIENCE!**

Agriculture education teaches lots of science in classroom curriculum, and a growing number of students are showcasing what they learn through the SD FFA Agriscience Fair. Thanks to Grain Millers, Monsanto, McCook Central FFA, and Jim Chilson for sponsoring this event! Over 88 students from 12 chapters competed with 70 project in six categories. The top projects advance for a chance to compete at the National FFA Agriscience Fair at National Convention in Indianapolis, IN.

Top exhibits were:

Animal Systems
Jr. Ind - Hadley Stiefvater, McCook Central
Sr. Indv. - Callie Mueller, Florence
Jr. Team – Caitlyn Eich and Paige Peterson, McCook Central
Sr. Team –Danille Hansen and Nicole Bies, McCook Central

Environmental and Natural Resource Systems
Jr. Ind.– Julia Larson, McCook Central
Sr. Ind.– Ally Goldammer, Mitchell

Food Products & Processing Systems.
Jr. Ind – Katelynn Winberg, McCook Central
Sr. Ind – Anne Mayrose, McCook Central
Sr. Team – 1st Place – Conner Graves and Taygen Knippling, Chamberlain

Plant Systems
Jr. Ind. - Angelina Krempges, McCook Central
Jr. Team– Brian and Briana Jorgenson, Florence
Sr. Ind. – Will Knudson, Florence
Sr. Team – 1st Place - Nick Blare and Lucas Jedlicki, Winner

Power, Structural & Technology Systems
Jr. Ind. - Madison Stroud, McCook Central
Sr. Indv.– Morgan Kohl, Watertown Area
Sr. Team– Chase Peterson and Clay Busskohl, Florence

Social Systems
Sr. Ind. – Kadon Leddy, Milbank
Sr. Team – Ryan Wilen and Bridger Gordon, Sturgis

Connecting Students with Industry

Career Carnival

This year at convention, over 1,800 FFA members engaged with more than 30 agricultural organizations at the SD FFA Career Carnival. The one-day career fair allows students the opportunity to interact and learn more about career opportunities in agriculture.

One thing that the SD FFA Foundation Board is very passionate about is helping students to connect with those in the agriculture industry. The United States Department of Agriculture expects an average of 47,900 new agriculture-related jobs annually through 2020 and so our board takes the growing need for agricultural professionals and the need for those professionals in rural SD to heart. This career carnival is one way for us to support future leaders and the number one industry in SD - agriculture.

There were many other notable events and accomplishments recognized at this year's State FFA Convention. Click HERE to check out the complete list of results.

Red Brand fence provided Home Grown support for local chapters

Ag dealers throughout the country who stock Red Brand fence are helping to financially support local FFA chapters. The initiative is called Home Grown. How does Home Grown work? For every roll of Red Brand field fence, sheep and goat fence, barbed wire, and horse fence a participating dealer orders, $1.00 is donated directly to your FFA Chapter. It’s the easiest money that a chapter can receive! But to make it successful, people need to know about it. To share this exciting program, go to http://www.redbrand.com/homegrown/ for details. You will find all the information you need along with downloadable materials to distribute to local ag stores, chapter members, friends and family. The potential for funds is unlimited - the more people in your community who know about Home Grown, the more money local chapters can receive.

FFA and Baseball - a winning combination

Celebrate summer as a family, group of friends or FFA chapter with a St Paul Saints game July 17th, 5:05 game time! FFA families and friends have the opportunity to be involved in fun on-field experiences, and spent the weekend in St. Paul, MN! More information...

Buy & Print your FFA Day tickets online - visit: Saintsgroups.com, password: FFA2016 to get tickets now!

Featured Fundraisers:

Sponsor a Leadership Camp scholarship for $125 each
A donor can offer a state wide scholarship or designate an FFA district or geographic region for recipients to be from. Click on “sponsor an event” at http://www.sdffafoundation.org/. Student recipients will be selected last week in May. FFA License plate

Drive with FFA Pride! –
Put a FFA License plate on your vehicle!

When renewing your license plates or buying plates for a new vehicle at your County Treasurer's office, ask for “organization plates.” Plates are free for new issues and $10 for renewals.
Purchase a set of SD FFA license plate decals from the SD FFA Foundation at 39393 133rd St., Bath, SD 57427, 605-765-4865, or www.sdffafoundation.org. Decals are $15 for FFA Alumni and supporters of the FFA and Agriculture Education. Make checks payable to the SD FFA Foundation.
Put the decals on your organization license plates.

Plan a gift to the SD FFA Foundation
in your annual budget.

You can donate online here or mail a donation to: SD FFA Foundation, 39393 133rd St., Bath, SD 57427