South Dakota FFA Foundation, Inc. Newsletter

SD FFA Foundation Email Newsletter ~ | ~ Volume 6, Issue 12 ~ | ~ June 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:

Summer is almost here. Schedules are busy, haying is underway. Crops and calves are growing, and summer SAE's are in full swing. It's time for all kinds of outdoor activities like leadership retreats, fairs, planning Program of Activities, rodeos and baseball.

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

**Thanks for helping "amplify" our passion!**

Individuals or businesses; small or large contributions … EVERY donation is important and adds up to allow the SD FFA Foundation to support the many things we do. Students say it best - You make a difference – thank you!! quote

Susan Wilken & Cassidy Clark, who just finished their sophomore year at Sunshine Bible Academy share, “with only being an FFA chapter for three years, getting a SD FFA Foundation Chapter Service project grant has meant tremendous excitement and growth for our chapter. pit grading We used the grant to build a fire pit at our school, which will allow us to reach out into our school body and bring everyone closer together and help them learn about our chapter at the same time!”

Don’t wait until you can give more, act now to make a difference.

Upcoming events:

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

SD State Fair

Progress on the Ag Adventure Center!

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 moving forward! The concrete floor is poured and we are implementing improvements and technology additions to make it more vibrant, interesting and relevant for fair goers. We are shifting the focus from a “petting zoo” experience to Our Mission: showcasing modern agriculture practices, communicating commitment to natural resources, and demonstrating 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

NAAE Region III Schedule

Our ag teachers are amazing. Several SD ag teachers will be attending the NAAE Region III Conference June 21-23 in St. Cloud, MN. They will be learning as they participate in workshops, tours, and trainings. Thanks to our Star Partners for supporting our teachers attending this valuable conference ... Northland Ford Dealers, Monsanto, North Central Farmers Elevator; CHS Foundation; ADM; SD Wheat Growers, BASF; Butler Machinery; DuPont Pioneer; East River Electric; Farm Credit Services of Americas; Hanson Associates LLC; Midwest Ag Supply; SD Corn Utilization Council; RDO Equipment; Wilbur Ellis; US Army ROTC; Cropland by Winfield, Zoetis; and C & B Operations, LLC.

State Officers experience training

State Officer Speech training (S.O.S); Building Leaders and Strong Teams of Officers (Blast-Off); Career & Technical Students Organization training (CTSO); National Leadership Conference for State Officers (NLCSO); and State President's Conference (SPC) are all trainings the state officers experience over the summer months to prepare them for the challenging jobs they do throughout the year. Thanks to our sponsors who allow officers to attend these events: CHS, Coop Managers Association, the SD Association of Cooperatives, Jon & Emily Minor, Elliot Jensen, Clay Edwards & Zach Rada.

Here by the Owl …

FFA advisors have been saying this phrase for over 85 years. Opening ceremonies states “The owl is a time-honored emblem of knowledge and wisdom.” Current and former members agree - their advisor, or one from another chapter had a huge impact on their personal growth, career choices and leadership skills. Perhaps you or a family member has a particular memory of an FFA advisor and how he/she touched your life. Join the SD FFA Foundation in saying thank you to FFA advisors for their efforts.

Advisor Tribute Scholarships Awarded for Leadership Retreats/ Honor Past FFA Advisors

Agriculture education teachers/FFA advisors make a world of difference for the students they teach. This spring students put into words, as part of an FFA Advisor Tribute Scholarship application, how their ag teachers/FFA advisors have impacted their lives. Ten outstanding examples of amazing teachers impacting their students have been chosen and submitting students will each receive scholarships to attend a SD FFA Leadership Retreat this summer. Lacey Wipf, Freeman; Sydney Hoffman, Bridgewater-Emery; Becca Bauman, Deuel; Taylor Runoff, Rapid City; Shayleene Rogers, Rapid City; Kyle Ericson, Rapid City; Tyler Zuschlag, Rapid City; Nate Rendon, Rapid City; and Moriah Flanagan, Garretson, earned scholarships.

The students wrote essays about how their FFA advisors have made an impact on their lives. Each of these students thinks their advisor is one of the best there is - click here to see what they say!

Scholarships are made possible through the SD FFA Foundation by West River Electric Association, Sioux Valley Energy, and the Walt Johnson Memorial Fund; in memory of two past FFA advisors: Leonard DeBoer and Walt Johnson. This year the SD FFA is hosting two Leadership Retreats – one at camp Bob Marshall, Custer, and one at Swan Lake, Viborg. Retreats focus on defining leadership, identifying personal strengths, setting goals, respecting diversity, exploring opportunities available through FFA, and service learning. Contact gerri@sdffafoundation.org if you’re interested in sponsoring one of these scholarships.

SD National Officer Candidate Selected

Congratulations to Kaden Eisenbraun, from Wall for being chosen as the SD National Officer Candidate. Kaden was a state officer in 2014-15 and will interview in October for a national FFA office. The process includes a test, writing activity, speech, facilitation rounds and conversations with key stakeholders. If you would like provide a training experience or fund the candidate's training, please contact gerri@sdffafoundation.org

Celebrate Summer with FFA!

Come join the fun of summer with St. Paul Saints baseball and support FFA at the same time. Join us July 17th for FFA Day with the Saints. FFA families, friends, and partners have the opportunity to be involved in fun on-field experiences! Game time is 5:05pm. More information...

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

Featured Fundraisers:

SD FFA Leather Collection
The SD FFA Foundation has partnered with K Bar J Leather of Newell, SD to offer a selection of beautiful high quality leather items. They were marketed at National FFA Convention and awarded to State CDE winners with the FFA logo. They can be ordered with custom logos for promotional use by businesses … talk to your boss about utilizing them as around the office! SD FFA gets a cut of all orders that mention us. Click here to see more of our products!

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