Garst Seed Company hosted officers from the National FFA Organization recently as part of The Partnership Tour, where FFA students visit with executives of leading companies in the United States.  

The group included two National FFA officers — Jessie Geib, National FFA secretary from South Dakota State University, and Ryan Peterson, National FFA eastern region vice president from Michigan State University — as well as Iowa State FFA President Matt Dolch from the Reno Smith FFA Chapter in Villisca, Iowa. The students met with Garst officials at the Slater, Iowa, headquarters to gain an overview of Garst and the seed industry.

“We were pleased to share the outlook and current challenges facing the industry and how Garst is meeting those challenges,” said David Witherspoon, head of Garst. “It is always a meaningful experience to offer advice and mentor young people who are in the process of planning their careers in agriculture.”

The Partnership Tour is designed as part of the overall training and outreach for the National FFA Officer team. Visits are conducted with a diversity of companies so the officers can gain a better understanding of today’s business enterprises. Through these visits, the national officers are able to broaden their understanding of not only agriculture and agribusiness, but also of the entire business sector.

Garst’s Head of Marketing Steve Klein and Communications Manager Lori Thomas spoke about how the company analyzes and forecasts where the seed market is headed each year so it can be prepared with the right products. Klein mentioned Garst’s recent renewed commitment to the biofuels industry by offering seed products that are engineered specifically for ethanol and biodiesel production.

In turn, National FFA Officers Geib and Peterson discussed the growth and challenges in the National FFA Organization and answered questions from Garst representatives about FFA and agriculture education and FFA chapter activities.

Each year six individuals between the ages of 19 and 21 are elected from the national membership at the annual National FFA Convention. The officers take a year of absence from their college study and dedicate a year of service to the National FFA Organization.  Each travels approximately 300 days during his/her year as an officer, meeting with FFA members, parents and business leaders. They also meet with leaders such as the President of the United States, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, congressional and USDA officials in Washington, D.C., international leaders, as well as other members of the agriculture and agribusiness industry.

Garst Seed Company has long been a supporter of the National FFA Organization. Each year Garst 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 with 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 theme is “America’s Farmland. Today’s Solution to Tomorrow’s Energy Needs.” FFA chapters across the nation will compete for cash awards totaling $7,500.

Entries for the commercial competition must be postmarked no later than Oct. 6, 2006. Ag instructors may request this year’s 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.

In addition to the FFA curriculum program, Garst has committed $75,000 to the FFA Collegiate Scholarship Program to be awarded over three years. The program, which began in 2005, awards 25 FFA students from around the country with a $1,000 scholarship to help them pursue an ag-related college degree. 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.