Entries sought nationally, focusing on “Raising Leaders Through FFA — Cultivating Agriculture’s Future”
 
Whether you ask current high school students or today’s leaders in agriculture, agribusiness and related industries to name the one organization that helps youth develop confidence, leadership skills and career success, you’ll most likely hear FFA. That’s why Garst Seed Company has chosen “Raising Leaders Through FFA — Cultivating Agriculture’s Future” as the theme line for its annual commercial competition.

“I speak from experience when I say that FFA has had, and continues to have, a tremendous positive influence on students,” says Lori Thomas, communications manager for Garst Seed Company. “Everyone in the industry knows the organization’s classroom curriculum and its outside programs in areas such as public speaking and commodity marketing encourage students to excel and develop skills that are invaluable throughout their lives. At Garst, we believe it is fitting to recognize the opportunities FFA offers today’s youth and its accomplishments in preparing students to lead the agriculture, food and fiber industries.”

FFA students across the United States can submit advertisements focusing on the theme line and vie for $1,500 in prize money. The Garst commercial program has two components: a classroom curriculum on agriculture communications and the competition where agriculture ads are created and submitted by the chapter’s students. Last year, Garst awarded nearly $7,500 to nine FFA chapters from six states that entered the commercial competition. The winning chapters used their prize money for a variety of activities, including helping to defray the costs of attending the National FFA Convention.

“We have received so many positive comments from FFA advisors and students about the practical experience in marketing and communications that they learned through the classroom curriculum,” says Thomas. “The competition portion of the program takes it one step further by giving students the opportunity to work together as a team, just as they would in the workplace, to develop an advertisement around a specific message.”

FFA chapters may participate in the free competition by submitting a print, radio or TV ad that focuses on “Raising Leaders Through FFA — Cultivating Agriculture’s Future.” The ads should highlight how FFA helps students become leaders and their role in keeping agriculture and related industries viable. A winner from each advertising category will be announced in mid-October, and awards will be issued at the 2005 National FFA Convention.

In each of the three categories, $1,000 will go to the winning chapters, $750 to second place winners and $500 to third place winners. An additional $500 will be awarded to the overall best of show entry. Winners also will be recognized at the National FFA Convention. Garst Seed Company is donating all award monies, which total nearly $7,500.

In 2004, more than 700 FFA Chapters incorporated the curriculum in their classrooms, and nearly 30 chapters submitted entries in the commercial competition. Jackson County Central FFA in Jackson, Minn., last year’s first place radio winner and recipient of the best of show title, produced a radio spot about ethanol to coincide with the focus of “Agriculture, the Fuel for America.”

Jeff Voss, Jackson County Central FFA’s advisor, says, “The curriculum Garst provided fit perfectly with our ag communications class. The curriculum was made even more outstanding by incorporating the lab activity of the commercial competition to help reinforce what’s being taught.”

Competition Entries
Ag instructors may register their chapters for the competition by sending a general inquiry e-mail to askgarst@garstseedco.com. This year’s curriculum remains the same as that of the previous year, except for a different theme line.

Entries must be postmarked by October 3, 2005, to qualify for judging. All entries should be sent
to the attention of Garst Seed Company, Attn: FFA Commercial Competition, c/o The Integer Group,
2633 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, Iowa 50321. Entries will not be returned after the competition.

Recognition at the 2005 National FFA Convention.
The top entries in print, radio and TV will be on display in Garst’s booth throughout the 2005 National FFA Convention. Participating chapters are invited to visit the booth to view the top advertisements produced by their peers.

Garst will invite representatives of the winning chapters to attend an awards presentation at the Garst booth during the National FFA Convention.

Garst Seed Company, with headquarters in Slater, Iowa, provides 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.  Syngenta is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market.  Sales in 2004 were approximately $7.3 billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries.  Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT).