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In This Issue

February-March, 1989

Volume

37

Number

3

Cover Story Careers

1

4 Electric Mist

Agriscience winner GaryTodduse hisengineeringskillstotrimcrop productioncostsandhelp protect theenvironment.Coverphoto by NicholsonCommunications.

FFA

16 Plan of Action

Here's a blueprintof

how

the1

X

amendmentstothe

FFA

Constitution arebeingadministered.

18 Suburban Schools make changes

Suburbanhighschoolagriculture departmentsin

New

Jersey are changingtomeettheneeds ofthe students.

24 An Early Start

Seventh andeighthgradestudents discovertheworldofhighschool agricultureandFFA.

27 FFA Week Special Pull-Out Poster

It'stimetogetreadyfor

FFA Week

andtheenclosedposter will getyou started.

30 Ag Professional:

USDA Research

Some

of the country's top research- ersareusing science to solve agri- culture'spuzzles.

34 New Man on Campus

Mike Brownisattending college withthehelpofan

FFA

scholar- ship.

42 Career Choices

Favorite classes,hobbiesandother activities

may

tellalotaboutthe kindofcareerthatisriehtforvou.

In Every Issue

4 News

inBrief

6 Mailbag 8 Looking Ahead

36 Chapter Scoop 46 FFA

in

Action 51 My Turn 52 Joke Page

The Bottom Line

The

windsofchangethatswept over the61stNationalConvention caused

FFA

totake theboldest steps evertobreak with itspast.Butlikea shipsailing intounchar- tered waters,

FFA

leadersmust beever diligent inkeepingtheorganizationonthe rightcourseandavoidthe perilsalong the way.

As

aformernational advisoronce putit."don'tsellyourbirthright foreve- rythingthatis

new

andglitters."

The

decisionshave been made.

Now comes

theslow andtedious taskofim- plementation.Incopingwithchangelet usnot forget

FFA's

strengthsof thepast.

A

big questioniswhatkind ofmaga- zinedoes

FFA

needinthefuture?

What

changes would you like to see

made?

Does

itneeda

new name? What

king of articleswouldserveyoubest?Theseare the kindsof questions themagazinestaff willbedealingwithinthenearfuture.

To

chart a course for the future, it

sometimeshelpstolookatthepast.

One

of the best descriptions of

how

the

FFA

magazinehas served the

members was

writtenby Blannie E.

Bowen.

editorof TheAgriculturalEducationMagazine,in it's

November,

1988.issue.Dr.

Bowen,

a professor in agricultural education at PennsylvaniaStateUniversity,said this aboutThe National

FUTURE FARMER.

"One

exampleof the

FFA's

influence

rests with The National

FUTURE FARMER

magazine,the organization's excellent publication. This magazine broughttoourruralmailbox eye-opening storiesabout

FFA

members,vocational agriculture, and agriculture in general.

The

magazinealsoinspired

my

interest in journalism.

More

importantly, themaga- zine

was

theonly mail I receivedon a regularbasis.Although almost everyone read the publication,

my FFA member-

shipbroughtthemagazinetoourhome."

How

canthe

FFA

magazinebestserve

members

inthefuture?

Your comments

andsuggestionsarewelcomed.Justdrop us aletterwithyourideas?

Wilson Comes

February-March, 1989

$ 8,000 Over ⁱⁿ

prizes

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Draw Me

You

may

win one of five $1,495.00 Art Scholarships or any

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Make

yourdrawing any size except

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Use

pencil.Everyqualified entrant receives a free professional estimateofhisorher drawing.

Scholarship

winners

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Fundamentals

of Art taught by Art Instruction Schools,

one

of America's leading

home

study art schools.

Our

objective isto find prospective stu- dents

who

appearto be properly

mo-

tivated and have an appreciation and likingforart.

Your entry will be

judged

in the

month

received. Prizes

awarded

for best

drawings

of various subjects received from qualified entrants age 14 andover.

One

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No

drawings can bereturned.

Our students and professional artists not eligible. Contest winners will be notified.

Send

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MAIL THISCOUPONTOENTER CONTEST

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monthlycontest, (PLEASEPRINT)

Ae

City

County _Zip

TPIA Winners to See Oak Ridge Boys

Ten members

of the

West

Muskin-

gum FFA

Chapterof Zanesville,Ohio, willmeetthe

Oak

Ridge

Boys

this

summer

^{as part}oftheirrecognition as

FFA

winnersof theTakePridein America program.

West Muskingum

had been

named

as

TPIA

winnersatNational

FFA

Conven- tionin

November,

butdetailsofthe grandprizewerenotfinal atthattime.

The

chapterwillreceiveten tickets to the

Oak

Ridge

Boys

concert nearest Zanesvillein1989.

The FFA members

willmeetwith

members

of thebandat theconcert.

Search for Band Director

Applications for a

new

National

FFA Band

Director are

now

being accepted.

Thoseinterestedinapplyingforthe positionshouldsendaresumeto

Tony

HoytattheNational

FFA

Center.

Wix Kicks Off Fundraising

Campaign

The

FourthAnnual

Wix Farm

Filter fundraisercampaignfor

FFA

chapters willrunfrom

March

1to

May

31, 1989.

The

themeforthisyear'scampaignis

"InvestintheFutureofFarming."

Eachyearthispromotionraises thousandsof dollars forlocal

FFA

chapterstouseon programs,trips, jacketsorwhateverthechapter desig- natesasan appropriate use of the funds.

Money

israised

when FFA

chapters collectboxtopsfrom

Wix

filterproducts forfarm equipment.

The

boxtopsare thenredeemeddirectlywith

Wix

at$.20 each.

Communities

canhelptheir local

chaptersbysaving

Wix

oil, air,fuel, coolantandtransmissionfiltersduring thecampaign anddonatingthemtothe chapter.

International News

Three and six-monthstaysin Hungary, Poland andBulgariawillbe partiallyfundedbytheU.S. Information

Agency

beginninginJune1989.Thisis an excellent opportunityfor

FFA members

toexperience large scale farmingonstate

owned

farms.

Also, farms, nurseriesandbusinesses tohost1989

WEA

participants are being sought.Facilitiesneededinclude:

aquaculture,forestry,agricultural research,viticultureandwineries.For

more

information, contact the Interna- tionaldepartmentatthe

FFA

Center, 703/360-3600.ext.242.

Membership Information

Thanksto

FFA

advisors across the country, theNational

FFA

Organization

now

has

some new

statisticsthathelp definewhatkindsof students are

members

of theFFA.

The

information wastakenfromrevisedrosters

FFA

advisorscompletedinthefallof 1987.

The

chartbelowillustratesthe distri- butionof

FFA membership

byclass.

Based ontheinformation submitted, 3.254

FFA members

areenrolledinthe seventh grade. 10,139ineighth grade.

87.015arefreshmen.77,527are sophomores.71.284 arejuniors.66.31

3

areseniors. 17.956havegraduatedfrom school.809did notfitinthesecatego- riesanda substantial69.129

FFA

members'

names

were submitted by advisorswithnoinformation pertaining togradestatus.

Distribution ofFFAMembershipbyClass

TelephoneNumber

E1989 Art InstructionSchools

12th Grads Misc Unknown The\atitmalFITIREFARMER

Praetice ^is Over

Practice

is

over and you're on. Now your actions count. And

you're proud. You're someone special and so

is

your team.

The Coast Guard.

It's

a place where you can accomplish a

lot.

Right away. Every day.

^..

because the missions of the Coast Guard matter as much

in

peacetime as in times of conflict. So when you join, you're

in.

And

on. Saving

lives,

stopping illegal drug smugglers, protecting the environment, ensuring the safety of our ports and harbors... and.

much more.

So ^{join the} Coast Guard today. Because practice

is

over... and

it's

time you were ^part '^^L-

of the action. Now. |/.S. Coast GUBfd _J

^'

& Coast Guard Reserve I

Call (800) 424-8883 I

^aaaKsats*^. Be Part of the Action

COAST GUM&

Magazine

Staff

Editor-in-Chief,WilsonW. Cannes SeniorEditor,John M.Pitzer ManagingEditor.AndrewMarkwart PublishingAssistant.LindaFlint Director of Advertising.GlennDLuedke Advertising Assistant.Joyce Berryman Circulation FulfillmentManager.DottleM.Hinkle Assistants.JanetMagill, Harriett Fidd.TracieWeekley- May, NoraBartock.Veronica Ruffner

National Officers NationalPresident.DanaSoukup.RR1,Box51 A, Spencer,NE68777; NationalSecretary. JeffJohnson,Rt 2.Box 938, Dover. FL 33527; NationalVice Presidents.

Warren Boerger, 800 Rosedale Road,Irwin,Ohio 43029;

Brad Chambliss,R!1,Hardinsburg,KY40143;Jaye Hamby,BentonStationRoad, Benton,TN37307;Jeftrey Isom, P.O.Box 455,Frurtland,ID83619.

Board

ofDirectors Chairman,LarryCase;MembersoftheBoard, David Coffey.John Denmark, Terry Heiman, Leonard Lombardi, DonaldMichael,DuaneNielsen.Les Thompson,William T.Woody

NationalStaff NationalAdvisor,ChiefExecutiveOfficer.LarryCase;

ExecutiveSecretary.ColemanHarris.NationalTreasurer.

DavidAMiller,Administrative Director.Wilson

W

Carnes;Managerof InternationalPrograms. Lennie Gamage;FFAProgramSpecialist(Awards).Robert Seefeldt;FFAProgramSpecialist(Contests).Ted Amick;

FFAProgramSpecialist(Leadership),TonyHoyt; Director of Information,WilliamStagg;Director ofFFASupply Service,DennisShafer;ExecutiveDirectorFFAAlumni Association.Robert

W

Cox;ManagerofAccounting.

JoAnnGrimes

AdvertisingOffices TheNationalFUTURE FARMER P.O.Box 15160

Alexandria,VA 22309 703-360-3600

The BrassettCompany 5150WilshireBoulevard Los Angeles,CA90036 Lampert & Associates P.O Box 325 WesternSprings,IL60558 PeterC. Kelly.Inc.

725 SouthAdams Road #260 Birmingham, Ml48011

RobertFlahiveCompany 22Battery Street SanFrancisco,CA9411

1

213-934-8502

313-642-1228

TheNationalFUTUREFARMER(ISSN 0027-9315)is publishedbimonthlyby the NationalFFAOrganization, 5632Mount VernonMemorial Highway, Alexandria,Vir- ginia22309-0160.

ADDRESS CHANGES:Sendbotholdandnewaddressto CirculationDepartment,TheNationalFUTUREFARMER.

P.O.Box 15160.Alexandria, Virginia22309-0160.

CORRESPONDENCE:Addressallcorrespondenceto:The NationalFUTUREFARMER,P O.Box 15160.Alexandria, Virginia22309-0160Officeslocated at the NationalFFA Center,approximatelyeightmilessouthofAlexandria.Vir-

SUBSCRIPTION:$3.00 per yearinU.S.and possessions (FFAmembers$1.50paid with dues). Singlecopy$100;

fiveormore 50c each. Foreignsubscriptions,$3 00plus

$2.00extra forpostage. Copyright 1989 by theFuture FarmersofAmerica

Embrace Changes

I

commend

thedelegatesof the 61st National

FFA

Conventionfor theircour- age andinsight inpassing 18ofthe 19 constitutionalamendments.

No

longer can

we

afford thenarrow visionof seeing agricultureas simplya farmer, a

man

of the earth. Instead

we

must understandthatagriculture

encom-

passes the complex world ofbusiness, marketing,technologyandscience.Thus

if

FFA

istoprovide a positive serviceto those students interested inagriculture, shoulditnotincorporate thewhole realm of opportunity that awaits tomorrows agriculturalists?

The FFA

hasenjoyeditsplace nextto apple pie, baseball, and the American Flag. ItisveryAmerican andwillcon- tinuetobewith strong leadership.

The

voiceof theAmericanAgriculture youth has spoken.

They

have

made

a profoundstatementinregardtothedirec- tionof the

FFA.

Let'snot forgetthevalues that form the foundations of the past.

Separateemotionfromrealismandcon- tinuetopromotethefinestyouthorgani- zationintheworld.

./.Scott\email

FFA

Advisor, Chowchilla,California

Outraged!

I

was

outragedrecently

when

Ireadan articleabouttheFutureFarmersof

Amer-

icadroppingthe

word

"farmers"fromits

name, simplytohelprecruiting.

The

leadersofthisassociationshould stopworryingaboutenrollment numbers andstartworrying abouttheproblemsof today's farmer. Afterall.theorganization beganwithjusta handful ofpeoplededi- catedtofarming, not millions

who

have neversetfootonafarm.

Also,

why

wereonly afewselectpeople giventheopportunitytovoteonthisissue, andnotevery single

member?

Ifevery

member

had been giventheopportunity tovote,Idoubtthat thisresolutionwould havepassed.

DaleF.Johnson Halesville,Ohio

Amendments

to the National

FFA

Constitution require actionbythedele- gatebodyat the national

FFA

Conven- tion. Those delegates consist of

FFA member

representatives

from

eachstate.

Thissystem ofrepresentationworks

much

likethe U.S. congress.

—

Ed.

A Helpful Hint

Ithoroughly enjoy yourmagazine and wouldlike todropahelpfulhint toother chapters.

When

Ireceive

my FFA

magazine,asI

readthroughit, Ihighlight ideasthatwould benefit

my

chapter.Ithen take theseitems to

my

officermeetings and

we

usethemto continue the

FFA

spirit.

JodyBickel Rapidan.Virginia

Why not Farming?

Ihave beenin

FFA

forfiveyears,and

I have wanted to be a farmer all

my

life...notabio-technician, or ascientist,or ageneticengineer,justafarmer.In that fiveyearsIhave had everyonefromteach- ers tofriendsof the familytell

me

nottogo intofanning,and^itreally hurts.Isthisany

way

tobuildafutureforagriculture?

Dennis Mueller Beecher,Illinois

Helping Hand Recognized

CityCenterSquareisa30-storyoffice building located near theConvention Cen- ter inKansasCity,Missouri.Because

we

haveseveral restaurantsinthebuilding,

we

attract

many FFA

participantsduring yourannual convention. It is alwaysa pleasuretohostyourorganizationand

we

lookforwardtothe eventeachyear.

An

incidentthatoccurredatourbuild- ingthisyear

we

feel illustratesthequali- tiesofatypical

FFA member

anddirectly contradicts those

who

criticize today's youthas selfishandapathetic.

On November

11th,an elderly gentle-

man

fellon oneof the building escalators sustaining several cutsandbruises.

The

firstpersontorespond wasMs. Kelley

Harmon,

an

FFA member

from Presque

Isle,Maine. Evenafterthebuildingstaff and paramedics hadtreated theman.Ms.

Harmon

continuedtostayandtalkwith himuntilhe

was

abletoleavethebuild- ing.

Lee

Whitman

AssetManager,CityCenter Square KansasCity,Missouri

Sendlettersornotes withname, addressand chapterto

MA1LBAG.

The National

FUTURE FARMER.

P.O.Box15160. Alexandria.YA 22309.Alllettersaresubjecttoediting.

TheNationalFUTlREFARMER

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IbelieveStewart"

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STEWART

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ADDRESS

.

CITY

A

standof kenaf,a fibrous plant with potential to

supplement wood-based

paperpulp,is inspectedby

ARS

soil scientist L.N.

Namken. USDA

Photo

Growing Newspapers

The

U.S.Departmentof Agriculture isbeefing-upitsresearchongrowing andusing thekenafplantas anew- domesticsourceof newsprintandother products.

Accordingto

Howard

E.Waterworth of

USDA's

AgriculturalResearch Service,kenaf, a fast-growing annual plant,could

become

a

new

cash cropfor fanners while servicingasasupplemen-

talsourceof newsprint.

He

saidin 1987, U.S.newspapers used

more

than ¹

2

millionmetric tonsof paper, two-thirds ofwhichwas importedatacostof$4 billion.

"Industrytrials,includingtestruns byseveralU.S.newspapers,indicate thatpulpfrom kenaf

makes

newsprint paperthatisassturdy as

wood

pulp paperbut generallyisbrighter,con- sumeslessinkandhaslessink ruboff,"

saidWaterworth.

Kenaf canbe

grown

insouthwestern U.S. areassuchasTexas. Florida.

Georgia, MississippiandCalifornia.

The

plantsgrow15-18feettallinless thanfivemonths and cangetashighas 22feet.

An

acre yields7-10tonsof dry fiber.

More Students

in

Ag

Colleges

Officialsat

many

of the nation's largestland-grant universities report increased enrollmentsthisyearintheir collegesofagriculture,reversinga decade-longdeclinein the

number

of students studyingagriculturalsciences, businessandrelated fieldsaccordingto the

USDA.

Renewed

interest inagricultural studiesis

coming

atatime of increasing

demand

foragricultureandlifesciences professionals,say land-grant university officials.

A

cross-countrysamplingof land- grantofficialsconfirmsthatrecruitment effortsandotherfactors,suchasan improvingagriculturaleconomy,are beginningtopayoffinincreasing numbersof college students

who

pursue agricultural studies.

KansasState University's enrollment of agriculturemajorsincreased 1

1

percentintwoyears.PurdueUniver- sity'sfreshmanenrollmentin1988 was up19 percentfromayear ago.Penn Statereports 16 percent

more

agricul- turestudentsthanin 1987andOregon Statewas up 4percent.

The

agricultureenrollmentsat VirginiaPolytechnicInstituteand Louisiana State Universitystabilizedin

1988afteryearsof decline.

One

land-grant universityofficial

summed-up

thesituationsaying."There

isnotasingle agriculture graduatein

ourcollege

who

ishavingtrouble findingan entryleveljob

—

^It'sthebest jobmarketI'veseenin20years."

AccordingtoDavidHoff. acting chairof the agriculture divisionatthe UniversityofMinnesota, young people

who

haveexperienceinagriculturehave adistinctedge.

"Young

peoplethat

grow

up on farmsorinsmallruralcommunities, thathaveanunderstanding an apprecia- tionfor agriculture,haveatremendous advantageintoday'smarket.

They

have

18yearsofpracticalexperiencethat youjustcan't getanyotherway, and thathasvalueinthemarketplace," said Hoff.

The USDA

estimatesthatabout 48,000jobs are availableeachyear for agriculturalgraduates.

Of

those jobs, 4,000willcounfilled.

National Ag Day

National Agriculture

Day

willbe

March

20thisyear.

The

missionof National

Ag Day

is"toprovide a very specialrecognitionof thefoodand^fiber industry'scontributiontoAmerica

—

a

salute totheover21 million

men

and

women

responsiblefor thisproduction miracle."

The

eventiscoordinatedbythe

ACA

EducationFoundationinWashington, D.C.

Generic Animal Drugs

Livestock producers

may

paylessfor animal drugsinthefuture,but

may

risk residueproblems,accordingtoa

November

1988reportintheDrovers Journal.

The

lessexpensive drugs would

come

aboutasaresultof a

new

generic animaldrug law passedbyCongress

lastOctoberthat willallow genericdrug companiestosellformerly patented drugsafterthe patentshaveexpired.

The

lawwillgointoeffect inJanuary, 1991.

A number

ofpioneerdrugcompanies

who

doextensive researchandhold drugpatentsobjectedtothesaleof generic drugs,citingthereisnoagreed- upon measureof qualityinanimal drugs asthereisfor

human

drugs.

The new

genericdrugswilllowerthe costof

many

animalpharmaceuticals.

U.S.

Exports Up

UnitedStatesagriculturalexports rose26percentto$35.2billionfor fiscal1988accordingtothe

USDA.

Thatfigurewas up

more

than$7billion from 1987.

USDA

^officialscredited the programsauthorizedinthe1985 farm

billasworkingtoincreaseU.S. imports.

Wheat

accountedfor two-thirdsof thevolumeincreasein1988.Strong

demand

andhigher prices for livestock andhorticulturalproductshelpedraise theexport value.

The

SovietUnion,Japan,China AlgeriaandIndiawerethefive fastest growing marketsforU.S.agricultural exportsin1988.

The

fivebiggest customersforU.S.agriculturalexports weretheEuropean

Community,

Japan, Korea, the SovietUnion and Canada.

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Highlights of

1988

By

JackPitzer

The

top

news

storieseffecting

FFA

in1988took

some

drastic turnscomparedtothe^listsof topstories inrecent years.

NATIONAL STUDY OF HIGH SCHOOL AGRICULTURE

Probablythemostanticipated eventin'88

was

the releaseof a nationalstudyabouthigh school agriculture educationdone by the National

Academy

of Sciences.It

was

releasedinSeptember and

word

spreadthroughoutthenation with mailingsto state leaders.

The

reportchallengedtheagricultural education profes- siontoconsider serving awider audiencethanjustgrades9-12 suchas7and8,and

make

childrenawareofagriculture.

SATELLITE CONFERENCE

A

nationalforumtodiscuss theresultsof the national study

was

conductedviasatellite.Video coverageof a panel discuss- ing the report in Washington,

DC. was

transmitted via the satellitetolocationsin45states.

The

studyandtheforum were both cooperative ventures of the

USDA

andthe

USDE.

AMENDMENTS TO FFA CONSTITUTION

The FFA

took

some

actionsonits

own

to

make

changes

when

the nationalconventiondelegatesvotedto

make

¹8

amendments

intheconstitution.Thiswillprobablygo

down

as"thebigstory"

for1988.Talkofchanges had been brewingforseveralyears includingofficialstudybyataskforcefor2-3 years. Delegates atthe6¹stconventionconsidered19

amendments

and passed¹

8

ofthem.

The

firstmajor change was"the

name

of the organizationshall be the National

FFA

Organizaton. Recognized unitsof the Organization

may

use theletters

"FFA"

and/orthewords"Future FannersofAmerica"todesignate theOrganization,its units and/ormembers.

Thataction precipitated otherchangestodegree names, and other references to

FFA. Membership

in

FFA

can

now

be officiallyopenedto7thand8th graders.

The

official

emblem now

uses thewordsagricultureeducation instead of vocational agriculture; and

SOE

^will

become SAE

-SupervisedAgricultu- ralExperience program.

Severaldegreerequirementswere

amended

intheprocessand

many

"housecleaning"changes made.

MEMORIAL FUND FOR CRASH VICTIMS A

memorialfundwasestablishedalteraplane crash took the lives oftwo Idaho

FFA members

and theiradvisor's wife.

Members

andchaptersalloverthenationpouredoutsupportfor a specialmemorialfundwhichreacheda totalof$23,000before

itfinallyended.

A

specialmemorialservicewasheldatthehigh schooland Kevin Ochsner,national

FFA

secretary, attended.

The

Melba, Idaho,group

was

en route

home

fromthe 1987 nationalconvention

when

theplane crashedinDenver.

Memo-

rialfundswerecollectedthroughtheNational

FFA

Foundation andwereusedtoestablishscholarshipsfor thehigh school.

CHANGE IN OFFICIAL FFA JACKET

Much

lessserious,but quiteunusual

was

thechangeintro- ducedfortheofficial

FFA

jacket.

A

specialjacketliningwas

made

availablethatcouldzipinand be usedfor

warmth

in

some

states.

The

lining was an option for

new

jackets and

was

designedtofitinexistingjacketswithminoralterations.It

was

thefirstofficialchangeinthejacketin

many

years.

FFA MEMBERSHIP TASK FORCE

Declining

FFA

enrollment wasidentified in1988asoneof the organization'smostseriousproblems. NationalAdvisorLarry Caseappointed a special task force of

FFA

staff tobegin

work

onthesubject.Hisopenletter tochapter advisorsinthe

Novem-

ber,1988,

BETWEEN ISSUES

newsletter outlinedhisexpecta- tionsof a turn around.

AGRISCIENCE STUDENT RECOGNITION

Some

increasedenrollments

may come

aboutbecauseofthe extraefforts inthe areaofagriscience.

A new

Agriscience StudentRecognitionProgramwas launchedin'88thatculmi- nated with nationalwinnersbeing

named

attheconventionin

November.

Gary

Todd

from Nebraska wasthe winner.This studentprogramiscomparablewith theAgriscienceTeacherof theYear

Award

institutedtheyear before.

AGRISCIENCE CONFERENCE

Anothereventthatemphasizedagrisciencewas animportant nationalconferenceonAgriscienceandEmerging Occupations andTechnologies.Itwas conducted bythe agriculturaleduca- tionprofessiontoinfuse

new

methods andideasintohigh school ag classrooms.

The

conferencewasinOrlando,Florida,with demonstrations,tours,andclassesinanimalscience,cropsci- ence, biotechnology, integrated pest management, waterre- sources, agriculturalengineering technology,foodscienceand aquaculture. Participantswere mostlyteachers.

Other

FFA

highlights of1988included theinvolvementof entertainersLarry Gatlinas aspokespersonin

FFA

audiovisuals andthe

Oak

Ridge

Boys who

alsoappearedwithmembers;the firstpull-out posterwasinthe

FFA

magazineofthe

new

national officers;arecordwassetagainin

FFA

Foundationsupportof

$3,330,000;and

FFA

internationalexchange programs reached

into ElSalvador. •••

President

Reagan spoke

to

FFA

officersina White

House

conference

room

during theannualstate presidents' leader- shipconferencein

Washington,

DC,inJuly.

TheNationalFUTURE FARMER

It 's a lot of fun

but it should be taken ^seriously.

Riding

an ATV

the

wrong way

could leadto serious,or

even

fatal,injury

To minimize your

risks

and maximize your

enjoy- ment, there are

a few

rules

you

shouldfollow.

Always,

always wear a helmet and

protective clothing

when you

ride.

Beginning and

inexperienced ridersshould take

a

qualifiedtraining course.

Children

under

16

need

close,adult supervision.

And

theyshouldneverride

an

adult-sized

machine.

Difficult,hillyorunfamiliar terrain requires extracaution.

Excessive speed, stunt riding or carrying a

passenger

aredefiniteno's.

They

increasetherisk ofaccidents

and

that'sjust

not

smart.

Following these ruleswillhelp

make you

a saferrider.

And

saferidersare

_

^,

less likelytogethurt.

An ATV

is

a

lotof

fu But

playitsafe.

Forridertraining information,call 1-800-447-4700.

Safety

Institute

A

division ofthe Specialty VehicleInstituteof

America.

iATVSafelyInstitute,aiii\im.mi..fthe Specially Vehicle In

1^5-4ifeO:

. y ,.'. ,.#&'<^'

FordDivision...3-StarSponsorofthe

FFA

TOUGH ^'89 BIG FORD PICKUP- AMERICA'S BEST-SELLER.

For the past12 years,

Americans have chosen

tough Ford pickups overallothers*

And

they'resatisfied withtheirchoice

— because

Ford has the highest percentageof repeat buyersofanyfull-sizepickup!**

LastyearFord'sF-Series pickups beat

Chevy

again

by

abigmargin.

That'struckleadership!Ford'sbuilt aerodynamic, Hi-Tech

and

tough

—

and even

betterfor1989!

BIGGER ENGINE,

MORE TORQUE!

Ford'spickupsofferabiggerstandard

Six

—

with

10% more

torque thanChevy.V-8'srange

from most

powerful small gas V-8to biggestdieselin

any

pickup.

Only

Ford pickupsofferfour multiple-port electronicfuel- injectedengines.

When

properly equipped,

some

Fords are rated

totowal2,500-lb.

trailer.

COMFORT, CAB CHOICE.

Only

Fordoffersa

complete

rangeofcabchoices.There'sa regular cab,

SuperCab

and 4-door

CrewCab —

withsingleordual

rearwheels.

The

interiorsofallFord cabsare

roomy

andcomfortable.

BIGGER CARGO ^BOX, MORE PAYLOAD.

Ford gives

you

alarger,wider,

deeper

pickup

box

thanChevy.

Ford's

maximum

payload

exceeds

Chevy'sfor

each

series

— up

to1,000lbs.

BIGGER VALUE.

Fordsalso

come

with standard

equipment

the

Chevy C/K

doesn't.

Featureslike

AM

^radiowith digitalclock,cigar lighter

and

four

gauge

package.

AllbigFord pickups

have

gas- pressurized shocks, standard

—

optionalonly

on Chevy K1500.

Ford

was

firstwith rear Anti-lock brakes,

aerodynamic

styling,

and 4x4 Twin

Traction

Beam

independentfrontsuspension.

Automatic

locking front

hubs

are optional

on

F-150

4x4

models.

Now's

thetimeto

buv

orlease.

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINES

145-hp.4.9LEFISix 185-hp.5.0LEFIV-8 210-hp.5.8LEFIV-8 230-hp.7.5LEFIV-8 180-hp.7.3Ldiesel PAYLOADS F-Series4x2pickups:

1575 to5270lbs.

F-Series4x4 pickups:

1750to4295lbs.

CABS

Regular3-Man Cab Ford2-Door SuperCab Ford4-DoorCrewCab MAJOR STANDARD EQUIPMENT Powerbrakes Powersteering 5-speedODtransmission Gas-pressunzedshocks Electronic radio&clock Fullinstrumentation

TRANSFERABLE 6/60 WARRANTY.

Covers you and

futureowners, with

no

transfer cost,

on

major

power-

train

components

for6 years/60,

000

miles.Restrictions

and

deductible apply.

Ask

your Ford Dealerfora

copy

ofthislimitedwarranty.

BEST-BUILT AMERICAN TRUCKS 8 YEARS RUNNING.

Based on

anaverageof

owner-reported problems

ina series ofsurveysof '81-'88

models

designed

and

built in

North

America.

At

Ford,

"QualityisJob^1."

*Basedon calendar year manufacturers' reportedretail deliveriesthrough Sept.'i

**Basedon 1988

New

CarAndTruck BuverStudy.

FORD PICKUPS

BUILT

FORD TOUGH

Agriscience winner Gary Todd uses

his

engineering

skills

to cut crop production costs and protect the environment.

Gary Todd's Electric Mist

By Andrew

Markwart

Gary Todd

recorded spray

coverage

datain his

home computer

totrack the experiment.

He

also

made

observationsaboutdroplet size

and

patterns.

For

^over40years, agriculturalpesti- cideshave allowed cropproducers toreach higherand higheryields.

Today

there aretwo major concerns about agrichemicals

—

they areappearinginthe nation'sgroundwatersupplyandthey are expensive,accountingfor alargeportion ofafarmer'sproductioncosts.

Gary

Todd may

havediscovered a

way

toeasebothproblems.Todd. 19,of

Un-

ion,Nebraska, developedanelectrostatic chemicalsprayerthatreducesthe

amount

ofchemicalsneededtocontrolweeds.

The

spray frommost

common

row- crop sprayersusedbyfarmersfallson,off and aroundthe

row

ofcrop plantsand weeds.

The

weedsdie

when

enoughof the chemical has

worked

its

way

into the weed'ssystem,stoppingoneofitsvital functionssuchphotosynthesis.

Notsatisfiedwiththishit-or-miss tech- nology,

Todd

has incorporated technol- ogycurrentlyusedinindustrialpainting calledelectrostaticspraying.

The

concept

Devil's Ivy

was used

inthe sprayer's experimental stages

due

totheplant's leafysurface

and

lowcosts.

issimple; a positiveelectricalchargeis

giventothepaintanda negativechargeis giventotheobjecttobe paintedsuchasa carbody.

The

positively-charged paintis attracted to the negatively-charged car and a quick,even paintjobwith little

wasteistheresult.

Todd

developed an agrichemical sprayerthatpositivelycharges the spray mixtureandnegatively charges theweeds.

Now

thesprayisattracted totheweeds rather than just falling on and around them.

The

resultisafine,evenly-distrib- uted patternof spray droplets

—

^theideal

situationfor thechemicalstoattack the weed.

Usingthissysteminfield tests,Gary

was

abletoreducethe

amount

of herbi- cideneededtocontrolweeds by31 per- cent.That's one-third the

amount

ofherbi- cidesbeing introducedintothefield,some- thingenvironmentalists are sureto notice, andathird lesscosttothecropproducer, a substantial savingsininputcosts.

Todd

fashionedhisfirstelectrostatic sprayer out ofa2.5gallon variable pres- surehandsprayeranda variable voltage battery charger. Since he financed the experiment himself,Garytried tokeep thecosts

down

while notsacrificing sci- entificprecision.

Gary'soverall goalwastoidentifythe bestcombinationpossibleof pressureand voltage.

He

tested the effectivenessof the prototype sprayer using a highlyconcen- trateddyethatcouldbeclearlyseen with the naked eye

when

eventhe smallest dropletswere formed ontheleaf."Devils Ivy" plantswere usedto testwithbecause oftheirleafysurfaceand lowcost.

Todd

countedthe

number

ofdyedrop- TheNationalFUTUREFARMER

letsina square areaonthetopandunder- sideoftwoleaveson eachplantsprayed.

He

entered the datafromhis testsintoa computer spreadsheet program so the experiment results could be calculated quicklyandprinted.

He

foundthatthebestleafcoveragere- sultedfromthecombinationof12volts, thehighest voltage

Todd

usedinthetests, and 30poundspersquare inch pressure, also thehighestsetting tested.

From

the small, table-top version of hissprayer,Garyconstructed aone-row fieldsprayer sohecouldtestthetrue ef- fectiveness of theelectrostatic technol- ogy.

He

attachedonewiretothetractor's alternatorfor the source of a positive chargeandanother wiretothetractor's frame,whichisgrounded,foranegative charge.

The

negativewirewasattachedto acustomized v-shapedrodthatbrushed against the plantstemsduring spraying.

Todd

sprayedthechemicals onfield testplotswith andwithout the electric charge.

He

foundthecharged chemicals coveredtheplants 18.25 percent better thanwithout the charge.

Gary sayshe would liketo takethe testingone

more

step."This

summer

I'd liketo

make

an actual(full-size)sprayer andsee ifitwouldbe applicabletoour farm."

Agriscience Winner

Forhisingenuityandabilitytoapply sciencetoagriculture,

Todd

was

named

the first national winner of the Agris- cience Student Recognition Program

(ASRP)

in

November

1988.

The

program

issponsored bythe

Monsanto

Agricul- tural

Company

asa special projectof the National

FFA

Foundation,Inc.

Todd

startedontheproject between his sophomore andjunior yearin high school."Ihad alwaysbeenactivein sci- encefairsandscienceclasses.Iwas doing researchforan

FFA

speechandI

came

across this idea of the electrostatic sprayer," saidTodd."Ijusthappenedto beinneedof a

new

sciencefairprojectat thetime.Itsoundedinteresting to

me

and

it

was

somethingthatcouldapplytoagri- culturedirectly."

Electrostatic sprayers are being re- searchedatuniversitiesandprivate

com-

panies.Although

some

cropproducersin thecountryhave adoptedthepractice, this type of sprayingis stillnotwidelyused.

Todd

said theprojectsof the

ASRP

fi-

nalistsjudgedat thenational

FFA

con- ventionlastfall were"diverse,andthat

was

good because people wereexperi- mentingwith

new

technologiesinareas theynormally workedonratherthanfo- cusingon what mightbe awinningproj- ect."

Todd

^isno

newcomer

toscience

com-

petitions.

He

enteredhisfirstsciencefair inthesixthgrade.

Between

theseventh and twelfthgrades, he qualified for the GreaterNebraska Science andEngineer- ing Fairfivetimes.

He won

thebotany divisiontwoof thoseyears.His science

Conestoga HighSchool.

Gary isalso aNebraskaAssociation

FFA

officer,servingasthesoutheast area vice president.

Inthefuture.Garysays hewouldei- ther like toget involvedwith amajorag- ricultural corporation or return to the family farm.His fatherandbrother cur- rentlyrun

Todd

Farms,wheretheyraise corn,soybeans and feedercattle. Gary

owns

a70-head cow-calfbusiness.

Withhis feetplanted firmlyinproduc- tionagricultureandhisnatural attraction toscience,Garywas askedabout the pos-

Todd

builta

one-row

fieldsprayerto test histheory

under

realconditions.

fairprojectsranged from

making

small robotstocloning carrotstodemonstrating hiselectrostaticsprayer.

A Bright Future

GaryisanAgricultureHonorsfresh-

man

atthe UniversityofNebraska-Lin- coln wherehe isconcentratingonagri- businessandfinance courses.

A

$6,000

FFA

scholarshipsponsored by

ConAgra

ishelpingpayhis tuition.

He was

valedic- torian of his 1988 graduating class at

sibilityof "agricultural sciencefairs" that couldbe runby themselvesor

combined

with existingcountyandstateagricultural fairs.

"Ithinkthey(agriculturalsciencefairs) should goright along with the regular fairs,saidTodd."At yourlocalcountyor statefairs,youalready areattractingthou- sandsof people.Havingscience projects therewould

show

thepublicboth aspects of

FFA members

and^letthemsee every-

thingatonce." •••

February-March, 1989 15

The Plan

of Action

Work

^is

underway to manage

18 amendments to the National FFA Constitution

Eighteen ^amendments

^totheConstitution of the National

FFA

Organizationwere approvedatthe 61st National

FFA

Convention,

November

9,

1988.

A numberof

these

amendments

requirechanges inthe

names

and symbols usedwith

many

of theor- ganization's publications, audio-visualsand Supply Service items.Othersaffectpoliciesandoperations ofthe local, stateandnationalorganizations.

AccordingtoLarry Case, national

FFA

advisor,

"changesvotedon bytheconventiondelegateswi be administeredbytheNational

FFA

Organizationin a

manner

thatisboth timelyandcost-effective."For example,itwillbe necessarytoreduce current inven- tory levelsof supplies before

new

itemscan bestocked becauseof the

money

investedinthecurrentinventory.

As

aresult,almostallSupplyService items, includ- ingmaterials for chapterbanquetsandstateconventions, willnot carry the

new names

and symbolsin1989.

Most

ofthe items withthe

new

terminologywillbegintosurfacejustprior tothe1990calenderyear,accordingtoDennisShafer, director of theSupplyService.

What

follows are ¹¹ of the key motions passedby the conventiondelegatesandan accompanyingplan of actionto informandassisteveryone

who

workswiththe

FFA

intheir tasksof ordering supplies, integratingchangesinto their

own

materials,andplanningforasmoothtransitionwiththeir

own

activities.

Certainphrasesarerepeatedindifferent sections.This

was

donetoinsuretheplanswereasclearaspossible.Informationfor thisarticle

was

obtainedfrom

"Amendments

totheNational

FFA

Constitution:

A

Guide to Implementation" which

was

recentlycompiledbystaff

members

ofthe National

FFA

Or- ganization.

Name of the Organization

Motion:

To amend

ArticleIoftheNational

FFA

Constitution toread:"The

name

of theOrganizationshallbetheNational

FFA

Organization.RecognizedunitsoftheOrganization

may

officiallyuse theletters

"FFA"

and/or thewords"FutureFarm- ersofAmerica"todesignatetheOrganization,itsunitsand/or members."

Plan of^action:Thischangeinterminologyiseffective

imme-

diatelyandshould beusedbyallchapterandstate

FFA

units

when

referencingthenationalorganization.Itwillappearinall materialsproduced in the future. Changes to any materials already prepared or in production will occur

when

normal reordering orredevelopmenttakeplace.

Thischangeof

name

isonlyfor thenational organization;

16

The words

"agriculturaleducation"

have

replaced "voca- tionalagriculture"inthe

FFA emblem.

statesandchapters

may

use the references

"FFA"

or"Future FarmersofAmerica"indesignatingtheirlocal unit.

Vocational Agriculture

Motion:

To amend

^theNational

FFA

Constitutionby chang- ing thewords"vocational agriculture"to"agriculturaleduca- tion"inallinstancesthroughoutthedocument wheretheearlier terms are used.

Plan of^action:Thischangeinterminologyiseffective

imme-

diatelyandwillbeusedinallreferencesbythenationalorgani- zationtotheeducationalprogramofhigh schoolagriculture.It willappearinallmaterialsproducedinthefuture.Changesto anymaterialsalreadyprepared orinproductionwilloccur

when

normalreordering orredevelopmenttake place. Stateand chap- terunitshavetheoptionof using a referencetotheeducational program whichthey

deem

appropriate.

Supervised Occupational Experience Programs

Motion:

To amend

theNational

FFA

Constitutionby changing TheNationalFUTUREFARMER

thewords"supervised occupationalexperienceprograms"to

"supervisedagriculturalexperienceprograms"inallinstances throughoutthe

document

wherethe earliertermsareused.

Plan ofaction:Thischangeinterminology(to

SAE)

iseffec- tiveimmediatelyandwillbeusedinallreferencesbythena- tionalorganizationtothe individualized,hands-onexperience programs conducted bystudents.Itwillappearinallmaterials producedin thefuture.Changes toany materials

already prepared orinproductionwilloccur

when

normalreordering orredevelopmenttakeplace.

Seventh and Eighth Grade Membership

Motion:

To amend

Article

V

oftheNational

FFA

Constitutiontoread:"Active

Membership — To

be eligibleforActive

membership

inachartered

FFA

chapter, astudentmust beenrolledinasecondary agriculturaleducationprogram.StateAssociations

may

consider"secondaryagriculturaleducation pro- grams"tobe grades 7-12."

Plan ofaction: Effectiveimmediately,thisamend- ment

makes

itpossibletoextend

FFA membership

to 7thand8thgradeprogramsifthestudents are en- rolled in a secondary agricultural education pro- gram. State associations will decide individually whatgrades between7and 12

may

be considered partofasecondaryagriculturaleducationprogram.

Names of Active and Honorary Degrees of Membership

Motion:

To amend

theNational

FFA

Constitution bydeleting the

word

"Farmer" fromthe

names

of the activeand honorarydegrees of

membership

andin- serting theletters

"FFA"

in all thedegree

names

includingtheGreenhandDegree.

Plan ofaction:Thischangeinthe

name

of

FFA

degreesiseffectiveimmediatelyand andwillappear inallmaterialsproducedinthefuture.Changesto anymaterialsalreadypreparedorinproductionwill

become

available sometime during the 1989-90 schoolyear.

Chapter FFA Degree Requirements

Motion:

To amend

Article VI, Section

C

of the National

FFA

Constitution by adding the words

"...theequivalent ofatleast180 hoursofsystematic school instruction in agricultural education at or abovetheninthgradelevel..." to

number

2andto include:^"4.

Have

earnedandproductively invested at least$150 bythe

member's own

effortsorworked at leastforty-fivehoursinexcess ofscheduledclass time,or acombinationthereof,and have developed plansforcontinuedgrowth and improvementina supervisedagriculturalexperienceprogram."

Plan ofaction: Becausemostchaptershaveal- readybegunoperationsfor thisyearunderthe oldre- quirementsfor thedegree,itis

recommended

that chaptersbegin usingthe

new

provisionsduringthe 1989-90school year.

investedatleastSI,

000

orworkedatleastthreehundred hours inexcess ofscheduledclasstime, oracombinationthereof,ina supervisedagriculturalexperienceprogram."

Plan ofaction: Becausemoststateshavealreadybegunopera- tions for thisyearundertheoldrequirementsforthestatedegree,

itis

recommended

thatstatesbegin using the

new

provisions during the1989-90schoolyear.

DennisShafer, director of the

FFA Supply

Service,says

much

ofthe

$500,000 worthof

Supply

Service inventory

needs

tobesoldbefore items carrying the revised

emblem

can bereleased.

State FFA Degree Requirements

Motion:

To amend

ArticleVI, Section

D

oftheNational

FFA

Constitution to include: ^"4.

Have

earned and productively

State FFA Degree Quotas

Motion:

To amend

Article VI.Section

D

of the National

FFA

ConstitutionbydeletingtheparagraphestablishingaStatequota systemand adding^thephrase:"Thepercentage of thetotal state (Continued onPage38) February-March, 19H9

Suburban Schools Update

Agriculture and FFA Programs

Many New Jersey schools see the change necessary

By

Matthew Greco

A

^tallchaelban neighborhood,^{andJames wasseriousyouthraised}but^ofinhe^a17,subur-wants^Mi- toenter acareerinagricultural produc- tion.His idea ofagriculturalproduction, however, isoutof themainstream. Mi- chaelwantstostudy aquaculture,some- times

known

as fishproduction.

As New

Jersey's greenfieldsof corn, soybeansandvegetables areturnedinto crops ofhousesunder wavesofdevelop- ment, high school agricultureand

FFA

programs have beenfaced withaunique challenge:

How

do youcreateand main- tainaninterest inagricultureandprovide a practicaland meaningfuleducation for today'shigh school student?

The

answerisasvariedasthechanging fieldof agricultureitself.

At

Newton

High Schoolinnorthwest

New

Jersey,programsinnaturalresources, landscapemanagement,floraldesignand ornamentalhorticulturehave beenstarted thathavegathered studentinterestdespite the decrease offarminginthearea.

"We

don'thave farmkids

coming

here

anymore — maybe

three or four at the most," says Agriculture Department Chairman

Dave

Pede.

"Where

cankidsgo andusefarmingskillstoday?"

"You

havetolookat thecountyandsay, 'Wherecanthispersonbeemployed?'^"

saysPede.

Making

useoftheregion'shigh

num-

ber ofstateparksandwildlife areas, the school'sNaturalResourcesclass learns aboutwildlifemanagement,forestryand ruraloutdoormanagement. Whetherit's tripsintothe

woods

tolearnaboutdeer habitat, clearing unwanted trees from woodlotsorhelpingthe state's fishhatch- erystockingprogram,thestudentsgain first-hand experience in agriculturally related fields.

For Michael James, these trips and classroom sessions about trout-related ecosystems have developedhis interest in aquaculture. Its connection to fanning and agriculture's overall importance is

obvioustoMichael. Without protection of the complete environment, such ^as eliminatingsoilerosion,he asks,

how

can

thefood chain survive?

Pedesays the

new

agriculture courses offerstudents theop- portunitytogo onto college for forestry, outdoorrecreation or related majors. For students

who

go di- rectly into the

work

force there arejobsin sportinggoodsstores, asrecreationcounsel- ors and in outdoor camps.

Just

in

Time

InCentral

New

Jer- sey's Freehold High School, agriculture teacher

Cheryl Knapman

savedoneof theoldest

FFA

chap- tersin thestatefrom extinctionthroughan equine

management

program. Since Free- hold lost its produc- tion agriculture hold aboutfiveyears ago.

the

FFA

chapter had dwindledtonear noth- ing.Butenrollmentin the high school pro-

gram

has

now

"sky- rocketed."she says.

Equine Manage-

ment"is justwherethe

need is rightnow," sincea majorrace track,thoroughbred farmsand numerous smallerhorsefarmsareinthearea,says

Knapman.

Students are given hands-on experi- encewith basicequinehealth, training, cleaning and veterinary skills. Jobs at boardingfarms, tackshopsand eventhe stateracingcommission have opened up to students.

And

the local

community

college

now

offers an equine manage- mentcourse thatisanextensionof the hich school's course.

Newton FFA member Tom Krug

helpswiththefallplanting of

chrysanthemums.

The

high school agriculture program

now

has plentyof

community

supportas wellasstudent support,says

Knapman,

andthe

FFA

chapterhas

won

thestate's

"most improvedchapter"award.

New Classes

AtWarrenHillsinWestern

New

Jersey dairy

cows

are

making way

intheanimal

bam

forsheep,guineapigsandrabbits.

Large farms in Warren County have beenparceledintosmallerlotswithnewer (ContinuedonPage22) TheNationalFUTURE FARMER

As a Light Fighter

in

todays Army

you'll

always he

learning,

moving, thinking on your

feet.

Time and time again

you'll

meet the greatest challenge

of

them

^all

— yourself

You'll

learn

to

face the tough problems,

to

think them through, and find the

solution.

Being an Army Light Fighter

means adventure, pride and confidence. And that

gives

you

a real

edge on

life.

What's more,

it

you

qualify,

you can earn up

to

$25,200 through the Montgomery GI

Bill

plus the Army College Fund.

For more information

call

1-800-USA- n ^{w± km ^M} rp _{All V^\ll />Akl DB?}

ARMY, or see your

local

Army

recruiter.

AKfflT.DC ALL TUU WAN ^DE,.

; - .^_»>^:

&"f

LimM

MEET THE GREATEST

OF THEM ALL. T _\>

YOURSELF.

;'

-5^

ChapterScoop

F FA In Action Joke Page

Mailbag

Suburban Schools

It's Your Turn to Write!

Do ^the

titles

above look familiar

to

you? They

should. These departments

in

your magazine, The Na-

tional

FUTURE FARMER,

rely totally

on the

letters

and press releases we get from

FFA members and chapters.

We'd

like

to hear from you, especially

^if

you've never written us before.

You don't have to be the chapter president or the

reporter, just

someone who wants

to

share some news, a laugh or an opinion with your fellow members.

If

you have news, jokes or opinions you would

liketo

see published, send them

to:

•

FFA

in

Action,

•

Chapter Scoop,

•

Mailbag

•

Joke Page

at

the following address

National FUTURE FARMER

P.O. Box 15160 Alexandria, VA 22309

families oftenjustraising afewsheep, says high school agriculture teacher

Bob

Sills.

Forstudents fromthesefamilies,theani- mal husbandry program allows them to handlelargeranimalsandlearnasense of traditionalfarming,hesays.

The

smaller laboratoryanimalsarepart ofa developingprogram in bio-tech re- search.Becauseitisagriculturallyrelated, theprogramallows studentstogo ontopre- veterinaryor agribusiness courses incol- lege,saysSills."The agriscience courses teach the principles of science through agriculture.Itgives students abetterunder- standing."hesays.

Jay Rupell. another high school agricul- tureteacheratWarrenHills,says thecorn productionequipmentattheschoolisbeing soldthisyeartobuild asecondgreenhouse.

Beddingplants,cut flowersand ornamen-

talshrubswillbegrown.Sincegreenhouses areineverypartof the county, studentswill learn theessentialstheyneedforjobsinthis field,says Rupell.

Studentsat

Newton

willalsouse agreen- houseto

grow

shrubs they plant intheir

(Continuedfrom Page18)

landscape

management

program.

The

landscape plans they

work

offofwill

come

from computerdesigns the stu- dentsthemselvesmake,saysPede.

Corn production equip- ment at the school

is

being sold

this

year to build a second green-

house.

"Using computers is

how we

try to

show

thewhole project. Ithelps,"he says.

And

it'snot onlyeducational,it's fun.Pedeasserts,sincestudents seethat computerscan be

more

thanjustspread sheets.

And

forstudentslikeMichael James, thatcan

make

allthedifference. •••

Carrie Perentin (left)

and

Lisa

Marsh

ofthe

New-

ton

FFA

Chapter,

work on

a natural

resource

soft-

ware program

de- veloped by Car- rie'sbrother.

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