Proceedings, 1997

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The 70th National FFA Convention

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EUILDINCTHEFUTURE

^@

New

Ground 74

Business 59

CareerDevelopment Events(Contests) 18 CareerShow

&

Hallof States 56-57

Chorus 47

CommitteeReports

Auditing 72

AgricultureEducationTrends 62

Career SuccessActivities 64

ChapterActivities 63

communications&PublicRelations 65

FFA Publications 71

Leadership& PersonalDevelopment 66 Marketing& Merchandising 67 MembershipRecruitment &Participation 69

NationalFFA Convention 73

Nominating 72

PartnerDevelopment 70

Programof Activities 68 Convention Overview 3-7 Convention Speakers 38-39

CourtesyCorps 58

Distinguished Service Citations 53 Extemporaneous Speaking Contest..15 Honorary American

FFA

Degrees 50-51

H.O.Sargent

Award

54

NationalChapterAwards 30-31 National OfficerCandidates 19

New

NationalOfficers 75

OfficialDelegates 60-61

PreparedPublicSpeakingContestl6-17

ProficiencyAwards 8-11

RetiringAddresses

CoreyRosenbusch 32-33

HollyBentley 34-35

BradMontgomery 35-36

RayStarling 40-41

CharlieJones 42-43

RachelFehringer 44-45

Sponsors 52-53

StarsOver America 20-21

Talent 48

VIPCitations 49

The 70th

National

FFA Convention VOLUME LXX

The 70thNational

FFA

ConventionProceedingsispublishedbytheNational

FFA

Organization as arecord ofitsannual conventionheldinKansasCity,Missouri,

November

12-15, 1997.

Editor

LynnHamilton, California

Associate Editors Jennifer West, California SueBattel,Michigan

Art Director JodyMatties,Colorado

Desktop

Publisher

and

Photo Editor

ShellyRichardson,

Oklahoma

Photo Processor Peter Wiflnt,Oregon

Managing

Editor Kathcrine Page, Tennessee

Photographers

Cameron

Craig,Oregon

Sam

Harrcl,Alaska Lightfoot Photography,Missouri KellyRogers,Missouri EdZurga, Missouri

Letter from the Editor,

ScVCUtij years

OCjO,

FFA

startedbuildingitsfoundationinKansasCity.Thatlegacy of leadershiphaspositively affectedthelivesof millions of

young

people

who

have passed throughFFAsranks.

The 133J ^National FFA Convention added

even

more

toFFAs chargeof buildingthe future.

A

recordattendanceof44,021filledeveryavailablespaceinMunicipal Auditorium

and

surgedthroughtheNationalAgncultural CareerShow.

The

inspiration

and

excitement

was

palpable as the sea ofblue

and

gold swelledintoovations

and

cheers duringconventionsessions.

ThejTOCeedlTUjS Staff was

just asthrilled torecord those

moments

foryou. In thefollowing76pages)

you

willseethecombinationofdedication,talent,energyand enthusiasmthatbringsalivethespiritofconvention.

New

technology

made

our jobsa little

more

efficientthisyear,butyou're theelementthatalways

makes

^itworthwhile.

One person who held a deep belief

in theworth

and

talentsof

FFA members was Rom

Horan,of theNational

FFA Communications

ResourcesTeam.

Her

careerat

FFA

spanned 45years,

and

she

was

theepitomeofdedicationandserviceto

young

people.She passedfrom uslastJune,but her^spiritwillalwaysbe withus.To her

we

dedicate the70th edition of theProceedings.

We hope that thzjolhwina paaes

give

you

atasteof

what happened

in

and

aroundthenationalconventionthisyear,

and

gives

you

the inspiration to buildyourfuture in the

FFA and

beyond. See

you

nextyear!

'Bestwiskes,

Ujnn Hamilton, Editor

PreparedandpublishedbytheNationalFFAOrganizationincooperation withthe U.S.Department of Educationasaservicetostateandlocal agriculturaleducationagencies.The NationalFFAOrganization affirms^itsbelief in thevalueofall

human

beingsandseeks diversity initsmembership,leadershipand staff asanequal opportunityemployer.

©

(3)

NATIONAL

FFATalk Mall Guest Book The 70th National FFA Convention t)

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Bidldlruj the

Future

Friendsforma basis ofsupport for each other.Theexperiences of the national

FFA

conventionbondstrangers together

m

enduringways.

Buildingasolidstructure requires,

among

other things,a building plan,astrong foundation, therighttoolsforthe rightjob,

and cooperation between

allofthe partiesin-

volved

inthe construction.

People

are also

key

tothe success,

from

the architecttothecontractor

and everyone

in

between.

Justas abuilder constructs

one

floor at atime

around

a foundation,

FFA members

buildtheirfuturesin stages,

always

a

work

inprogress.

Even

before thefirst

chapter

meeting,

members have

already

considered what

they

hope

togain

from

the experience,

and how

touseittoachieve

their

personal

goals.

With

this

plan

asa basis,theysetout tobuildtheir

dreams by moving from one

level tothe next,

Greenhand

to

Chapter FFA Degree and

so on.

FFA members who came

to

Kansas

Citythisyear

were put

to achallenge:

develop

theleadershipskills

and

confi-

dence

tocreateafuture that

meets

the

needs

of the organization

and

the

world, and move with

direction

and purpose

into thenext

millennium.

In the

few days

that

marked

the

culmination

of theyear,

FFA members proved they had what

ittakestobuild thefuture.

3

(4)

The 'Best Laidj^lans

Strategy

was

the

name

ofthe

game

for visitors tothe

70th

National

FFA Convention. With

nine

convention

sessions, threedances,

338

exhibitorsatthe

FFA

National Agricul- tural

Career Show, 32

educationaltours,

21 workshops and

five

keynote

speakersall

on

offer

— and only

four

days

to takeitallin

—

it

was

achallengetofind

enough hours

in the

day

tosee everything.

Many were not

surprisedtofind

themselves happily

sleep-deprived.

Thefutureisa happyprospect for thesetwo delegates

from

Hawaii, HelenaAl-lhubaisi and Filamer Gamr. Their smiles are as welcomingto

members

astheir state's sign.

But

forthose

who were

in

KC

participating

m

career

development

events, strategy

took on

a

whole new mean-

ing.

Fhe

best

teams and

individuals

from

across the

country came

to

compete

fortop

honors

in

dozens

of events,

and

practice,

timing and planning were

essential to

developing

a

winning

style.

For

other

convention

visitors,

keynote

speakers

and award winners

offered

words

of

encouragement

that inspiredlisteners to draftplansforaction.

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NATIONAL

The 70th National FFA Convention i i

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Dazzlinglaserlightshows capped_offconventionsessions, accompanied byslides,musicandsmoketopresenta showfor eyes andears.

More

than 44,000peoplewatchedtheconvention'sevents unfold

from

themainarena,oronclosed-circuittelevision inBartle.

Seatinginthearenawas rearrangedto

accommodate

moreattendees, andthe Reflectionsprogram and openingsessionwereheld twiceto alloweveryonetotakepart.

Thestagemightbein thismembers'future,

who

entertained the audiencewith amelodyinSpanish during a National

FFA

Talent Revue performance.

Many

aspiringsingers,musicians

and

dancers showedtheirforteinfront ofan audienceof thousands.

A fowndationfor Excellence

A broad

base of corporate,

community and alumni support

is the

bedrock

of the

FFA. Convention-goers cheered

theirthanks to

hundreds

of

sponsonng

organizations

and companies

that contributedarecord

sum

of$7.1milliontotheNational

FFA

Foundation.

Other former members,

along

with

business

and community

leaders,

were honored

foroutstanding achieve-

ment and contnbutions

totheorganization.

Members hoped

to

cash

in

on

experience,

education and

service.Stars

Over America

finalists

spent

years laying the

groundwork

for their

SAE

projects,

and

itpaidofffor

South

Dakota's

Mike Mclntyre and

Ohio's

Mark Dudgeon,

this year's Stars.Six

dedicated members from

a fieldof

39 were

selectedfortheultimate servicerole,nationalofficer.

Other convention

attendees

made

contacts

and

built

networks

forgetting that

dream

job.

5

(6)

NationalSecretaryHolly Bentleyand NationalPresidentCorey Rosenbusch untangle themselves

from

caution tape duringthe Reflections session

Wednesday

evening.Thesessionkicked_offthe70th National

FFA

Conventionanditstheme,

"Building the Future." Construction metaphorsandterminologyabounded duringtheconvention as

members

were challengedtobuild theskills tolead

FFA

intothenext century.

NATIONAL

TheTQtli Malional FFA Convention ii

A

participantintheNationalDairy Foods Career Development Event closelyinspectsatoolof the trade; the inside ofan automaticmilker.

She

and

thehundredsof other contestantsⁱⁿthe

CDFs

delvedtheir

own

toolboxes ofskills to testthemselves against the bestinthenation.

Tools of the Trade

From

eventsthat

develop career-buildmg

skillslikepublic speaking,toinnovativeeducational

programs such

asthe Agriscience Fair that

make

the

most

oflearning

opportuni-

ties,

FFA

givesstudents the gearforsuccess.

As

the

con-

struction

crew

in

downtown Kansas

City

used

actualtools to

complete

the additiontothe

downtown

Marriott,

FFA convention-goers

gota

glimpse

of the

symbolic

toolsthey

needed

tobring goals

within

theirreach.

Convention

participants

sought

all

kinds

of

ways

to

make

aconnection. Visitorstothe career

show were tuned

in tothe potential of the

information superhighway

for research

and

reachingout.

Thanks

toregular

updates

furnished

by

National

FFA

Online,

members

across the

country could keep up with

the

goings-on

in

Kansas

City.

Other

visitors

chose

the

low-tech approach

to

communica-

tions,

and

the

exchange

ofideas flourishedinconversation

among newfound

friends.

Some

tools

put

a

new

spin

on

theperception of"typi- cal"

FFA members. The glimmering

shine ofpolished brass

shed

light

on members'

proficiency in the

performing

arts as

musicians

inthe National

FFA Band

to

commemorate 50

years of entertaining

FFA

audiences.

6

(7)

NATIONAL

.,

The 70th National FFA Convention 4S

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People

came from

far and widetoexperience the convention.

Suitcasesloaded withofficialdressand heavycoatswereseen being unloaded

from

taxicabs, busesand vansalloverKansasCity.

Focusandobservation areimportantelements of awinning judgingstyle,asdemonstrated by thisfloriculturecontestant.Convention-goers were urgedtofocusontheirgoals

and

lookfor opportunitiesineverysituation.

Teamwork

Participants inthisyears

convention found

strength in

numbers. Over 44,000 members, supporters and

guests

made

the

annual midwestern

pilgrimageto

support and

celebrate the

accomplishments

of

outstanding members.

The

bestaspects of

teamwork were on

display

throughout

theconvention.

Judging teams

testedthelimitsoftheir

combined knowledge and reaped

the

mutual

fruitsofvictory.Officer

teams explored

the

importance

of

commitment

to

each

otherto

ensure

success of the chapters'goals.In

committee

meetings, delegates

engaged

in

open

discussion

about

the futuredirection of the

FFA and

its

programs. Even

the

band and chorus performed

togetherinconcert.

For

those

who were making

theirfirsttrip to

Kansas City

the

stream

ofblue

corduroy

flowing

through down- town

streets

made

the

world seem

alittlesmaller,

and many

fastfriendships

were formed.

Entirechapters

came

tothe

convention by

bus,tram,plane

and automobile, allowing everyone

toshare in the

experience and

creatingcollective

memories

forthe attendees.

7

(8)

Proficiency Awards

The

largest

number

of

members

ever, 159, strode across the stage Fridaytoaccept

honors

asnationalproficiency

awards

finalists.

During

the

week,

thefinalists

were

interviewed

and

theirrecord

books were

inspectedto

determine

thenational

winners

in

each

area.

Each member

inthiselite

group has

a

remarkable

supervised experience

program

in

one

ofthe

41

proficiencyareas.

Whether

thestudents

had

expertise inoil

crop

production, raisinggoats or

studying

nativeplant species,theyall

had an award

area

which recognized

theirdiverse

range

of

programs. Each

national

winner

receiveda

plaque and

a

cash award, and

allfinalists

have

the

opportunity

to

apply

for

an

international

FFA

travelexperience.

National

winners appear below

in

bold

face type.

AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS

&

SonsCompany; FarmProgress Companies,Inc.;andABC,Inc.

Foundation

CALIFORNIA: Amy

L.

Bauman,

Las

Plumas INDIANA:

Eric Steiner,

South Adams

OHIO: Brian

K.

Hathaway,

Greenville

OKLAHOMA: Rebecca

L.

Walker,Panola

AG MECH/TECHNI- CAL SYSTEMS, ENTREPRENEUR

Sponsored by

CARQUEST

CorporationandChryslerCorpora- tion-DodgeTrucks

IOWA: Nathan

D.Franzen,

G&G

OKLAHOMA: ^Kevin W

Mehler, Guthrie

TEXAS: Matthew Howell,

Sulphur Springs WISCONSIN:

Seth Berg,

Pulaski

AG MECH/TECHNI- CAL SYSTEMS, PLACEMENT

CALIFORNIA: Brandon M.

Mandala, Chowchilla

COLORADO: Zachary

L.

Breazeale,

Eaton INDIANA:

Kyle

Wattenbarger,

Shenandoah WISCONSIN: Matthew

Q.

Quade, Randolph

AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING

FLORIDA: Nick

Stubbs,

Hamilton County KANSAS: Kurt

A.Phillips,

Chapman NORTH CAROLINA:

Nathan

Wells,

South Rowan OHIO: David M.

Hissong,

Greenville

AGRICULTURAL SALES AND/OR SERVICE

CHEVY TRUCKSJhe

GoodyearTire

&

RubberCompany; andVigortone AgProducts

LOUISIANA: Lacy

D.

Fortenberry Mt.

Hermon MARYLAND: Denny Ogg,

Frederick

SOUTH DAKOTA:

Justin

M.

Retzlaff,

Groton TENNESSEE: Chnstal

Ledford,Bradley Central

BEEF PRODUCTION, ENTREPRENEUR

Sponsored byNascoDivision/Nasco International,Incorporatedand Schering-PloughAnimal Health

IOWA:

Holly A. Blackford,

Linn-Mar

OKLAHOMA: Blake Drinnon, Thomas SOUTH DAKOTA: Cade

Peterson,

Chamberlain VIRGINIA:

Chris Curry,

Buffalo

Gap

BEEF PRODUCTION, PLACEMENT

INDIANA:

Travis Scherer,

Benton

Central

MINNESOTA: Ryan

L.

Steele,

Alden-Conger

OKLAHOMA: Grant

Turner,

Amber-Pocasset UTAH: Marc

K.Henrie,

Panguitch

CEREAL GRAIN PRODUCTION

Sponsored by

CENEX FOUNDATION KANSAS:

StevenFriess,

Labette

County LOUISIANA:

PatnckJ.

Thibodeaux,

Lacassine

MISSOURI: Brian

L.

Yarbrough, Palmyra TEXAS: Greg Lapham,

Sealy

Cheered on byhis advisor,

Andy

Tygrett oj the Wilton, Iowa,

FFA

ChaptercelebrateswinningtheNational Floriculture ProficiencyAward.

8

(9)

A

screamof excitement goes out

when

EricE.Kracke's

name

iscalled as the

1997

DiversifiedCropProductionEntrepreneurship proficiency

award

winner. Krackeisa

member

of the Wilber-Clateria

EFA

ChapterofNebraska.

DAIRY PRODUCTION, ENTREPRENEUR

SponsoredbyABSGlobal,Inc.;Alfa Laval AgriInc.;and

Manna

Pro Corporation,"The Calf

Manna®

Company."

CALIFORNIA:

Traci Ferreira,

Hanford MINNESOTA: Jason

J.

Schroeder,

New Ulm NORTH CAROLINA:

Matthew

L.Stegall,

Piedmont

UTAH: Spencer

Liston,

Payson

DAIRY PRODUCTION, PLACEMENT

Sponsored byProtiva,a Unit of MonsantoCompany

CALIFORNIA: Daniel

Martin, Tulare Western ILLINOIS: Matthew

R.

McClaren,

Carlyle

UTAH: David Thomas,

Payson

WISCONSIN:

Christopher_J.

McCann, Reedsburg

DIVERSIFIED CROP, ENTREPRENEUR

CALIFORNIA: Ryan M.

Sweeney,

Kingsburg MINNESOTA:

Bradley D.

Baumgardt,

Sleepy

Eye NEBRASKA:

EricE.

Kracke, Wilber-Clatonia TENNESSEE: Jon M. Moore,

Halls

DIVERSIFIED CROP PRODUCTION, PLACEMENT

Sponsored by National Crop InsuranceServices;AgrEvo;and UnitedAgriProducts

CALIFORNIA: Matthew

Limas, Tulare

Union INDIANA: Ryan

_J.Allbaugh,

Carroll

OKLAHOMA: Jody Jack-

son,

Thomas

WISCONSIN:

Scott Holland, Pardeeville

DIVERSIFIED LIVESTOCK, ENTREPRENEUR

Sponsored by AnimalNutrition Division/ContinentalGrain Company

COLORADO: George

S.Reid II,

Crowley County IOWA: Andy Muff, Ventura

Lakeside

LOUISIANA: Mandy

Walker,

Hathaway

MISSOURI: Court Aeschliman,

Schuyler

DIVERSIFIED LIVE- STOCK, PLACEMENT

Sponsored by Continental Grain Company,CattleFeeding

&

Pork Divisions;AllflexUSA,Inc.;and UnitedSoybean Board

CALIFORNIA:

Tyler Storey, Santa

Ynez

IOWA: Benjamin F

Yetter,

Earlham

OHIO: Nick

Derr,

Upper Sandusky

UTAH: Dusty Bingham, Box

Elder

EQUINE SCIENCE

&

WireCompany

INDIANA: Kimberly

L.

Yocum, Whiteland IOWA: Rebecca

R.Miller,

Valley

KANSAS: Wade

A.Reh,

Inman

WISCONSIN: Amanda

Riley.

Waupaca

National EnvironmentalScience Proficiency

Award

winner

LaRena

Smithhappily accepts her

award

whileher Thomas,Okla.,

FFA

AdvisorDaleGlazier lookson.

EMERGING AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

CALIFORNIA:

Katie Godfrey,

La

Sierra

ILLINOIS: Jamie

Herring,

Rochelle

MINNESOTA:

StacyK.

Stoltenberg,Pipestone/

Jasper

WISCONSIN:

TracyR.

Anderson, Sun

Prairie

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Sponsored by

IMC

GlobalInc.and Carolina BiologicalSupplyCompany

INDIANA: James

Wolheter,

PrairieHeights

IOWA:

Scott

Johnson,

G&G

OHIO: Ross

Stoller,

Wayne

Trace

OKLAHOMA: LaRena Smith, Thomas

FEED GRAIN PRODUCTION, ENTREPRENEUR

Sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred International,Inc.

KANSAS:

Justin

Newland, Neodesha

KENTUCKY:

Justin Tabor.

Scottsville

NORTH DAKOTA:

Eric Mairs,

Lisbon WISCONSIN: Douglas

L.

Jung,

Randolph

FEED GRAIN PRODUCTION, PLACEMENT

Sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred International,Inc.

ILLINOIS: James Mead, Amboy

NEBRASKA: Rob

A. Chatt.

Tekamah-Herman OHIO: Mark

A.Schiff,

Teays

Valley

WISCONSIN: Zeb

Zuehls.

Montello

S

(10)

FIBER CROP PRODUCTION

Sponsoredby theNationalFFA FoundationGeneralFund

CALIFORNIA: Chad

Crivelli,

Dos Palos GEORGIA:

JarrellSapp,

Colquitt

County TENNESSEE: Matt

Ross,

Dyer County

WISCONSIN:

BrianJ.Eckes, Marshfield

FLORICULTURE

Sponsored by AmericanFloral EndowmentjheKrogerCompany;

andValentU.S.A.Corp.

CALIFORNIA:

Alyssia

M. Maze,

Tulare

Union IOWA: Andrew

R. Tygrett,

Wilton

OHIO:

Carrie Prince,

Cardington

OKLAHOMA:

RosslynC.

Spencer,

Chickasha

FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Sponsored by GeneralMills Foundation;Mariani PackingCo., Inc.;andtheNationalFFA FoundationGeneralFund

NEBRASKA:

Travis

M. Walker, Norfolk

NORTH DAKOTA: Matthew

P.Knorr,Velva

OHIO:

Christopher Knight,

Wayne County WASHINGTON: Luanne

Garside,

Wenatchee

FORAGE PRODUCTION

Sponsored by GehlCompany and NovartisSeeds,Inc.

NORTH CAROLINA: Aaron

J.Stegall,

Piedmont

OKLAHOMA: Bob

Berkenbile,

Morrison TENNESSEE: Bradley

Carroll,

Powell

Valley

UTAH: Alan

Rail,

Wasatch

FOREST MANAGEMENT

Sponsored byChryslerCorporation Fund-DodgeTrucks;John Deere ConsumerProducts;andStone Container Corporation

ALABAMA: Randy

J.

Newman, Randolph- Roanoke

IOWA: Alex

Smith,

Red Oak TEXAS: Michael

Taylor,

Nacogdoches WISCONSIN: Erik

R.

Kurth, Pulaski

FRUIT AND/OR VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

&

^Stratton Corporation Foundation,Inc.

CALIFORNIA:

Eric Harcksen,

Atwater IDAHO: Ty M. Beck, Burley ILLINOIS: Adam

C. Viall,

Manteno

UTAH:

JerryL.Fowers,

Payson

HOME AND/OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Sponsored by

DeWALT

High PerformanceIndustrialTools

INDIANA: Gunther W.

Kreps,

Wawasee LOUISIANA:

JasonL.

Fontenot, Lacassine

MONTANA:

Jeff

Morgan,

Shields Valley

WISCONSIN:

JanelT.

Pagenkopf,

Bloomer

LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT

MINNESOTA:

Philip C.Skoglund, Tracy

NORTH CAROLINA:

Jimmy Brown, Madison

OHIO: Jerrod Hansel,

Live

Oaks TEXAS: Tyson

Hall-

mark, Snyder

OIL CROP PRODUC- TION, PLACEMENT

Sponsored by United Soybean E>oard;AsgrowSeedCompany; and AgrEvo

KENTUCKY:

Charlie

Hayden,

Apollo

MINNESOTA: Jeremy

S.

Ibberson, Sleepy

Eye

SOUTH DAKOTA: Mike

Schock,

McCook

Central

WISCONSIN: James

R.

Evans, Randolph

A

stunned

Mark

Schijjjrom JeaysValley,Ohio,iscongratulatedbya fellowfinalistfortheNationalFeed GrainProductionPlacement

ProficiencyAward.

NURSERY OPERATIONS

Sponsored byChrysler CorporationFund-Dodge TrucksandMerial

FLORIDA: Chad

A.

Branford,

North Marion INDIANA: Joseph

Fortman, Woodlan IOWA: Kelsey

Stansberry,

Linn-Mar

KENTUCKY:

ChrisElliott,

Jessamine County

OIL CROP PRODUCTION, ENTREPRENEUR

Sponsored by Chicago Board of TradeandNovartis Seeds,Inc.

ILLINOIS: Josh

Merdian,

Midland

IOWA: Jason

D.

Sanders, Vinton

NEBRASKA: Cindy Stockamp,

Scribner-Snyde

TENNESSEE: Matthew

Stark,East

Robertson

Forty-one

FFA members

were honored Fridayforachievementinsupervised agriculturalexperienceprograms.TyBeck

jumps

_forjoy as hewinstheNational

Fruitand/orVegetable Production ProficiencyAward.

OUTDOOR

RECREATION

Sponsored by

CHEVY

TRUCKS;

0.FMossberg andSons,Inc.;and SchradeCutlery

ILLINOIS: Rebecca

I.

Grimm,

Alexis

MINNESOTA: Wendy

A.

Jasper,

LeRoy-Ostrander NEVADA: Kimberly Newton,

Smith

Valley

WISCONSIN: Keith

A.

Caulfield,

Montello

10

(11)

POULTRY PRODUCTION

Sponsored by Chore-Time EquipmentDivisionofCTB Incorporated;Schering-Plough Animal Health; United Soybean Board;andDegussa

CALIFORNIA:

Calvin Kelch,

Golden West

MINNESOTA: Brian

V.

Joyer, Forest

Lake

NORTH CAROLINA:

Chris Crot.

Sun

Valley

WISCONSIN:

Christine

M.

Bertram,

New

Holstein

SHEEP PRODUCTION

CALIFORNIA: Jason W

Evanson,

Santa

Maria IOWA: Amy

R.

Mounce,

Alburnett

LOUISIANA: Lana

Myers,

Hathaway

OHIO: Beth

Adae, Blanchester

SMALL ANIMAL CARE

Sponsored byNovartisAnimal HealthU.S., Inc.

CALIFORNIA:

Justin

Van Deusen,

Elk

Grove KENTUCKY:

Sarah Casey,

Jessamine County INDIANA: Michelle

L.

Hershberger, Wawasee OKLAHOMA:

Kelly

Christensen,

Thomas SOIL AND WATER MANAGEMENT

Sponsored by AmericanCyanamid Company,AgriculturalProducts Division

ILLINOIS: Annette M.

Miller,

Nokomis NEBRASKA: Matthew

Mottl,

Fullerton

NORTH CAROLINA:

Eric L.Deal,

South Rowan SOUTH DAKOTA:

Kari

Horsley,

Wessington

Springs

SPECIALTY ANIMAL PRODUCTION

SponsoredbyPurinaMills, Inc.;

American Dairy GoatAssociation;

andCountry General

CALIFORNIA: Laura

A.

Baker, Sanger

LOUISIANA: Candice

D.

Alexander,

Hathaway PENNSYLVANIA:

Carleen

M.

Vorisek,Linesville

WISCONSIN: Brian

F.

Burma, Black Hawk- South Wayne SPECIALTY CROP PRODUCTION

Sponsored byElfAtochem North America,Inc.;KubotaTractor Corporation;Na-ChursPlantFood Company; andWilbur-Ellis Company

CALIFORNIA:

Peter

Hansen,

Camarillo

FLORIDA:

Santa

Anna M.

Deas

IV,

Hamilton County IDAHO: CeLes

Beck, Burley

OKLAHOMA: Roy Branch, Chickasha

SWINE PRODUCTION, ENTREPRENEUR

Sponsored byPfizerAnimal Health DivisionandPurinaMills, Inc.

IDAHO:

^Trevor^Bott,

Minico IOWA: Luke

R.

Brown,

Hawkeye OKLAHOMA: ^Brad

J.

Atkinson,

Cheyenne WISCONSIN: Adam

_J.

Hahn,

Randolph

SWINE PRODUC- TION, PLACEMENT

Sponsored byPfizerAnimal Health andCarl S.Akey,Inc.

INDIANA: Jeremy Meek,

Carroll

IOWA: Brian

Pitzen,St.

Ansgar

MINNESOTA: Heather

King, Stewartville

SOUTH DAKOTA: Brock

Streff,

McCook

Central

TURF GRASS MANAGEMENT

CALIFORNIA: Summer

S.

Kostik,

Morro Bay IOWA: Kevin

Jones,

Montezuma MINNESOTA: Shawn

P.

Linder,Battle

Lake WISCONSIN: Troy D.

Ambrose, Amherst

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

ILLINOIS: Josh

Mussatto,

Seneca

INDIANA: Larry

D. Kees,

Woodlan

OHIO:

TravisKelly

West Muskingum

WISCONSIN: Tim E.James,

Darlington

An

ecstaticGunther Krepsof theWawasee,Ind.,

FFA

Chaptershareshisproficiency

award

for

Home

and/or

Community

Developmentwithhis advisor.

.:«

11

(12)

Agriscience Student Recognition Program

Sponsored

by

Monsanto Crop

ProtectionBusiness

Traci

Temmen,

the

1997

Agriscience

Student

oftheYear,

was

ableto

combine her

interestin

beef production and

science intoalucrativenational

award. Her hard work and innovation earned her

a

$5,000

scholarship,

which

shewill useto

pay

for

her pre-vetennary education

attheUniversity ofMissouri.

Temmen

isa

member

oftheBelle,

Mo., FFA

Chapter.

Temmen was

specificallyinterestedin

showing which

of

two

superovulation

hormones and what dosage

level resulted inthe greatest

number

of transferable

embryos

in cattle.

Embryo

transferisahigh-tech

breeding method which

helpstoincrease the

number

of calves

born with

superior genetictraits.

The two hormones

shestudied

were

Super-

Ov and FSH-P, and

she

found

thatthe

recommended dosage

of

FSH-P

resulted in the greatest

number

oftransfer- able

embryos.

NATIONAL WINNER

Traci

M. Temmen,

Belle,

Mo.

RUNNER-UP: Timothy

Miller,

Carl Hayden,

Ariz.

National Finalists:

ARIZONA: Michael

Fitterer,

Chino

Valley

CALIFORNIA:

Kristi L.Baggs,Porterville;

Lisa

M. Glynn,

Sanger

INDIANA:

MelissaR.

Thieme, Bellmont MISSOURI:

Stephanie Day, Mansfield

TEXAS: William

C. Gnffing,

O'Donnell

It

took Temmen two

yearsto

conduct

herexperiments,

using 25 head

of cattle.

Her

results

were shared

via

an

interactive

computer program and

avideo,

which

generated

community

interest.

Other

schoolsinthestate

took

field tripsof

her

laboratory areatolearn

how

to

apply

the

technology

intheir

programs.

The

national

runner-up was Tim

Miller of

Phoenix,

Ariz. Inhisstudy,

he

investigated

methods

to

prove

parent- age

and/or ownership

ofaplantsgenetics. This researchis valuabletorplant

breeding companies which depend on hybrid

varieties fortheir

mam income. He

received

$3,000

in

cash

scholarships

and

aplaque. Millerisa

member

of theCarl

Hayden FFA

Chapter.

He

attends theUniversity of

Arizona and

isa

biochemistry

major.

W'<

^-

*%

\

writ ^ I

^s

'

m

l*f

Wo&WIMm |fl

.

Belle,Mo.,

FFA member

Traci

Temmen

receiveda $5,000scholarship for her study oj superovulationhormonesincattle.Thefuture veterinarianwas honored Fridayinthe Agriscience Student RecognitionProgram.

'1Z

(13)

Agriscience Teacher of the Year

Sponsored

by Ford

Motor Company Fund and PCS

Sales

Two outstanding

teachers

shared

the stageFriday

evening

as they

were both announced

as National Agriscience

Teachers

oftheYear.

Ray Chelewski

of the

Presque

Isle,

Maine, Regional Technology

Center,

and Richard Norns

of

Maries

Co.R-1I

Schools

inBelle,

Mo., each

receiveda

$1,500 cash award and

a

plaque

recognizingtheir skills

making

science

and

agriculture

come

aliveforstudents.

Ray Chelewski has surrounded

hisstudents

with

scientifictechnologies

and

opportunities.

By using

the

departments

high-tech laboratoryfacilitiesstudents

can produce

plants, tropicalfish,trout,

hydropomc tomatoes and

fruit

and

vegetable crops.

Using

thesefacilities allows

them

tolearnagreatdeal

more about

the scientificaspects of agriculture.

Chelewski

also

encourages

hisstudentstouse the Internet

and

other technologiestoaccess

information

in aglobal

environment. The department

recently

worked with

a localsubsidiary of

Monsanto on

aprojectinvolv- ing genetically

improved

potatoes,

which

received

acknowledgement from

theparent

company.

Enrollment

inthe

schools

agriculture

program,

in

which

subjects

mirror

thosetaughtinscienceclasses,

has

increasedto

165

students

from

the

28

enrolled

when

it

began

in1990.

Chelewski

creditsthereality-

based

nature of the agriscience lessons

with

fostering students'interest in

both

science

and

agriculture.

"We make

science accessible

and

enjoyableforall,

which makes them

appreciate agricultural science,"

he

said.

Richard Norns

appliedfor a

$105,000

grantthat

he has used

toteach

biotechnology concepts

toagriculture

and

science students.

The

grant

provided

state-of-the-art

equipment

toteach these concepts.

The

lab

and

additional

greenhouse

allow studentsto

experiment with such

break-

through concepts

as

hydroponics and bovine embryo

transfer ina

classroom

setting.

Norris also taught

an experimental

research

and

writing coursethat

took

students

through

all

phases

ofayear-long research

program,

includingstatisticalanalysis oftheir data.

Inaddition, the

department

establishedacollectionof research materialsto assiststudents.

"Studentsin

our program appear

to

have

agreater

understanding and

appreciation of thescientificsideof agriculture,instead of

simply

dismissing current technolo- gies as

something

thatthey

would never employ on

their farm,"Norris

wrote

inhisapplication."Students

who once had

littleinterestin schoolare

now motivated by what they have seen

in

our

biotechlab."

Gehrig T Johnson, superintendent

of

Maine School

AdministrativeDistrict

#1

in

Presque

Isle,

Maine, and Ted

Spessard,

superintendent

ofschoolsin Belle,

Mo., were

also

recognized

for

supporting

agriscienceeducation.

Ray

Chelewskiof thePresqueIsle,Maine,RegionalTechnology Center shared NationalAgriscienceTeacherof theYear honorswithRichard

Nonis

ofMariesCo. R-ll Schoolsin Belle,Mo. Each winnerreceiveda$1,500cash

award

inadditiontoarecognition plaque.

NATIONAL WINNERS

Ray

E.

Chelewski, Presque

Isle,

Maine Richard

_J.Norris, Belle,

Mo.

National Finalists:

MINNESOTA: Michael

A.Mastey,

Bold IOWA: David

G.Briggs,

Horn

O' Plenty

23'

(14)

Agri-Entrepreneurship Awards

Sponsoredby

and

inpartnership with theCenterforEntrepreneurialLeadershipInc.atthe EwingMarion Kauffman Foundation

The

10 nationalfinalistsintheAgri- Entreprenuership

Education Program

aren't lookingforjobs^-they'vecreatedtheir

own. These

creative,motivated

young

people

each

receivedaplaque

and

S1,000during Friday afternoons

convention

session. Their chaptersalsobenefited

from

theirinnovativespirit,as

each

finalists'chapter received

$500

for

promoting

entrepreneurship.

The program

isajoint activityof theNationalCouncil forAgriculturalEducation, the National Vocational Agricultural Teachers' Association, the National

FFA Alumni

Association, the U.S.

Department

of

Education and

theNational

FFA

Organization.

NATIONAL FINALISTS

Matt Barnes

ofSelmer, Tenn.,started aspecialty crop

production

businessto

enhance

his cattle

and sheep

enterprises. After researching the

market

potentialofseveralveg- etablecrops,

he

decidedto

produce

okra,

pumpkins and

gourds.

He

willharvest hisfirstcropthisyear.

Amy Bauman

of^Oroville, Calif.,started asmall agricultural

communica-

tionsfirmtoserveyouth- relatedorganizations.

Amy Bauman Communications

focuses

on

educational

and

motivational presentations

and workshops; and

creates radio

and

television commercials; print ads

and

apparel.

Chris Clelland of Caldwell, Idaho,started

C&M

Custom Hay

threeyears ago.

C&M custom

cuts, bales

and

stacks

hay and

BrittanyRogersof Springervilk,Ariz.,rehabilitates injured race horses,sellingthemfor useinrodeos,hunter-jumpereventsand forpleasure as well as returningthemtothetrack.The

Round

Valley

FFA member

was honored for herenterprise atthisyear's Agri-EntrepreneurshipAwards.

/////////////////// ^A/4

straw

He

also acts as a broker

by

locating,

buying and

selling

hay

forfarmers

and

ranchersinsouthwest- ern Idaho.

Brandon

Figg of Glendale, Ariz.,started alandscaping businessinthefallof1992.

He now

specializes inthe construction of

"hardscapes"

which

involve concrete

and masonry

construction along

with

tile

work.

Figg serves

homeowners

inthe

Phoenix

metropolitan area

and

targets

new

construction.

MelisaGriffithofBasin,

Wyo.,

started

Hoof-N-Woof Kennels

in

June

1996.

She

decidedto

open

akennel

when

her family

had

to travel

60

milesto

board

theirdog. Melisa provides

dog

boarding, obedience training,

grooming and

in-

home

petcare to a

wide

varietyof customers.

Jason Morehouse

of

New

Paris, Ind., started a

custom

detasselingservice in

1997 when an

areaseed

corn company

decidedto transferdetasseling respon- sibilitytoits

grower

producers.

Morehouse

researched theviabilityof providingthisservice

and

leased the necessary

equipment

to

launch

his business.

ShequillaPruittofDetroit, Mich.,startedDesigns

by

Shequilla,afloral

shop

specializinginweddings, parties,

sympathy and

everyday arrangements.

Her

initialclientele

came from

referrals

from

herhigh schoolfloriculture

program and

shehasbuilt asmall

customer

base

from

referralsover the pastyear.

Britanny

Rogers

of Springervilk,Ariz.,rescues retiredracinghorses

with

her business,

working

to rehabilitatehorsesthat

would

otherwise be euthanized.

She

purchases heranimalsoffthetrack

and

sells

them

forusein rodeoevents,hunter-

jumper

events

and

also for pleasure animals.

Justen Selman

of

Tremonton,

Utah,

launched

CircleS Fabricationin

June

1995.

He

designs,fabri- cates

and markets sheep and

cattletrimstands,

dutch oven equipment and

skeetseats,

and

builds trailers

and

racksto

custom

specifications.

Carmen Webb

of Carrollton, Mo.,

began Carmen's Cluck

& Pluck Kitchen

inthe spring of 1993.

She

sells ready-to-cook poultry products,

home-grown and

processedsalsa,processed venison products

and

^fresh

jams and

jellies.To assure

quality,sheraisesher

own

chickens, turkeys, garden products

and

fruit.

(15)

National Extemporaneous

Public Speaking

Sponsored

by

American Farm Bureau

Federation

Extemporaneous

publicspeakersarenot

only

faced

with

thechallenge of giving

top-notch

presentations,they

have

to

do

it

with only 30 minutes

ofpreparation.

The

national

winner

receiveda

$300 award, second

place

earned $275,

thirdplace

$250 and

fourth place

$225.

National Winner Second Place

ChrisWelti Plant City

FFA

Chapter PlantCity,Fla.

PaulLewis Groton

FFA

Chapter Groton, S.D.

Third Place

Josh Tewalt Meridian

FFA

Chaptei Meridian,Idaho

Fourth Place

Katy Poth

LibertyUnion

FFA

Chapter Pickerington,Ohio

Solving

the

Problem

of

Bacteria Contamination

in

Food

ChrisVitclli,Plant CityFla.,

FFA

Chapter-

Manyofyoumaybefamiliar withthelatesuccessfulretailerMr.

SamWaltonofWalMartfame.But in thelate1950sMr.Walton wasa strugglingbusinessman abouttoopen hissecondfive n'dimestore in countrytownofArkansas.Mr.

Walton neededtoattract lotsof peopleforhisgrandopening, sohe decidedtogiveawaywatermelons andfreedonkeyridesout frontforthe kids.Asitstartedgettinghotand humidtheyswungthe frontdoorsof the storeopenwide. Muchto their surpriseitbegantopourdownrain.

Oncethe lightningbeganthedonkeys gotspooked and began running aroundoutside the front of thestore.

Duringthe process, thedonkeys steppedonthewatermelons, crushing themintomush. Themush eventuallymixed withthewatermel- onsandthedonkey manure,creating anincredible mess.Astheheavyrain continued,thisconglomeration spilledthroughthe frontdoorsonto thefloor.Needless tosay,itwasn'ta pleasant sightforMr.Walton andhis second grandopening.

Butdo youknowthisscenario certainlywouldn'thavepleased the food safety sector or the agricultural industryeveninthelate1950s.

Todaywewillfocusonfood safety concernsandhow wecancombatthe

vithcontaminationofour

foods.

We

willstartbyidentifying the foodsafetyissuesof today.Secondly, wewillfocusontechnological advancementswhichplay akeyrole incombatingtheproblemoffood safety.Andlastbut notleast,wewill focusonthegovernmentsroleoffood safety inthiscountry.Butwe'll start with

my

firstpoint of analysis, the foodsafetyissues.

Infectiousdiseaseand outbreak investigationsbringboth excitement andfrustration. It'sexciting to

know

thatthe

USDA

iscrackingdownon those

who

violate themeatand poultry laws.Butin retrospect,it's alsovery frustrating tohearabout foodsafetyproblemsevery day.

Recently,American consumers witnessedwhatthe

USDA

callsthe largestrecallinbeefhistory.

A

localnewspaperin

my

hometown,TheParade,reported that HudsonFoodsofColumbus, Neb., recalled25millionpounds^{of beef.}

Thebeefwasrecalledbecauseof 17 cases ofE. coli0157:H7were detected inhamburgerpattiesin Colorado,and weretracedbackto HudsonFoods,Inc.Thiscase, followedbyarecent casewithBeef AmericaPlantwhichrecalled170,000 poundsofcontaminatedbeef,has American consumersveryapprehen- siveof the future offoodsafety inthis country.

We

theAmerican consumers cancontrolcontaminantswithinour homesby keepingacleancooking environmentand cooking our foodat correct internaltemperatures.

We

mustcontinuallyrelyonthe government andthe agricultural industry to explore technological

advancementsforthe futureoffood safety.Asyouwillsee in

my

second point of analysis,technologyplays a keyrole incombatingthefoodsafety problem with foodcontamination.

On

September1,1997, Newsweek magazinereported that foodirradiationisone approachto eliminatingdisease-causing bacteria.

In relativeterms,foodirradiation involvesexposing foodto certain amountsofionizing radiation to controlcontaminantssuchasE. coli, salmonellaor Hepatitis A. It's

importantto realizethat irradiated foodisnot radioactive.And accordingtotheFDA,itdoes not constitute a healthrisk. By lawall the irradiatedfoodmustbelabeled assuch.Someconsumersmaybe veryapprehensiveof the future of thistechnologicaladvancement. But inretrospect,ittook50years for the pasteurization ofmilkto gain acceptance.

Yousee,technologyplays akey role insolvingsomeof thefood safetyproblems. Butuntilthe American consumers canidentify andaccept technologicaladvance- ments suchasfoodirradiation,we mustallow thegovernmentto interveneandmakestrictregula- tions.Asyouwill see in

my

third point of analysis, thegovernment plays akeyrole inthe futureoffood safetyproblemsas well.

ArecentNewsweekpoll stated that51percent ofAmericansare taking greater precautionswith home-cookedfood.Anadditional poll stated that62percent of

Americanswantthegovernmentto takestrictregulationsonthe future offoodsafetyproblems. The governmentmust comply, and meet thefoodsafetyprobleminour Americansociety. One wayof reachingthisgoalisoutlined in the WashingtonNewswveon August19, 1997, whichstatesthatthe governmentwillimplementthe HazardAnalysis CriticalControl Pointsystem(HACCP).

HACCP

identifieskeycontrol points infood processingplants toeliminate contaminants. Inaddition, as of rightnowthe

USDA

hasnoauthority tomandatetherecallsorstop the distributionofthose

who

violatethe meatandpoultry laws.However, on August29,1997,a

USDA

publica- tion stated that U.S. Secretary of AgricultureDanGlickman proposed hislawentitledtheFoodSafety EnforcementEnhancementActof 1997, whichwouldgivehimthe authority to takegovernmentaction onthose

who

violatethese laws. The governmentplays akeyroleinthe futureofour foodsafety.

Inconclusion,SamWalton learnedagreat lesson. Helearned thatfoodsafetyisessentialtoanyone's future in the industry of agriculture.

Andthe agriculturalindustryis learning thatfoodsafetyisvery importantforthe futureof their industry. The American consumers mustcontinuallybecomeeducated abouttechnologicaladvancements.

At thesametime,wehavetorelyon thegovernmentforthe futureofour foodsafety concerns.

15

(16)

National Prepared Public Speaking

Sponsored

by

FMC

Corporation,AgriculturalProducts

Group Every

year,

hundreds

of

FFA members throughout

the

United

States

begin

writing

and

rehearsingsix- toeight-minute speeches,

many

in

hopes

ofpresenting those

speeches on

the national

convention

stage.

Just four

advance

^allthe

way through

multiplelevelsof

competition —

chapter,district, state

and

regional

—

^to

^become

^national

^prepared

^public

speaking

finalists.

Those

four

FFA members

givetheirpresentations before

thousands

of

onlookers

atthenationalconvention.

Though

thefinalistsarepolished public speakers,

winning

thenationaltitlerequires

more than

justflair

and

finesse.Italsorequiresastronggrasp of

an important

agricultural issue.

Each

public

speaking

participantpreparesa

speech on an

agriculture-related subject of hisor

her

choice.Afterpresentingit,they

answer

five

minutes

ofjudges'questions

about

thetopic.

Kevin

Jaquet, oftheGalva

FFA Chapter

inGalva,III,

emerged

as this year'snational prepared public speaking winner, earninga

$300

prize for hisefforts.

The

second,third

and

fourth placewinners,listedbelow, received $275,

$250 and

$225,respectively Allfourfinalistsalso receive a

$1,000

scholarship

from FMC

Corporation, Agricultural Products

Group.

Below

isthetextof

Jaquet

s

winning

oratory.

We Must Protect Our Earth Today For a Brighter Tomorrow

KevinJaquet,Galva

FFA

Chapter,Galva,111.

Stopfor a

moment

andthink aboutwhattheearthwillbelike inthenext millennium. Pictureit

now. Theplace:Anytown, UnitedStatesofAmerica; the date: Nov.12,2097. Look aroundfor aminute. Look

—

^over

there

—

aclosedlandfillwherethe football fieldusedtobe. Oh,and overthere

—

^that'sthehydroponics lab that the cityusestogrowits food since therearetoo

many

pollutantsin thesoil.

And

what aboutright here,wheretheschool usedtobe

—

itsthewater- treatment

dome

thatthe cityuses tofilterground-waterintousable waterfor citizens.

Now,letspainta different picture. We'rebackherein KansasCity,butthedateistoday,

November

12,1997. If

we

continueonthe current track that

we

areon,thatiswhatour

futurewillholdfor us. However, thereisa

way

that

we

candivert offofthiscrashcoursewith MotherNature:bybeing conscious of theworld aroundus andtaking actiontoprotectour earth,

we

can

make

the earth the beautifulplanetitoncewas and that

we

wantittobe.

Asanation,

we

must do moretopreserve the quality of theearth.

One

thingthat

we

can doistorecycle. Almost^all products beingusedby consum- erstodaycan berecycled. There areover 1,000companies involvedwith recycling nation- wide

who

can recycle everything from yourmorning newspaperto yourdinner napkin.McDonald's, thelargest fastfood chaininthe nation,hasswitchedfrom Styrofoamcontainerstorecycled

cardboard containerstohelpin creatingamarketforrecyclables andtoreducenon-biodegradable waste.

Many

advantagescan be found

m

recycling. Did you

know

thatevery timeyourecycle one

aluminum

can,yousave enoughenergytoruna television set foronehour?

Or

didyou

know

that the

aluminum

that wasrecycledlastyearsaved enoughenergytopowera city thesizeofBostonfortheentire year?

Morethan450milliontons of wasteareproducedannually intheUnitedStates. Onlyone- thirdofthisamountisrecycled, eventhough400million tonsare recyclable. Landfills are filling upquickly.

Compare

landfills andrecyclingto cars. If allof the wastethatisrecycledisalittle

compact

Geo

Metro,then the

National Winner

Kevin Jaquet Galva

FFA

Chapter Galva,III.

Second Place

BeckyAvant

Putnam

County

FFA

Chapter Fatonton,Ga.

Third Place

Brandy

Rapp

GreenbrierFast

FFA

Chaptei Renich

W.V

Fourth ^Place

ColeDavid Young Katy

FFA

Chapter Katy,Texas

wastethatcouldberecycledisa stretchlimousine.

The mosteffective

way

of recyclingmunicipal wastesisto separate materials before they

become

partof the waste stream.

Inanattempttoslowthe rapid fillingoflandfills,increasing numbersoftowns haveinstituted curbside recyclingprogramsthat require residentstoseparate glass,metal,plasticand paper fromtheirgarbage. Although theseprogramsaregoodfor residentsoftowns, farmersand people

who

liveoutside ofcity limitsma)-nothavetheluxuryof curbside pick-up. Drop-offsites solvethisproblem.

Any

resident, whethertheyliveintownorin the country,isabletotaketheir pre -sorted materialstothe drop- offsite.

^16

(17)

Kevin Jaquet makes an emphaticpointaboutprotecting the environmentashe gesturestotheaudience duringtheprepared publicspeakingfinalsinMunicipal Auditorium.Jaquet's thought- provokingspeechwasconvincingenoughtowinthe event.

Did you

know

thatevery timethatoneton ofpaperis recycled, 17talltrees,7,000 gallonsof water,andthreecubic yards oflandfillspacearesaved?

Recycled paper,whichis

made

byde-inking, shredding,and repulpingusedpaper,can be remadeintonewsprint, card- boardboxes,paperbags,and otherpaperproducts. In addition,processesforrecycling paperintocopyingand computer paperarebeingdeveloped by scientists.

Paper canalsobeusedas animalbeddingduring cold or wet months. Becausepapercan absorbmorethan twiceas

much

moistureas straw,thereisless manuretohaul. Livestockstays cleaneranddrier

when

paperis used. Because the soy inkthat^is usedtodayinprintingisnon- toxic,spreading thepaperand themanure onfieldstogether willnot

harm

thesoilquality.

Paperevenbreaks

down

well enoughthat no-tillfarmers can useitin theiroperationsand spreaditontheir fields as well.

Severalmajortypes of plasticscan

now

berecycled.

Plasticcontainersaremeltedand noldedto

make

suchplastic materialsas plasticlumber,"

furnitureframes,andgarbage cans. TheFederal

Food

and DrugAdministrationalso recentlygave approvalforplastic sodabottles tobe

remanufacturedbackintosoda bottles. 1can take the 20-oz.

Mountain

Dew

bottle thatI

drank fromthismorningtoa recyclingplant,andwithina year,youcouldbedrinkingfrom a bottle thatcontains

some

ofthe verysameplastic. But,canyou believethatthesameplastic

pop

bottlecouldalsobe

made

into thebackofcarpets⁷Image Industries, amanufacturerof carpet,can takeyour sodabottle, processitintoatype ofplastic mesh,anditwillsupportacarpet thatyoucouldbewalkingon.

Farmersare

now

beginning toplayamajorroleinenviron- mentalawareness.Perhaps the 1996 Counter LockTSPLoad commercialbestexplains therole ofthefarmerinhisorher environment. "I'm responsiblefor beinganactiveenvironmental- ist,"thecommercialexplains,

"notanenvironmentalactivist."

Pesticidebottles that

many

farmersuse can

now

berecycled backinto

new

jugsthrough programsinmoststates. These recyclingprogramsgot startedin

thelate'80sandearly'90sand havecontinuedtogrow and expandacrossthenation. Most of theprogramsgotstartedwith thehelp of theUnitedStates EnvironmentalProtectionAgency andare

now

supportedbya corporation orareself-supporting. Forinstance,theprogramin Illinoisissponsoredinpartby theDuPontCorporation while theprogramsinWashington, Ohio,and Nebraskaallsupport themselves. Theseprograms tendto startslowlyand grow by leapsand boundsinthefirst threeyears. The programin Nebraskasawa550percent increase inthe

number

ofbottles collectedfromthefirstyearto thethird. Illinoisdidevenbetter and sawovera900percent increase.Before recycling, farmersmustpressurerinseor triplerinse theircontainers.

Oncethecontainershave passed theinspection process,theyare

M More than 450 million tons of waste are produced annu-

ally

in the united States. Only one- third of this amount

is

recycled W

chippedandgranulatedinthe on-site grinder. Thechipsare takentoaprocessingfacility wheretheyaremeltedintoliquid form,moldedintotheshapeofa bottle, filledwithpesticidesand soldtofarmersforthecoming season. Theseprogramsare a primeexampleofwhatis

known

as"closingtheloop"in plastics recycling,whichmeansusing a productandthen usingitagain.

Therecycledplasticcanalso beusedas fuelincementkilnsor todevelopmoreexperimental products. Asa fuel, theplastic

providesamoreefficientsource ofheatthan coalandhelps conserve natural coal resources.

Theresultsofthisprogram

show

thatthefarmers of thestateare willingtodispose oftheir chemical containerssafelyand correctlybutneed an avenuethat iscosteffectiveandreasonable.

Recyclingisnotallthat

we

candotohelp saveoursoiland environment.

A new

program calledOperationGreenstripehas beenstartedbytheMonsanto Corporation. The programis offeredthroughlocal

FFA

chapters,andencourages farmers tohave "bufferstrips"alongtheir creek beds.

The

stripsserveas filterstotrapsoulsedimentand agricultural chemicals,keeping streams clean whilealsohelping tomaintain theintegrityof the stream banks. In addition, the soilhasnoopportunityto float away withthewaterbecauseit is heldinplacebythe roots of the grass.

Letstryagain.Theplace:

Anytown,USA;thedate:Nov.12, 2097. Theearthisabeautiful paradise. Birds chirpandflowers blossom. Thisisallhappening because

humans

became educated,andtheytook actionto keeptheearth beautifulforfuture generations. Bybecoming educatedandbeingactive environmentalists,

we

^willbe able to restore thebeauty of theearth.

Throughenvironmental aware- ness,futuregenerationswillbeas happyas thisgeneration.

01

IT

(18)

National Career

Development Events

From

taste-testingcolorfulfruitcerealto trouble-shooting engines, the participants in the National

Career Development Events matched

theirmettle against the

most

talented

FFA mem-

bers in the nation.

The most

discerningeyes,the best

planners and

astutereasoners

from Maine

to

Hawaii

gath- eredatthe

70th

National

FFA Convention

to testthen-

knowledge and

skillsinevents

held

all

over

the greater

Kansas

Cityarea.

These members put

tothetestyears of

classroom

learning

and

practice intheirspecialtyareas.

The

eventsstarted

Wednesday, and

resultsof

each

event

were announced

atsponsor-hosted

luncheons

or breakfastsat the

end

ofthe

week. Winning teams and

individuals

were

recognizedattheSaturday

morning convention

session.

AGRICULTURAL ISSUES FORUM

Sponsored byBancoAnimalHealth, ADivisionofEli LillyandCompany FirstPlace:

Emery

Senior

FFA

Chapter,Emery,

Utah

AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS

Sponsored by Firestone Agricultural TireCompanyinconjunction with theBridgestone^I'FirestoneTrustFund FirstPlace:Lancaster

Mennonite FFA

Chapter, Lancaster,Pa.

High

Individual:

Jeremy

Eagan,Shelbyville,

Mo.

AGRICULTURAL SALES

Sumner FFA

Chapter,

Sumner, Wash.

High

Individual: Cristina Cornejo,

Orange

Grove, Lexas

DAIRY

Sponsored by Associated Milk Producers,IncorporatedandBabson Bros. Co.!

SURGE

FirstPlace:

Woodstown FFA

Chapter,

Woodstown,

N.J.

High

Individual:

Michael

Redalen,Lanesboro,

Minn.

DAIRY FOODS

Sponsored by Mid-America Dairymen,Inc.;DairyManagement,

Inc.;andPatzSales,Inc.

FirstPlace:LaVernia

FFA

Chapter,LaVernia,Texas

High

Individual: Fiffany

Doege,

LaVernia,Texas

FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

North Callaway

FFA

Chapter,

Kingdom

City,

Mo.

High

Individual:Richard Stanberry

Kingdom

City,

Mo.

FLORICULTURE

Sponsored by AmericanFloral Endowment;Ball Horticultural

Companyjhe

SolarisGroup

—

Ortho'Roundup'Greensweep;vVitco Corporationandscholarshipsby SunCompany.

FirstPlace:

Heron

Lake-

Okabena-Lakefield FFA

Chapter,

Okabena, Minn.

High

Individual:

Brad

Shockley,Buffalo,

Mo.

FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Dayton FFA

Chapter,Dayton,Or.

High

Individual: Jay Turner, Tucson,Ariz.

FORESTRY

Sponsored byChampionInterna- tionalCorporation;SchradeCutlery;

andUnion

Camp

Corporation FirstPlace:Taylor

FFA

Chapter,Taylor,Ark.

High

Individual:Carol Spruill,Jefferson,Ga.

HORSE

—

_DodgeTrucks;and

Manna

ProCorporation,"The Calf

Manna®

Company"

First Place:

Arroyo Grande FFA

Chapter,

Arroyo Grande,

Calif.

High

Individual:Sandie Kipe,

Arroyo Grande,

Calif.

LIVESTOCK

FFA

Chapter, Charleston,111.

High

Individual:Rosalea Riley,

Swoope,

Va.

MARKETING PLAN

Snyder FFA

Chapter, Snyder, Texas

MEATS

TECHNOLOGY AND EVALUATION

Mason High FFA

Chapter,

Mason,

Texas

High

Individual: Joe

Langehennig, Mason,

Texas

NURSERY/

LANDSCAPE

Sponsored by

CHIPCO

ISpecialty ProductsDivisionof Rhone- PoulencAg Company;Kubota TractorCorporation;Valent U.S.A.

Corp.;theAmericanAssociationof Nurserymen,Inc.;andWholesale NurseryGrowers ofAmerica,Inc.

FirstPlace:

Chatham

Central

FFA

Chapter,Bear Creek,N.C.

High

Individual:

Zane

Purvis,Bear Creek,

N.C.

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

FFA

Chapter,Ritzville,

Wash.

POULTRY

Sponsored by TysonFoods,Inc.and AmericanProteins,Inc.

FirstPlace:LaVernia

FFA

Chapter, LaVernia, Texas

High

Individual: Steven

Lowak,

LaVernia,Texas

18 ]&:

(19)

National Officer Candidates

NationalOfficerCandidates reception

and

dinner

FFAs

finest

put themselves

to the organizations ultimate test

— running

for anational

FFA

office.

Each

year, six officersareelectedatnational

conven-

tion, after

enduring

a

week

of intensiveinter-

views and exams. The

officerelection

during Saturday afternoons

session

provided some

of the

most

nail-biting,

energy-charged moments

of the convention.

The new

president,secretary

and

four regional vice presidentswill

each

travel

more than 100,000

miles

during

theiryear ofservice.

They

visit

FFA

chapters across the

United

States,

and meet with youth and

agricultural organizationsin

Japan and Europe,

aswellas U.S. leadersinagriculture,business,

govern- ment and

education.

n lA,

* t f,t'f I ^t'fJ

Being calledto thestage asa

new

national

FFA

officeristheultimate

dream

_of

many

members. The

39 members

shownhere activelypursuedthat

dream

duringthe70th National

FFA

Convention.They enduredhours of rigorous interviewsandsmallgroup situationstobe elected asoneojsixnational

FFA

officers.

The 39

candidatesall

earned

the

American FFA Degree and

are

outstanding

leaders intheir stateassociations.

Turn

to

page 75

toread

about

the

new

officerselected

from

this

remarkable group

of

young

people.

ALABAMA: Amber

Miller,Louisville

ARIZONA: Andrea

Sokol, Peoria

ARKANSAS:

JustinL.Goforth,

Mountain Home CALIFORNIA: Ryan

Bertao,Tulare

Western

COLORADO: Dave

L.

Gibson, Bnggsdale

CONNECTICUT: Jamie-Lee Chandler, Lebanon Regional FLORIDA: Maggie Goodin,

TaylorSenior

GEORGIA:

HillarySmith, Perry

ILLINOIS: Amy M. Matthews, Lincolnwood INDIANA:

ElishaL.

Pnebe, Southmont IOWA:

ErikE.

Heggen,

PrairieValley

KANSAS: Andy Armbruster, South Barber KENTUCKY:

Knstie

M. Broadbent,

Trigg

County MAINE: Emily

G. Smith,

Caribou

MASSACHUSETTS:

Leslie

Brown,

Bristol

County MICHIGAN:

Teresa

M. Swamba, Capac MINNESOTA: Josh

D. Tjosaas,

Long

Prairie

MISSISSIPPI: Chnsy

R.Berry,

Warren

Central

MISSOURI: Mark Wilburn, Van-Far

MONTANA: Lyndsey

K.Fosbery,Flathead

NEBRASKA:

Jennifer A. Jarecke, Fullerton

NEVADA:

GretaL.

Gardner, Ruby Mountain

NEW JERSEY:

Christine

F

Patten,

Woodstown NORTH CAROLINA: Robbie

S.

Mmmch, Chase

NORTH DAKOTA: Jim MacDonald, Bismarck OHIO: Shannon

E.

Wilcox, Upper

Scioto Valley

OKLAHOMA: Ben

Lastley

Freedom OREGON: RaymonJ.

Smith,

Bonanza PENNSYLVANIA: Michael

L.Clark,

West

Perry

SOUTH CAROLINA: Robert McManus, Lexington Applied Technology Center

SOUTH DAKOTA: Ryan Cammack,

Sturgis

TENNESSEE: John

B.Marshall, Riverdale

TEXAS: Cody Nash,

Tolar

UTAH: Nathan

Ivie,

Bingham

VIRGINIA: Dana

A.Fisher,Central

High School

WASHINGTON:

HillaryR.Fulk,

Sumner

WEST VIRGINIA: Kevin Okes, Shady Spring WISCONSIN: Michael

R.Tauscher, Pulaski

WYOMING: Libby

D. Petsch,

Proceedings, 1997

The 70th National FFA Convention

PROte^mps

\^J

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EUILDINCTHEFUTURE

Table of Contents

New

&

FFA

Award

New

The 70th

FFA Convention VOLUME LXX

FFA

FFA

November

Desktop

and

Oklahoma

Managing

Cameron

Sam

Letter from the Editor,

ScVCUtij years

FFA

young

who

The 133J National FFA Convention added

more

A

and

The

and

was

and

and

ThejTOCeedlTUjS Staff was

moments

you

New

made

more

makes

One person who held a deep belief

and

FFA members was Rom

FFA Communications

Her

FFA

and

was

young

we

We hope that thzjolhwina paaes

you

what happened

and

and

ONLINE ^•;.:;.;

The 133J ^National FFA Convention added