Learning to Do, Doing to Learn Through the Turn the Bag Blue & Gold FFA Program
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INDIANAPOLIS — The Turn the Bag Blue & Gold program focuses on a comprehensive learning platform that provides foundational agronomic principles and professional sales training to FFA students. As part of the program, students can raise funds for their local FFA chapter, state FFA associations and National FFA Organization.
“We are not only dedicated to our farmers’ growth but also the growth of young agricultural leaders,” says Blake Courtney, Mycogen marketing communications manager. “Last year, we piloted the program with six FFA chapters across corn-growing regions, donating more than $35,000 to local FFA chapters, the National FFA organization and their respective state FFA associations.”
Students will hit the field this fall, putting their skills to work. In collaboration with their local Mycogen territory manager and local retailer, participating FFA members will offer corn hybrids that fit local geographies, including two Mycogen® brand TMF silage hybrids. Farmers can purchase seed through FFA members and receive their Mycogen brand seed in a specially branded Mycogen blue-and-gold bag.
Real-life experience
Matt Porter, a Mycogen territory manager, says the experience is invaluable and provides students with real-life, in-the-trenches experience.
“It’s one thing to learn about agronomy or professional sales techniques in a classroom, but this program takes that experience to a new level by asking students to incorporate their learnings in the field,” Porter says. “Last year, I worked with the York, Nebraska, FFA chapter, and it was rewarding to see those students interact with farmers and follow the curriculum.”
Farmers interested in supporting the program and their local FFA chapter can contact one of the following 2018-19 FFA chapter participants or corresponding Mycogen retailer partners.
- Elsberry FFA Chapter, Elsberry, Missouri
- MFA, Inc., Elsberry, Missouri
- Central Plains FFA Chapter, Gowrie, Iowa
- NEW Cooperative, Inc., Fort Dodge, Iowa
- Eastern Hancock FFA Chapter, Charlottesville, Indiana
- Harvest Land, Wilkinson, Indiana
- York FFA Chapter, York, Nebraska
- Central Valley Ag Cooperative, York, Nebraska
- Chase County FFA Chapter, Imperial, Nebraska
- Nutrien Ag Solutions, Imperial, Nebraska
- Fremont FFA Chapter, Fremont, Michigan
- Ceres Solutions, Fremont, Michigan
- Alexandria FFA Chapter, Alexandria, Minnesota
- Pro-Ag Farmers Coop, Brandon, Minnesota
- Bureau Valley FFA Chapter, Manlius, Illinois
- Nutrien Ag Solutions, Sheffield, Illinois
“As part of the Turn the Bag Blue & Gold program process, students started getting more interested in careers in agriculture,” says Jason Hirschfield, FFA advisor in York. “Whether they go into agronomy or not, they are at least asking the ‘what ifs,’ and that, I believe, is powerful.”
For more information, contact your local Mycogen territory manager or visit Mycogen.com/FFA.
About Mycogen Seeds
Mycogen Seeds offers leading genetics in corn, soybeans, silage corn, sunflowers and canola. A retail seed company of Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, Mycogen maintains a robust global research and development program. Mycogen delivers diverse seed solutions with high-performance genetics and the latest and broadest trait technology options. Mycogen works with its dealer network to tailor product solutions and help farmers be better acre after acre. For more information about Mycogen® brand products, visit Mycogen.com or follow Mycogen Seeds on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
About Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont
Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont (NYSE: DWDP), is intended to become an independent, publicly traded company when the previously announced spinoff is complete by June 2019. The division combines the strengths of DuPont Pioneer, DuPont Crop Protection and Dow AgroSciences. Corteva Agriscience™ provides growers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry — including some of the most recognized brands in agriculture: Pioneer®, Encirca®, the newly launched Brevant™ Seeds, as well as award-winning Crop Protection products — while bringing new products to market through our solid pipeline of active chemistry and technologies. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.
Follow Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
Contacts
Kacey Birchmier
Corteva Agriscience™
Agriculture Division of DowDuPont
515-535-6149
kacey.birchmier@dupont.com
Erika Poppelreiter
Bader Rutter
785-458-2953
epoppelreiter@bader-rutter.com
™®Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. ©2018 Dow AgroSciences LLC S33-137-115 (09/18) BR