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State Star in Ag Placement, Teacher Mentoring, Chapter Grants

Kansas Farm Bureau Becomes Five-Star Sponsor for Kansas FFA Foundation

KFB Donation Supports Local Grants, Member Awards and Teacher Mentoring Program

MANHATTAN, Kan. (November 30, 2006) — Kansas Farm Bureau and the Kansas FFA Foundation share a vested interest in developing future leadership for the state’s agricultural industry. Because of these shared interests, Kansas Farm Bureau is donating $10,000 to the Kansas FFA Foundation to sponsor the State Star in Ag Placement award, individual chapter grants and funds for teacher mentoring.

Kansas Farm Bureau officially presented the donation to Kansas FFA Foundation representatives on November 18, 2006, at the KFB Annual Meeting in Manhattan, Kan. The $10,000 donation makes Kansas Farm Bureau the foundation’s third “five-star” sponsor.

Steve Baccus, Kansas Farm Bureau president and Ottawa county farmer, said the sponsorship is an opportunity to provide the future leaders of Kansas agriculture with recognition and leadership development opportunities.

“The next generation of agricultural leaders is found in FFA chapters all over Kansas today,” Baccus said. “The farmers and ranchers of Farm Bureau share their values and are eager to nurture their potential.”

The donation will provide individual chapter grants to FFA chapters across the state through local county Farm Bureau associations. Ten $500 grants will be given to chapters for collaboration with county Farm Bureau associations to plan, coordinate and implement agricultural-related programs. The collaboration allows the organizations to work together to further agricultural knowledge and leadership in the local area.

Kansas Farm Bureau’s sponsorship will also help strengthen and grow local FFA chapters by supporting the teacher mentoring program, which provides support and resources to help less experienced teachers receive guidance and support in their classroom instruction and curriculum development. Providing teacher-to-teacher mentors will help agricultural education more effectively recruit and retain instructors, who are the backbone of the FFA organization.

Steve Buss, Jeff West FFA Chapter advisor and past president of the Jefferson County Farm Bureau, said the support from the Kansas Farm Bureau will help agricultural education instructors better serve their students.

“The whole community of agricultural education needs different partners involved to help teachers meet students’ needs,” Buss said. “Partnerships like this one with Kansas Farm Bureau are an important step in allowing us to move forward, create more opportunities for our students, and grow and advance the ag ed programs in the state of Kansas.”

Buss’ FFA chapter has welcomed the support of the local Farm Bureau in the past by working with the local county association to organize Jefferson County Ag Day, which provided people across the county an opportunity to learn more about agriculture and its effect on everyday life.

Kansas Farm Bureau’s donation will also designate the organization as the sponsor of the State Star in Ag Placement award, which recognizes the top Supervised Agricultural Experience program where a student is employed by an agricultural business or corporation. As state star award recipients’ programs grow, they will have the opportunity to apply for the American FFA Degree and compete for National FFA Organization star awards.

Kansas Farm Bureau represents grassroots agriculture. Established in 1919, this non-profit advocacy organization supports farm families who earn their living in a changing industry. More information about Kansas Farm Bureau is available at www.kfb.org.