The National FFA Organization and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) recently signed a memorandum of understanding.
The memorandum will align ASTA’s strategic goals and resources with the three-component model of agricultural education, providing teacher curriculum and resources; supervised agricultural experience support and mentors; and leadership and career development.
“This Memorandum of Understanding helps stress the importance of the three-component model, agricultural education, FFA and supervised agricultural experience,” says Mark Poeschl, chief executive officer of the National FFA Organization. “As we move forward in the 21st Century, we know it’s important to provide tools to our members to ensure they become tomorrow’s leaders in agriculture. This memorandum will help us sustain that growth in leadership.”
The memorandum was signed on June 11 during ASTA’s Policy and Leadership Development conference held in Washington, D.C. State FFA Officers from Maryland and Virginia also participated in the conference and shared a presentation regarding the three-component model.
Jerry Flint, with Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, a member of the National FFA Foundation Sponsors’ Board and the incoming 2018-19 ASTA Chair helped drive the memorandum.
“We’re extremely proud to embark on this new partnership with FFA,” says Flint. “This Memorandum of Understanding is an important step in strengthening learning and collaboration opportunities between our two great organizations, as we work to prepare the next generation of leaders in the seed industry, and agriculture at large.”
The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 653,359 student members who belong to one of 8,568 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is also supported by 344,239 alumni members in 2,051 alumni chapters throughout the U.S.
