Puerto Rico Convención Estatal FFA!

The Puerto Rico FFA Convention ends today. We hope that everyone had a great time and learned a lot!

Here are some things we bet you didn’t know about Puerto Rico:

• Coffee, tobacco, and milk remain traditional farm products in Puerto Rico, but several farms are dedicated to specialized products for local and export markets, such as pineapples, mangoes, melons, and other tropical fruits, as well as beef, pork, poultry, and eggs.
• Puerto Rico was discovered by Christopher Columbus, who claimed it for Spain in 1493, during his second voyage to the new world. In 1898, with the end of the American-Spanish War, Puerto Rico became a part of the United States. Puerto Rico is a free associated territory of the United States. Since 1917, all Puerto Ricans are born as American citizens.
• Both Spanish and English are the official languages of the island, however, the Spanish language is undoubtedly more prominent.
  

Begin with the end in mind – The Vermont FFA Convention

The Vermont FFA Association is wrapping up their state FFA convention today. We hope it was fun and inspiring for everyone involved!

Here are some things we bet you didn’t know about agriculture in the Green Mountain State:

 

• Vermont produces a wide variety of crops including: apples, honey, corn, hay, greenhouse & nursery products, Christmas trees, maple syrup, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, eggs and fiber products.

• Dairy represents about 72% of Vermont’s total agricultural economy.
• Vermont is the biggest producer of maple syrup in the United States producing about 36% of the nation’s total output.
• When people think of Vermont, they often think of black and white Holstein cows that give milk. The truth is, you can find most of the world’s major cow breeds in Vermont as well as beef cattle sheep, llamas, alpacas, goats, chickens, turkeys and other rare poultry breeds, and even emus!
• Vermont is world famous for being the home of the Morgan horse breed.

For more information about the Vermont FFA Association, check out their website and Facebook page.

Convention time in the Evergreen State!

The Washington FFA Convention begins today! You can watch their sessions live on their website, starting at 6:30 p.m. Pacific. We know everyone attending will have an unforgettable experience.

In honor of our Washington FFA members, here are some facts about agriculture in the evergreen state:

• Washington ranks 12th in the nation in terms of total agricultural cash receipts, but is second only to California in the diversity of crops grown (about 230 different ones).

• Washington’s highest dollar crop is apples. This state produces 57 percent of all the apples in the nation at a farmgate value of $1.75 billion.

We <3 New York.

The New York FFA Convention starts tomorrow. We hope you all leave your convention feeling inspired and ready to tackle all of the world’s challenges!

Here’s some interesting information about agriculture in The Empire State:

• New York’s fruit crops were valued at $363 million in 2007.

• Apples and Grapes lead New York fruit crops in value.

• Fresh Market vegetables rank 6th and processing vegetables are 7th among all states. Leading crops in New York are Cabbage, Sweet Corn and Onions.

O-H! I-O!

The Ohio FFA Convention starts tomorrow. And we have great news. You can take a peek at their sessions live, online at www.ihigh.com/ohffa.

We’d love to be able to watch more state convention sessions! If your state FFA association is interested in broadcasting sessions online, contact Billy Frey, bfrey@alltech.com.

In the meantime, check out these fun facts about agriculture in The Buckeye State:

• Corn and soybeans are the top Ohio crops.

• Ohio leads the U.S. in production of Swiss cheese.

• Ohio has 3,400 beekeepers containing 29,900 bee colonies.

• Other Ohio crops include winter wheat, hay, tomatoes for processing, apples, grapes, poinsettia’s, sweet corn, mushrooms, maple syrup and many, many more.

• Ohio harvested over 1 million pounds of tomatoes in 2008. The state is ranked 5th for fresh tomato production and 3rd for processing tomatoes.

• The hills of Ohio’s eastern and southern regions are blanketed in hardwood forests. Ohio wood carries an international reputation for its tight pattern and shape. Red and white oak and walnut are primarily exported as the world’s finest logs, lumber, chips, and dimension pieces for use in the veneer, furniture, and paper industries. An estimated 300 to 400  million board feet are harvested each year.

• There are 1,470,000 cattle, 2,000,000 hogs, and 115,000 sheep in Ohio.

• Ohio dairy cattle produce over 5.13 billion pounds of milk each year.

• Ohio poultry produce 7.1 billion, or 592 million dozen eggs per year.

• Ohio ranks 16th in beef production with 15,000 beef farms with 292,000 cows.

For more information about the Ohio FFA Association, check out their website and Facebook page.

Oklahoma, you’re OK!

Today marks the beginning of the Oklahoma FFA Convention. We know it will be a major success!

In honor of their 86th convention, here are some interesting facts about Agriculture in The Sooner State:

• Winter wheat, hay, corn for grain, peanuts and pecans are the top Oklahoma crops.

• Hay is a good crop to grow on land that is rolling and steep. These lands would erode away if they were tilled for row crops. Native grass and alfalfa are the most popular kind of hay to grow.

• Oklahoma ranks 5th in the nation in the production of winter wheat, 5th in the production of pecans, 1st in the production of rye, 5th in the production of grain sorghum, 6th in peanuts, 22nd in peaches and 15th in watermelons.

Georgia FFA Convention

The Georgia FFA Convention started yesterday. We hope everything is just peachy for ya’ll! (ha ha)

In honor of Georgia FFA, here are some interesting facts about agriculture in their state:

• Georgia produces almost half of the peanuts produced in the U.S. each year. Their value was more than $401 million in 2009.

• Georgia was the first colony to produce cotton commercially, first planting it near Savannah in 1734. Georgia ranks third nationally in cotton production. Its value was more than $700 million in 2009.

• Although Georgia is called the Peach State, it actually ranks third in United States peach production behind California and South Carolina. In 2009, the Georgia peach crop sales totaled $60 million.

Rhode Island FFA Convention

The Rhode Island FFA Association started their state convention on Wednesday, April 25 and will wrap it up this Sunday. We hope you all are having an amazing time!

While Rhode Island is celebrating another year of success through agricultural education, take a look at these fact about agriculture in their state:

• The top agricultural commodities in the state are greenhouse and nursery products, dairy products, sweet corn, aquaculture (seafood), and apples.

Alaska FFA Convention

It convention time in “The Last Frontier!”  The 36th Alaska FFA Convention started on  Wednesday (April 25) and will wrap up on Sunday (April 29). We hope everyone is having an unforgettable experience!

In honor of their convention, here are some fun facts about agriculture in  Alaska:

• Summer days of nearly constant daylight allow some crops to be nurtured to enormous size. Jumbo crops include a world-record 19 lb. carrot, a 76 lb. rutabaga, and a 127 lb. cabbage!

The Minnesota FFA Convention

The Minnesota FFA Convention is wrapping up today. We hope everyone had an unforgettable time!

You can check out all of their convention sessions on iHigh: http://www.ihigh.com/mnffa/

(If your state would like more information about broadcasting its convention online contact Billy Frey, bfrey@alltech.com.)

Here are some fun facts about agriculture in Minnesota:

-  Corn and soybeans are the state’s top producing crops. Nationally, Minnesota ranks third in soybean and fourth in corn production.

•    Minnesota has 19 ethanol plants and three biodiesel plants. Total projected ethanol production  for 2008 is nearly 1 billion gallons. The state currently has a 10% mandate for ethanol blend and  5% for biodiesel. The state hopes to boost those blends in the next few years.

•    Minnesota leads the nation in producing sugarbeets, turkeys, oats and sweet corn and green  peas for processing. The state is second only to California in wild rice production. The state is also  a major producer of spring wheat, canola, hogs, dry beans and milk cows.