Nothing is Impossible in Vietnam

After a hearty breakfast the team met with Jeanne Bailey and Tran Quoc Quan of the Foreign Agriculture Service here in Vietnam.  Topics discussed included an overview of Southeast Asia and U.S. trade. The importance of Vietnamese food security was stressed with FAS prediction that it will soon be an impending leading rice producer. Adel Yusupov, SEA Regional Director for the U.S. Grains Council, ended his presentation by predicting that the countries of Southeast Asia will soon be as successful as Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

The tour then progressed to Thanh Binh Feed Mill which was an integrated agriculture facility that included a broiler breeding farm, rubber tree plantation and swine facility.

Thanh Binh Feed Mill began in the 1960’s with one hog and has progressed to include 20,000 head. Mr. Ph Duc Binh, owner and operator of the facility, gave students a first-hand tour of his operations.

Compared to most U.S. feeds, Vietnamese feeds contain 10 ingredients which create a more cost effective product. After learning about Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) from member presentations at orientation and the U.S. Grains Council, the group finally got to see DDGS in person.

The tour concluded with a Vietnamese dinner hosted by Mr. Ph Duc Binh. Today’s tour opened delegate’s eyes to all of the possibilities of Vietnamese trade and future industry opportunities.

“Farming is an extremely tough job,” Bailey said. “You not only feed part of the U.S. but the world.”

We’re headed to an aquaculture farm tomorrow!

Until then,

Breanne Brammer, University of Missouri and Margery Magill, University of California Davis

Help make sure kids don’t go hungry this summer.

FFA members, there’s a problem. And, we believe that you can help solve it.

During the school year, many children receive free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch through the USDA’s School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs.

But, what happens when school lets out?

Lack of nutrition during the summer months may set up a cycle for poor performance once school begins again. Hunger is one of the most severe roadblocks to the learning process, and may also make children more prone to illness and other health issues. The Summer Food Service Program is designed to fill that nutrition gap and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need.

I-CAL 2012: Vietnam and Malaysia

For the next two weeks, participants in the 2012 International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program will be blogging about their travels in Malaysia and Vietnam.  Check back often, as they’ll be sharing some great insights from their trip along with some amazing photos! 

Here’s their first report:

The 2012 International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program started in San Francisco, California with orientation and briefings on varies industries on Sunday, May 20.  Everyone got to meet with each other and get familiar with one another as well as learn about the industries that we will be learning about while in Southeast Asia.   During our training we learned about industries ranging from palm oil, aquaculture, rice, poultry, corn and much more before leaving from San Francisco International Airport at 1:30 am Monday.

We had a quick stop-over in Hong Kong, followed by a layover in Singapore.  From there we made our connection to Vietnam, where we have met with our overseas contacts from the U.S. Grains Council.  After making it to the hotel, we had our first meal of Vietnamese noodles before doing a quick debrief of our day.  All of our luggage made it safe and sound and we are all very excited for the next few days in Vietnam before heading to Malaysia!  Tomorrow we will start off with a meeting with representatives from the US Embassy, followed with a tour of a local feed mill later in the day.

Low-tech biotech: Mushrooms engineered into eco-friendly packing material

Here at FFA, we continue to be amazed by the creativity and innovation we see in the world of agriculture.

Mike Groll | associated press
Gavin McIntyre, left, and Eben Bayer, co-founders of Ecovative Design, demonstrate some of their eco-friendly packaging forms made from mushrooms at their company in Green Island, N.Y.

Recently, The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) featured two young entrepreneurs who figured out how to make eco-friendly material from mycelium – the hidden “roots” of the mushroom that thread beneath dirt and wood.  Their company Ecovative Design, is growing rapidly inking deals with companies such as Sealed Air Corp. which is famous for Bubble Wrap.

And, where did the inspiration for their ground-breaking product come from? The farm, of course:

Bayer noticed mycelium’s “stretchy” properties as a kid growing up on a Vermont farm. As students, he and McIntyre started with mushroom-based insulation, but they switched to packaging material because it seemed a better business bet.

So, FFA members, as your working on your Supervised Agricultural Experiences on farms and in gardens, laboratories and classrooms everywhere, remember that you may be the one to discover the next great agricultural product!

Read the full article:

Mushrooms engineered into eco-friendly packing material

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.
  

FFA comes to Iowa with NASCAR driver Justin Allgaier

NASCAR driver Justin Allgaier will race in the heart of the midwest Sunday, in a state known for its agriculture. It’s fitting, perhaps, that FFA will be racing right alongside him.

Riding along on the right rear trunk panel of his No. 31 BRANDT Racing Chevrolet — just as it has since February — will be the FFA emblem thanks to a relationship that the National FFA Organization has bridged with his sponsor, BRANDT Consolidated, Inc. The car is a hard one to miss with a bright red-orange paint scheme.

BRANDT President and CEO Rick Brandt has directed his company to put an all-agriculture car on track in 2012 with goals to spotlight the hard work and dedication that powers agriculture.

“At Brandt, we are deeply committed to the future of agriculture. And, I am thrilled to have such an iconic, like-minded organization join our team for the 2012 season,” said Brandt. “Simply put, through its long history the FFA has shaped the future of agriculture: They transform students into industry leaders.”

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.

The Maine Event

The Maine FFA Association is wrapping up their state convention today. We hope you all had an amazing time!

In honor of or friends in the Pine Tree State, here are some facts about agriculture in Maine:

• Maine leads the world in production of wild blueberries.
• Maine is 2nd in the nation in the production of maple syrup and Maine’s Somerset County produces more maple syrup than any other county in the country.
• Maine ranks 8th in the nation among producers of fall potatoes.
• Many Maine farmers are producing fresh fruit and vegetable crops and value-added agricultural products for direct sale to consumers.

A Note from FFA CEO Dwight Armstrong regarding FFA and TransCanada

FFA has received expressions of concern regarding the support TransCanada provides to FFA through the National FFA Foundation. Of note is the circulation of an online petition that states:

“National FFA leaders: The controversial Keystone XL pipeline is a highly political issue that has negatively affected many farmers and ranchers across the middle of our country. FFA’s logo, which appears on TransCanada business cards, should not be used as an obvious political ploy that exploits FFA’s good reputation in rural communities for TransCanada’s political gain. Please set a good example for young people across America. Cut ties with TransCanada and demand that they remove FFA’s logo from their business cards and other promotional materials.”

We want to share that TransCanada did obtain permission through the National FFA Foundation to feature the FFA logo and the phrase “Proud Sponsor” on their business cards. This is consistent with the FFA Foundation’s desire to have our sponsors publicly share their support for the National FFA Organization. Typically, the FFA logo and “Proud Sponsors” tagline are featured on advertising and other corporate promotional materials. This is largely done at our request to promote both the FFA and build a wider group of supporters and advocates for FFA and agricultural education.

We recognize that putting the FFA logo on a company’s business card could create an impression that FFA is supportive of that company’s products or public agenda. Because such a perception would be unwarranted, we asked TransCanada to remove it from their cards. The company readily acknowledged our sensitivity and agreed to delete the FFA logo from their company cards. The National FFA Foundation will ensure other Foundation sponsors similarly do not use the FFA logo on business cards. We will continue to encourage Foundation sponsors to utilize the FFA logo and “Proud Sponsor” tagline on advertising and promotional materials for the reasons mentioned above.

Ken Quick checks in…

Check out the latest video blog from National FFA Eastern Region Vice President Ken Quick! He talks about his recent trips to West Virginia, South Dakota, California, and Wisconsin, the Blue catalog photo shoot, and NLCSO training, all while doing battle with a dragonfly.