News

SD FFA grain donation program grows

The South Dakota FFA Foundation’s grain donation program is going statewide this year. Last year, “I Believe in the Future of Agriculture” was a pilot program in central South Dakota. Farmers can donate grain at their elevator or cash, designating which FFA chapter the proceeds go to. Gerri Eide is executive director of the state FFA Foundation, “Farmers have the opportunity to donate to the South Dakota FFA foundation and select a local FFA chapter. Half of their donation goes to the FFA chapter of their choice and half of it is used for the state FFA foundation which makes awards back to local FFA chapters for community service projects and all the different awards and activities and scholarships throughout the year.”

With state education funding becoming tighter and local school districts having to decide which programs to fund, she says schools will keep their ag teachers but be unable to fund as many FFA activities, “Are they going to do soils and land judging? Are they going to do leadership public speaking events or are they going to be going to some spring livestock judging events? They’re evaluating that on their calendar every year just based on sheer cost of sending students to things so this will be able to help.”

Farmers can fill out a donation form at their local elevator or go online for cash donations.  Eide says the goal is to raise $20-thousand for local FFA chapters. The USDA expects a record corn crop for South Dakota, based on September first conditions.

Interview with Gerri Eide (4:00 mp3)