The CHS Foundation, funded by charitable contributions from CHS Inc., and a key National FFA supporter for more than 40 years, recently announced a $3.8 million commitment to the National FFA Organization, growing its support to a platinum sponsorship level.
This investment helps ensure that the National FFA Organization continues to support members as they strive to become a workforce that understands the food and agriculture industry, and develop the leadership skills necessary to pursue careers in agriculture.
“Generous, broad and continued support from the CHS Foundation has an impact on our members and agriculture education teachers at the local, state and national levels,” said Molly Ball, president of the National FFA Foundation. “With an estimated 60,000 jobs opening every year and with 27 percent of those being in agriculture, FFA is working to ensure that our career development events and proficiency award areas align with our students’ evolving interests and emerging challenge areas in food, fiber and natural resources. The continued contributions of the CHS Foundation help us achieve the FFA vision of growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture, and supplying the talent pipeline to fill those needs.”
This new commitment provides ongoing support to the diversified crop, environmental and natural resources management proficiencies, the environmental and natural resources management CDE, increased support of teacher education and retention programs through National Teach Ag and CASE institute teacher scholarships. New funding is dedicated to developing cooperative education curriculum and sponsorship of the New Century Farmer program.
“The CHS Foundation is proud to continue our long standing relationship with National FFA that began more than four decades ago,” says Nanci Lilja, CHS Foundation president. “Through our continued support of National FFA and Teach Ag, we are building on our commitment to develop the next generation of ag leaders and ensure ag education teachers have the resources they need to be successful teaching agricultural concepts in the classroom.”