Nov 4, 2019

FFA service of Valent, BASF, Farm Credit Alliance honored

The National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Organization recently awarded Valent U.S.A. a Distinguished Service Citation award for its contributions to agricultural education.

BASF and Farm Credit Alliance were also honored as 2019 Distinguished Service Citation recipients. President and Chief Operating Officer Matt Plitt said in a released statement.

Valent received the award during an onstage ceremony Nov. 1 at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, according to the press release. Valent also is supporting a celebration of 50 years of women’s involvement in FFA at the convention this week, according to the press release.

Dawn Refsell, Seed Protection Product Development Manager participated on the #SpeakAg Dialogue panel on Oct. 31 during the convention, according to the release. The session, which focused on encouraging growers to make sustainable choices, included students and industry experts who spoke on the topics of soil health, the benefits of sustainability and the definition of sustainable production. Refsell discussed how incentives for soil health are complicated, varying from farm to farm, and that engaging farmers to utilize practices for improving soil health must consider profitability, quantifying improvement and the contribution towards future generations who manage the land.

“It’s energizing to spend the week engaging with FFA students,” Refsell said in the press release. “As a past FFA member who now works in the industry, I feel incredibly lucky to see the passion of these young leaders and give them a perspective from personal experiences during discussions this week.”

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 669,989 student members who belong to one of 8,630 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to a press release from Valent. The organization is also supported by 344,239 alumni members in 2,051 alumni chapters throughout the U.S.

Above: Valent team members Dawn Refsell and Kara Jackson accept the 2019 Distinguished Service Citation Award at the FFA National Convention on November 1 alongside BASF and Farm Credit Alliance. Photo: Valent/PRNewswire