FFA and AGCO: Groundbreaking Progress

It’ll definitely be a different kind of year for members of the Decatur, Ill., Heartland FFA. They have the opportunity to work directly with a Fortune 300 ag company, developing and providing stewardship for AGCO’s plot of land at the nearby Farm Progress Show (FPS) this August.

The plot at the 2014 AGCO exhibit, in partnership with the Gilbert, Iowa, FFA chapter.

After a successful relationship with the Gilbert, Iowa, FFA chapter in 2014, AGCO is partnering with Heartland to prepare its next exhibition site. The difference is “We’re bringing them in earlier this year,” says Phil Jones, segment strategy manager for AGCO. “They’ve already been involved in soil testing and stewardship, working cooperatively with local farmer David Brix.”

Brix’s farm is contiguous with the FPS property, and is used for demonstrating equipment during the show.

While last year was production-focused, this time the expanded time frame will allow emphasis on science as well. Steve Carlson, ag science instructor at Heartland Technical Academy and FFA adviser for 16 years, says the AGCO program “allows the students to understand the agronomy of agriculture and how those scientific principles [work].”

For instance, says Carlson, students “AGCO wants there to be at least three different crops planted at the site. So, we will take the samples and prepare them for shipment to a local soil-testing laboratory. I’ll share the results with my FFA students and have them make suggestions or recommendations for fertilizer applications for the specific sites where individual crops will grow.”

The project benefits both FFA and AGCO. Students learn from practical experience and expand their understanding of the ag industry. AGCO gets the chance to connect directly with future agriculturalists.

“It’s very hands-on,” says Jones. “They get the practical side but also a window into the world as to how a company like AGCO works.

See for yourself the results of this collaboration between FFA and AGCO this week! Visit the 2015 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, IL, September 1-3.