At the 2016 National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, incoming USPOULTRY Foundation Chairman, Paul Hill, West Liberty Foods, announced an expansion of the USPOULTRY Foundation’s support for the National FFA Career Development Event (CDE) in Food Science and Technology. This is a new initiative by the Foundation to further attract students to the poultry and egg industry.
The Food Science and Technology CDE is designed to test a student's basic knowledge of food science as well as the student's ability to apply this knowledge to practical situations. Beginning with January 2017, the top nine finishing teams of the FFA Food Science and Technology CDE will receive an all-expense paid trip to the International Poultry Expo (IPE), part of the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta. This opportunity is made possible by an endowing gift from Cargill and Prestage Farms.
“We are delighted to support agriculture education opportunities for young people such as this one for those who will be responsible for nourishing the growing world population in the future,” said Andy Southerly, vice president of supply chain management for Cargill’s Wichita, Kansas-based turkey business. “We believe science and technology are key to the ongoing success of American agriculture.”
“Prestage Farms is pleased to support, through the USPOULTRY Foundation, an organization like FFA providing our future leaders to feed a growing world,” said John Prestage, senior vice president, Prestage Farms.
The students will participate in a program led by poultry industry leaders that will inform them of the numerous career opportunities in the industry. Additionally, the students will have an opportunity to visit the vast trade show floor to see the exciting technology used by today’s modern, sustainable poultry industry.
“The USPOULTRY Foundation is excited to announce this expansion of our relationship with FFA and the Career Development Event. Our Association has been a supporter of the FFA Poultry Evaluation CDE for many years, and we are pleased to be able to offer the Food Science and Technology CDE teams an opportunity to experience the world’s largest annual trade show for the poultry, meat and feed industries,” remarked Hill.
The following teams have been invited to attend the IPPE in January. They are listed in their order of finish: Windum FFA, Minnesota; Florence FFA, Texas; Somonauk-Leland-Sandwich FFA, Illinois; Hermiston FFA, Oregon; Cambridge FFA, Idaho; Richland FFA, North Dakota; Wamogo FFA, Connecticut; and Lawton FFA, Oklahoma.
