Iowa FFA Wins Funding for Student Opportunities

Top 10 State FFA Chapters to Receive Share of $50,000 Contribution from Bayer

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Mar 03, 2017, 12:11 ET

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., March 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- To support local communities and invest in the future of agriculture, Bayer and the LibertyLink^® system are donating $50,000 to select state FFA organizations for their participation in the Real Yield Sweepstakes. The Iowa FFA Foundation finished the competition in first place, earning a $14,515 donation.

2016 is the second running of the Real Yield Sweepstakes. To enter, soybean and cotton growers signed up online and at industry trade shows. State FFA chapters helped recruit registrants, earning a donation for each entry from their respective state.

The Iowa FFA Foundation registered 724 grower entries, more than double the runner-up chapter, and made up 29 percent of the overall entries. This is the second consecutive year Iowa FFA has won the Real Yield Sweepstakes. Bayer will present the group with a check during the 2017 Commodity Classic show in San Antonio.

"We are proud and excited to once again partner with Bayer in the Real Yield Sweepstakes," said Joshua Remington, executive director of the Iowa FFA Foundation. "We experienced a significant amount of budget cuts over the last nine months. Bayer heard us, wanted to help and took meaningful action. This donation is a tremendous gift to our organization."

The Iowa FFA Foundation used a multi-faceted campaign to encourage grower participation. Members passed out promotional materials during Farm Progress Show, developed email newsletters, aired radio spots and posted on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

"Congratulations to the Iowa FFA Foundation for winning the Real Yield Sweepstakes for the second consecutive year. Their hard work reflects in this $14,515 donation," said Joe Vaillancourt, Bayer soybean campaign manager. "I have no doubt it will lead to many excellent opportunities for their members now and in the future."

Nine other state FFA organizations will share in the $50,000 contribution:

Illinois: $6,856
North Dakota: $5,654
Minnesota: $4,651
Ohio: $4,571
Texas: $3,889
Indiana: $2,706
Nebraska: $2,466
Missouri: $2,346
North Carolina: $2,346

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