MEMPHIS, Tenn. -(Ammoland.com)- More than 60,000 high school and college Future Farmers of America (FFA) members and alumni will convene in Indianapolis Oct. 25-28 to celebrate youth leadership in agriculture during the National Convention and Expo.
For the sixth consecutive year, Ducks Unlimited (DU) will have a strong presence at the convention to spread the word about DU’s wetlands and waterfowl conservation mission.
“Interacting with thousands of young people who share our core values – stewardship of the land, conservation of natural resources and a love of waterfowling – is truly inspiring,” said Mark Horobetz, manager of youth and education programs for Ducks Unlimited. “This is an opportunity for DU to educate these future landowners about the difference they are making for conservation through programs like the USA Rice-DU Rice Stewardship Partnership.”
For the third year in a row, DU will team up with corporate partner Purina Pro Plan to provide a one-of-a-kind experience at the convention. Participants can pose for a photo with a Purina Pro Plan dog, and talk with our professional dog trainer while visiting the booth.
DU will have co-branded backpacks with Purina Pro Plan, DU/FFA branded duck calls and other merchandise for the students to take home.
“All of us at Purina are excited about the opportunity to partner with DU for the 90th National FFA Convention & Expo,” said Karl Gunzer, senior manager, professional engagement team, Nestle Purina PetCare. “With Purina Pro Plan brand dog food as the exclusive dog food sponsor of DU, Purina brings a wealth of expertise in nutrition, training and conditioning for retrievers and other sporting dogs and their owners.”
As a way to connect with the students and spread the conservation message, DU encourages attendees to share their photos on social media platforms using various hashtags including #duckdog #proplandog #ICanWeWillFFA and #ducksunlimited.
Photos from the event will be shared on DU’s official Twitter and Instagram accounts.
The official name of the organization is the National FFA Organization.
The letters “FFA” stand for Future Farmers of America. These letters are a part of our history and our heritage that will never change. But FFA is not just for students who want to be production farmers; FFA also welcomes members who aspire to careers as teachers, doctors, scientists, business owners and more. For this reason, the name of the organization was updated in 1988 after a vote of national convention delegates to reflect the growing diversity and new opportunities in the industry of agriculture.
Today, the National FFA Organization remains committed to the individual student, providing a path to achievement in premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
FFA continues to help the next generation rise up to meet those challenges by helping its members to develop their own unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of agricultural career pathways. So today, we are still the Future Farmers of America. But, we are the Future Biologists, Future Chemists, Future Veterinarians, Future Engineers and Future Entrepreneurs of America, too.
About Ducks Unlimited:
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.
For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.