CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — The National Corn Growers Assoc. and BASF Corporation will award five $1,000 scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in an agriculture-related field during the 2012-13 school year.

Applicants for the NCGA Academic Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship Program must be entering at least their second undergraduate year or any year of graduate study, and they, or a parent or legal guardian, must be an NCGA member.

Scholarship applications must be postmarked on or before Dec. 9. Scholarship recipients will be selected in early 2012. Recipients and a parent or guardian will enjoy travel and lodging to attend a portion of the 2012 Commodity Classic in Nashville, Tenn., to be recognized at the NCGA Awards Banquet and have the opportunity to learn more about modern agriculture.

GREENFIELD, Ind. — In June, Greenfield-Central FFA Advisor Joe McCain took a group of ten students to Purdue to Indiana State Convention. While there Kelly Beeker and Jake Detwiler earned their State FFA Degrees. Beeker placed fourth in horticultural proficiency area. Greenfield-Central placed sixth in the top ten of all Indiana FFA chapters for donation of money from a variety of our projects such as the citrus program, the Project Hope for the FFA Camp, and the 2010 Chevy Truck raffle, plus dollars raised in the spring greenhouse flower sales to the Indiana FFA Foundation.

Chapter members also attended sessions and had a fun-filled, action-packed three days and two nights. Also this summer, Beeker, chapter FFA president attended the Washington Leadership Conference, in Washington, D.C. There Beeker learned many new skills that she brought back to share with our FFA chapter. She attended the conference with Lucinda Phares, from the Mt. Vernon FFA Chapter. 

Recently, the chapter hosted its annual FFA cookout on Aug. 30 at the High School behind the Ag room. Greenfield-Central FFA had over 50 members and a few parents for a pitch in dinner and a cookout in attendance. 

In the next few months, the G-C chapter will attend Kick-Off at Whiteland High School on Sept 28, the State Animal Science Skill-A-Thon Contest at Purdue on Sept. 24,  host fruit sales, sell raffle tickets for a 2011 Chevy four-door pickup truck and of course attend National FFA Convention.

This is the 84th National FFA Convention, hosted in Indianapolis. G-C members will attend the convention, career show, the Blake Shelton concert and the rodeo. Fourteen G-C members have signed up to work at the Day of Service activities arrange by the National FFA. 

The All-Hancock County Greenhand meeting ceremonies will be held at Mt. Vernon High School on Thursday, Oct. 6  at 7 p.m. New members of the FFA Chapter’s from Greenfield Central, Eastern Hancock, and Mt. Vernon FFA will be initiated with FFA ceremonies and presented with certificates and pins. A state FFA officer will also speak at the program about opportunities in FFA.

ST. MARYS, Ohio — On Sept.13, the Parkway FFA chapter sent freshmen members to Trupointe research farm outside of St. Marys. The members had to go through five different sessions which consisted of discussing agriculture careers, leadership, current industry issues, how to determine yield estimates and also a scavenger hunt throughout the test plots.