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Spotlight on Youth - Aug. 26, 2009

KDA will award Kentucky 4-H, FFA members
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer will present commemorative checks for $47,500 each to Kentucky FFA and Kentucky 4-H during the Kentucky State Fair.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture will give the same amount it has donated every year since Commissioner Farmer took office in 2004, even though it is struggling with budget cuts, he said.
“It’s important to maintain this investment in our future,” Commissioner Farmer said. “FFA and 4-H do an outstanding job of molding our young people into strong leaders and responsible citizens. This investment will pay our Commonwealth back many times over.”

This year’s donations will increase the Department’s support for the youth programs to a total of nearly $600,000 since 2004. Kentucky FFA has 14,500 members in its 145 chapters statewide. A Kentucky FFA member, Nicholas Hardesty of Meade County, was named the American Star Farmer, the National FFA organization’s highest honor, in 2007. Two FFA members from the Spencer County chapter, Andrew Baird and Stephanie Mitchell, are nominees for Star Farmer awards this year.

Kentucky 4-H is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. It is open to youth from 9 to 19. Some 230,000 youths are involved in 4-H in Kentucky.

AFA announces partnership with Dow AgroSciences
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Agriculture Future of America (AFA) is pleased to announce an expanded partnership with Dow AgroSciences.
AFA’s programming is made possible by corporations, associations, foundations and individuals who are committed to the future of the agri-industry. Dow AgroSciences has shown its commitment by increasing its investment with AFA to enhance the development of young men and women in agriculture.

“The expanded partnership with Dow AgroSciences allows AFA to strengthen the quality of its programs and develop new programs for college men and women entering the agri-industry,” said Russ Weathers, AFA President/CEO. “AFA appreciates Dow AgroSciences for its investment.”

Drew Ratterman, market sale workforce leader at Dow AgroSciences, said the company is proud to support AFA. We are looking for the future leaders of Dow AgroSciences, and one area where we can find these leaders, while at the time supporting their development, is AFA,” said Ratterman. 

AFA is a not-for-profit organization created for tomorrow’s leaders in the agriculture industry. The organization is dedicated to encouraging and supporting college students preparing for careers in the agriculture and food industry. For more information, please visit www.agfuture.org

Daniels extends summer
program to hire young adults

NEW HARMONY, Ind. — Gov. Mitch Daniels recently announced that the hugely successful Young Hoosiers Conservation Corps (YHCC), a program that has employed nearly 1,900 young adults to improve Indiana’s parks, trails and natural habitats, is being extended further into the fall. The program utilizes federal stimulus funds designated for employment and training of Hoosiers 16 to 24 years old.

The original program end date was September 30, but because of its success, the governor decided to extend the program to October 16, the last day of the Department of Workforce Development’s seasonal designation. That means some 500 to 700 YHCC workers will stay on the job an additional two to six weeks. Nearly 1,900 young adults ages 16 to 24 were hired in five 16-week waves to fill YHCC positions beginning May 1. The jobs pay $8.50 per hour, and there are still funds in this year’s budget for the extended work.
Daniels made the announcement at Harmonie State Park, where he singled out several YHCC accomplishments, including removal of invasive plants like autumn olive along the park’s roadways, rehabilitation of drinking fountains and campsites, painting and cleanup of a storage building, and maintenance of mountain bike trails.

By the end of the program, YHCC workers will have restored 2,600 acres of natural habitat areas by removing invasive plant species such as multi-flora rose, honeysuckle and garlic mustard; constructed 110 miles of new trails; rehabilitated more than 1,000 miles of existing trails; and renovated dozens of structures at 100 DNR sites, including state parks, reservoirs, recreation areas, state forests, nature preserves and state historic sites.

The state received approximately $24 million in federal stimulus funds through the Workforce Investment Act to hire workers for the 91-county program (Marion County funding was separate).  Provided the program continues to be effective, the state will seek to renew it in 2010. A map of Indiana DNR properties that are a part of the Young Hoosiers Conservation Corps program can be found at this address:
http://www.in.gov/gov/files/Press/DNR_properties.pdf

8/26/2009