Mid-April Update
 Congratulations to our new 2021-2022 Montana State FFA Officers!
President: Joe Lackman, Forsyth
1st VP: Colton Young, Stillwater Valley
2nd VP: Danielle Horan, Moore
Secretary: Riley Prather, Big Timber
Treasurer: Matthew Slivka, Winifred
Reporter: Cody Johannes, Huntley Project
Sentinel: Allison Denton, Fergus of Lewistown
Parliamentarian: Sydney Kirschten, Baker
Thank you so much to Jim Rose, the FFA Board of Trustees and the FFA Foundation for all of your hard work putting on a in-person convention.
Here is the link to the new Montana Agricultural Education Network.
Please make sure to update your bookmarks to the MAgNet 2.0 because MAgNet will be taken down by the end of the month.
Let Eric Tilleman know at agedadmin@opiconnect.org if you have any issues with this transition.
BIGGER AND BETTER THAN LAST YEARS CONVENTION!!
June 21 – 24th, 2021. Monday – Thursday. Location - Deer Lodge MT
Motels
Western Big Sky Inn
210 N. Main Street
Deer Lodge, MT
406-846-2590
$68.04 tax included
Breakfast included
Warden Inn
Deer Lodge, MT
808-987-2234
Call for rates
Travel Lodge Inn
1150 N. Main Street
Deer Lodge, MT
406-846-2370
Call for rates.
Breakfast included
Camping options are available
at Bill Lombardi's House, school farm or RV parks. Ask for details.
Topics
• Ag Ed Safety Initiative – Dr. Dustin Perry
• CNC, cutters, routers, 3D printers
• Drones
• Former and current Ag Teacher’s Reunion
• MAAE Business Meeting
• TIG Welding
• Tours
• Soil Health, agronomy, gardening
Venues
• PCHS Ag-Ed Complex
• Deer Park Golf Course
• Elks Lodge
• Lombardi Party Barn
• Montana Precision Products
• Tours
Early Career Teachers Meeting Monday June 21nd 8:30 – 12:00.
Teachers onsite check in 12 noon, 12:30 update conference start time. MAAE shirt included if registered by May 14th.
Send your registration to MAAE at Weber & Vanorio CPA, PC., 406 Main St. Suite A. Stevensville, MT 59870
Cost
Update Registration
$150 includes meals + MAAE / ACTE dues $250 = total $400 payable by your district.
Ag Teachers Reunion and college Ag-Ed students – former teachers and retired teaches $75 - 3 day meals package or $25 daily meals.
Click here to Register Online.
Click here to download the pdf.
Welding 194
Workshop: Welding Instruction 2 Credits
June 21 – June 25, 2021
8:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Instructors: Pete Franey and Blake Thompson
Learning Portal Link
This class provides high school instructors the opportunity to prepare for, practice, and complete the AWS qualification test. Instructors will be trained on the visual inspection of qualification tests and be provided an overview of the SMAW curriculum for concurrently enrolled classes. In addition, teachers will be given the opportunity for individual skill development in SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, and GTAW.
Course Outline:
June 21
OT 111/OT 114
Course Overview
Perkins reimbursement paperwork
Qualification coupon prep and tack up
Limited and unlimited thickness
Proper practice/techniques
June 22
Wire welding processes – consumable classification and designation
Product Data Sheets/WPS’
Transfer modes
Machine disassembly, reassembly and setup/operation
Wire process practice
June 23
Mock Qualification – code requirements/inspection
Each instructor will weld at least one coupon and another
instructor will inspect the coupon in accordance with code inspection criteria
June 24
D1.1 code and safety overview
D1.1 and safety assessment
Individual skill development (participant’s choice)
June 25
Individual skill development
Wrap Up
Dismiss – 12:00 p.m.
Cost and Reimbursement for High School Teachers
Tuition
(Cost to be paid by teachers or by district)
· $140 for in-district teachers (Flathead and Lincoln County)
· $180 for out of district teachers
Mileage Reimbursement
$.279 per mile for a maximum of $200 per teacher
Per Diem
(Lunch & Dinner = $115.00)
5 days @ $8.50 per day = $42.50
5 days @ $14.50 per day = $72.50
Hotel Accommodations (Rooms paid for by the grant for the first 10 registered):
Spring Hill Suites by Marriott
King Suite
250 Old Reserve Dr.
Kalispell, MT 59901
Ram Trucks Chapter Grants
- Ram Trucks chapter grant program will begin enrolling dealers at a cost of $500 per chapter grant and matched at $500 by Ram Trucks corporate for local support for the chapter of the dealers choosing.
- Please visit here for more information and for dealer sign-up.
Culver’s Essay Contest
- The seventh annual Culver’s Essay Contest launched on Feb. 22. Three winners will be chosen to receive funds for their chapters for $7,500, $5,000 and $2,500. The contest is a chance for students to demonstrate their passion for agricultural education.
- New this year, students will also be able to submit videos for the contest. This entry method was introduced to recognize the public speaking and presentation skills students develop in FFA and allow them to showcase those abilities.
- This year’s prompt:
- What lessons has the agriculture industry learned from the COVID-19 pandemic? How can we use these learnings to improve the industry to ensure a sustainable future?
- Written essays (1,000 words or less) and videos (five minutes or less) will be accepted at Culvers online until the deadline of April 19 at 5 p.m. CDT.
Syngenta Grow More Experience Sites
- From April 15 to Sept. 30, 2021, Syngenta host Syngenta Grow More Experience Site Events with Golden Harvest Agronomy in Action around the country.
- Chapters who download the Syngenta App and register 20 attendees will receive a $100 donation from Syngenta.
- Please see FFA online for more details.
Country Meats
- Country Meats is here to help you #MeatYourGoals! Our online order form makes it easy for you to choose any combination of more than 12 flavors. You get six bags per case and each bag can be a different flavor. You make 45% profit on each snack stick and Country Meats will give you ten free snack sticks in each case.
- Learn more and get a free sample by visiting Country Meats website.
Bloom for Good
- What’s better than chapters earning 70% from a fundraiser and states earning an additional 5%? The fact that this fundraiser can be done remotely and there is no money due up front for local chapters.
- This is truly an awesome opportunity to raise money quickly. You can learn more about the program by going to Bloom For Good online and please promote this to your local chapters.
Agronothon/Agronomy Week
RFD-TV announces Agronothon - April 8th from 9pm to 11pm EDT. Viewers will have the opportunity to call in and have agronomy experts answer their questions. For every question asked during the week, DEKALB, Asgrow & Deltapine will donate $100 to the National FFA Scholarship Program and Agronomy events. They will also donate $10 for every farmer-asked question on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #Agronothon, submitted throughout Agronomy Week; April 5th – 9th.
- Tractor Supply Company Grants for Growing
Tractor Supply Company Grants for Growning
Tractor Supply Company (TSC), in conjunction with many local FFA chapters, sold paper FFA emblems during National FFA Week at their checkout stands. The money raised through this promotion by TSC is now available for maximum $5,000 grants that ANY local FFA chapter can apply for. The grant application is NOW OPEN for a two month period of March 1st through May 15th. All FFA chapters are eligible to apply. BEING LOCATED NEAR A TSC STORE IS NOT REQUIRED TO APPLY FOR A GRANT. Find the grant application and more information at: Grants For Growing.
TSC Grants for Growing can fund projects in three areas for your chapter:
- Classroom – supplies, equipment, technology, curriculum, etc.
- Chapter – student leadership opportunities, member recruitment, community awareness, etc.
- Ag Awareness – educational outreach, ag literacy, marketing, etc.
- Zoetis Industry Support Program
This is the long-standing, very popular program in which FFA chapters connect with local animal health supply stores and/or local veterinarians that sell Zoetis animal health products. In establishing this connection, FFA chapters are then the beneficiaries of a percentage of sales of select Zoetis products sold between January 15 and April 30, 2021.
To sign up, local chapters should set up a COVID-safe meeting with their local animal health supply stores and/or veterinarians sharing their FFA chapter ID number, advisor name, and chapter address with them and then asking the store and/or veterinarian to finalize their enrolment at: Zoetis website. Enrolment must be completed by May 7th to qualify. Eligible sales of Zoetis products dating back to January 15, 2021 will count towards the chapter support final sum. Find additional information at: FFA Online.
The chair of the National FFA Board of Directors Subcommittee on Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE) would like to invite you to share your thoughts and views regarding IDE and the National FFA Organization. The results of this survey will be used by the National FFA Board of Directors, National FFA Officers, and National FFA Staff to develop a set of value statements for the National FFA Organization. The survey link below will lead you to a short 10 question survey. This survey should take you less than 10 minutes to complete and will be instrumental in ensuring that your voice is heard throughout this process. Please respond to the survey link below by April 30th. If you have any questions regarding the survey or the direction of this subcommittee, please feel free to contact committee chair, Eric Rubenstein at erubenstein@uga.edu.
Survey Link
DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award
The DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award is now accepting FFA advisor nominations of one deserving FFA member per chapter. Visit this link for more details.
Request a National FFA Officer for your Chapter Banquet
For chapters hosting virtual or in-person banquets this May, consider inviting a National FFA Officer to virtually join your festivities. Officers can virtually join chapter banquets or pre-record remarks specific to the chapter.
For questions, please contact:
Eric Tilleman, Agricultural Education Specialist - 406.444.4451
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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