In Missouri, the Paris FFA Chapter has a longstanding tradition of selling fruit as its annual fundraiser. Thanks to the Turn the Bag Blue and Gold program sponsored by Brevant seeds, a Corteva Agriscience brand, members stepped into a new arena of sales — seed corn — during the 2023-24 school year.
Paris FFA was one of six chapters selected to participate in the Turn the Bag Blue and Gold program in 2023. The five other participating chapters included:
- Alma FFA in Michigan
- Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart FFA in Minnesota
- Danville FFA in Indiana
- Dupree FFA in South Dakota
- Hugoton FFA in Kansas
Each chapter was selected from nominations made by local Brevant seeds field representatives. The program is more than just a fundraiser — Brevant seeds and local retail sales representatives work with students to provide a real-world sales experience. Together, they build contact lists and then prepare for and make sales calls. Each chapter may sell up to 200 bags of seed. In the spring, students help deliver the seed bags to customers and follow those seeds through the growing season, learning agronomy along the way.
Strengthening Life Skills
Selling seed, a major investment for farmers, is a lot different than selling a $30 fruit basket, says Josh Bondy, one of two Paris FFA advisors. This experience, he adds, has been one of the best career development opportunities his students have had through FFA.
“It’s like job shadowing from the perspective of what it’s like to be a salesman in the agriculture industry,” says Reid Ragsdale, Paris FFA vice president. Ragsdale and Gage Benskin, Paris FFA president, led their chapter through the program.
Both Ragsdale and Benskin live and work on their families’ row crop operations but say the program has given them a more in-depth understanding of corn hybrid genetics and pricing. They’ve also learned professional business and communication skills — including how and why it’s important to leave voicemails.
“We take a lot of pride in working with the kids,” says Caleb Quinlan, retail product agronomist for Brevant seeds, who coached the Paris FFA Chapter. “They had their scripts down by the end of their sales calls. I had a lot of fun working with them, and I think they had fun too.”
Paying it Forward
A portion of each seed bag sold goes to the local chapter ($35) as well as state FFA associations and the National FFA Organization ($15 each). Since 2017, Brevant seeds has worked with 51 FFA chapters nationwide and donated $305,250 to local chapters, state associations and National FFA.
“Brevant seeds is very committed to continuing to work with the FFA,” says Ashley Bergthold, area business development manager with Brevant seeds. “It’s really important to the Brevant seeds field team and Corteva Agriscience that we support and build those future leaders in agriculture.”
Through the program, Paris FFA sold 114 bags of seed to 16 farmers. If given the opportunity to participate again next year, Benskin believes his chapter could sell up to 200 bags using the experiences they have now.
“I’ve watched them sit down, make a contact list, call farmers to talk about features and benefits, close a sale, follow up with an invoice, then get to deliver seeds in March,” Bondy says. “They truly got the full circle of the sales model, and it’s a super neat program.”
Get Creative With Fundraising
Interested in a partnership with Brevant seeds? Learn more about the Turn the Bag Blue and Gold program and read about Corteva Agriscience’s long-standing support of FFA members.
