| FFA Nation

Risk Management Essay Contest gives FFA members the opportunity to explore Washington, D.C.

Jessica Mozo | 10/29/2010 |

If you’ve ever dreamed of touring our nation’s capital, here’s your chance. The National FFA Organization and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency are teaming up for the 14th annual Risk Management Essay Contest, and 10 FFA members and their advisors will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

“I know high school students aren’t always up for writing, but to write an essay and win a free trip to D.C. is pretty awesome,” says Jill Mantey, program manager for the Risk Management Essay Contest. “It’s a great experience you can get from simply writing an essay.”

The contest encourages students in agricultural education to become aware of the risks involved with production agriculture and understand how to minimize those risks. Entrants use their supervised agricultural experience program (SAE) as a basis for their essay, analyze the risks involved and describe their risk management strategy.

Winning essays are selected based on content, adherence to the assigned topic, grammar, organization, originality and creativity.

“The winners and their advisors are flown into D.C. from all over the country, and we start the experience with a pizza party to get to know one another,” Mantey says. “Then they get to tour the White House, meet with USDA officials in a special ceremony recognizing the winners, and do a scavenger hunt that takes them across the city. Students can also do congressional visits, see the monuments and tour the Capitol – Saturday is always a free day when they can do whatever they want.”

Interested in a free trip to Washington, D.C.? Mantey offers these seven tips for writing a winning essay:

1.   Keep good records on your SAE, and use those records to analyze your risks.
2.   Study resources available from the USDA Risk Management Agency.
3.   Get advice from industry professionals.
4.   Ask yourself, “What could put me out of business, and how could I manage?”
5.   Make a list of all the risks associated with your SAE.
6.   Organize your thoughts first into an outline, and then develop a draft essay.
7.   Ask your agricultural education instructor as well as an English teacher to review your essay and provide feedback.

In addition to the Washington, D.C., trip, winners receive certificates and medals and are recognized in FFA New Horizons magazine.

“The winners really enjoy meeting USDA officials. They might never have gotten this opportunity otherwise,” Mantey says. “The experience helps them see that D.C. isn’t just about government, and agriculture isn’t just about farming. It doesn’t all happen on a tractor in a field.”