By DEBORAH BEHRENDS
Illinois Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Farm Credit System Foundation is sponsoring youth activities at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assoc.’s 2009 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show, Jan. 28-31 in Phoenix, Ariz.

The Farm Credit System Foundation is a non-profit corporation supported by donations from Farm Credit System institutions and more than 1,000 individuals affiliated with the Farm Credit System.
“The foundation has an active grant program that was established in 1991,” said John Hays, vice president for national programs with the foundation.

“The foundation’s mission is to assist young, beginning and small producers to be successful. We are a major sponsor of the National Young Farmer Educational Assoc., Agriculture Future of America, 4-H, FFA, Farmers for the Future website, Progressive Agriculture Foundation and Safety Day programs to name a few.”

Hays said the foundation was re-energized in 2000 with the Farm Credit banks increasing their donations for the foundation to expand its grant program.

Each year since its founding, the foundation has expanded its grant-making program to support the next generation of agricultural producers and leaders in rural American.

Hays said the program has grown from an average of $35,000 in support of just a few organizations to an estimated $750,000 in core foundation grants in 2009. “This shows Farm Credit System’s commitment to young, beginning and small farmers plus rural youth success,” Hays said.

The foundation’s sponsorship of the NCBA convention’s youth activities will support a range of activities including a cattle judging contest, a junior quiz bowl, a team marketing competition and a public speaking contest. Contests provide team and individual competition and accommodate youth as young as 9 through young adults in college.

“The Farm Credit System Foundation is pleased to support this newly-established youth program as part of the leading beef industry convention and trade show,” Hays said.

“As with the other programs the foundation supports, this reflects Farm Credit’s historic mission to serve agricultural and rural America.”

More information on the event is available at www.beef.org