LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 28, 2004-Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced the award of $162,500 in grants to the FFA organization to increase agri-business and marketing leadership skills as well as career development activities.

"Organizations like FFA are helping students learn, lead and succeed in today's environment," Veneman said during remarks to the annual FFA convention where she accepted the Distinguished Service Citation for USDA's contribution to agricultural education.

"American food and agriculture continue to offer a tremendous future. These sectors together are still our country's largest employer with more than 300 different careers in the science, business and technology of food and agriculture and more than 24 million people working in those fields."

Veneman said the grants include $100,000 from USDA's Rural Development of which $75,000 will go to support the FFA Agri-Entrepreneurship Award program whose primary goal is to increase the number of business start-ups by teaching young people how to identify market opportunities and create jobs. As part of this program, students are challenged to develop an agricultural related business plan.

The remaining $25,000 will help support the National FFA Career Development Events Program, which fosters and recognizes excellence in agriculture learning with the goal of inspiring young people to consider careers in agricultural business and industry.

Veneman also said that the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service will provide $62,500 to the National FFA Career Development Events Program.

The career development events are educational activities organized and conducted by the National FFA Organization to challenge, test and recognize outstanding technical knowledge in agriculture, as well as judgment, reasoning ability, self confidence, goal setting and sportsmanship in team and individual competitions. According to FFA leadership, classroom instruction comes to life in research, preparation and performance in a competitive event setting.

In addition to grants such as these, Veneman said USDA supports youth development through the Leaders of Tomorrow program, USDA's 1890 Scholars Program for students who attend "1890" land-grant universities, and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, which broadens the opportunities for young Hispanic men and women across America and USDA's 10,000 internships within USDA every year.