WASHINGTON, Oct 26, 2007 – Under Secretary of Agriculture Tom Dorr today reminded FFA students about the annual Risk Management Agency (RMA)-FFA essay writing contest.

"By participating in the FFA contest, students will gain valuable experience in considering the use of risk management strategies on a farm enterprise," Dorr said. "This is a wonderful opportunity for FFA students, working with their advisors, to gain valuable experience applying risk management techniques to their own situations."

The contest, "Risk Management Strategies for My Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Program," is sponsored by RMA, in cooperation with the National FFA organization, as a means of making the nation's future farmers aware of ways of managing various risks associated with farming. This is the 11th year of the contest.

Students will select a risk management strategy relative to their supervised program, analyze the risk, indicate tools used to minimize risk, and explain their application of these tools in an essay of no less than 1000 words and three to seven pages in length.

Ten winning essays will be selected on the criteria of content, adherence to the assigned topic, grammar, organization, originality and creativity. Each of the ten winners and their advisors will travel to Washington, D.C., all expenses paid, for a special USDA Risk Management Agency/FFA Day in April/May 2008. Students and advisors will meet with USDA officials and members of Congress at that time and be recognized in a special ceremony.

The contest is open to current FFA students in good standing. A list of top ten winners will appear in FFA's New Horizon's magazine "Making a Difference" newsletter and on the organization's Web site at: www.ffa.org .

Entries must be postmarked by January 31, 2008, and should be sent to: Risk Management Essay Contest, National FFA Organization , P. O. Box 68960, Indianapolis, IN 46268-0960. Contest rules of entry are at: www.ffa.org.

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