Indianapolis, IN - October 16, 2009

When thousands of FFA members visit Indianapolis October 21-24, they will take home so much more than Circle City souvenirs thanks to companies like Dow AgroSciences.  The global life science company is involved with the convention in numerous ways to help give students perspective on the many exciting careers available in agriculture.

Several thousand students will tour Dow AgroSciences’ 14-acre R&D facility which will include six interactive research demonstrations highlighting work in all stages of the crop protection product development process.  For example, FFA members will get a hands-on opportunity to precipitate DNA, helping them learn about a key step in developing a biotechnology product.

Along with the tours, Dow AgroSciences will be hosting both Stars and Agriscience award winners.  Agriscience winners are top students who prepare research projects in their local communities and then compete with a scientific report and display for judging at the national level. The Stars are The National FFA Organization’s finalists for its top awards including the American Star Farmer, American Star in Agribusiness, American Star in Agricultural Placement and American Star in Agriscience.

“We have hundreds of Dow AgroSciences volunteers, from researchers to business leaders, who provide FFA students a first-hand experience of what it’s like to work in a technology-driven company like Dow AgroSciences,” says Dan Kittle, Ph.D., vice president of Research and Development at Dow AgroSciences. “FFA students are the future leaders of our industry, and we want them to know that work at a global, growing life sciences company could hold great possibilities for them.”

“For the American agriculture industry to continue to be successful in the future, we need today’s agriculture students to grow into innovative thinkers and strong leaders,” said Julie Adams, national FFA communications director. “We are so grateful to have world class industry leaders, like those at Dow AgroSciences, who generously share their knowledge and expertise with the next generation of agriculturalists. Thanks to them, we know our FFA members can look forward to a bright future.”

About Dow AgroSciences

Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. Dow AgroSciences provides innovative technologies for crop protection, pest and vegetation management, seeds, traits, and agricultural biotechnology to serve the world’s growing population. Global sales for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are $4.5 billion. Learn more at www.dowagro.com.

About FFA

The National FFA Organization, formerly known as Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 506,199 student members—all preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture—as part of 7,429 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988 in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agricultural education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

For Editorial Information:

Kenda Resler-Friend
Dow AgroSciences LLC
1-317-337-4743