A national group that has promoted agricultural training for nearly a century is seeing a boom in membership among young people interested in agricultural careers. Indiana and other states are seeing a rise in membership in FFA, formerly known as Future Farmers of America. More than 17,000 new students joined the FFA organization nationwide in the past year, an all-time high for the 83-year-old group, The Republic reported (http://bit.ly/pfZXEF).

Enjoy a day filled with agricultural activities and free entertainment for the whole family! The International Agri-Center will host its first Ag-Fest event on Saturday, Oct. 15, in Tulare, California. The event will include a 5K run, food demonstrations and a performance by 2011 America's Got Talent musician, Ryan Andreas.

The Center for Dairy Excellence is offering scholarships to help dairy producers take advantage of two dairy educational opportunities available in Pennsylvania – the AgBiz Masters Program and the Middle Managers Conference. The scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis to those who register.

The Wisconsin Holstein Association’s (WHA) Young Adult Committee will be offering monetary awards for young adults to attend educational events in 2012. There will be four $500 awards given to WHA members, ages 21-45.

Horizon is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2011 and reflecting on its growth from a small organic yogurt brand to not only the top-selling organic milk brand in the U.S., but the top-selling milk brand, conventional or organic. “Over the past 20 years, Horizon has grown its network of family farmers from seven to more than 600, and helped create and grow the organic dairy category,” said Mike Ferry, Horizon president. “While we are proud to celebrate these achievements throughout our 20th anniversary year, we are also marking the occasion by reaffirming our commitment to sustainable agriculture, to advancing the organic movement and to our family farmer partners.”

The Adisseo Group, one of the worldwide leaders in the animal nutrition additives, has just finalized the acquisition of 90 percent of Innov’ia shares. With a consolidated turnover of 16 million Euros and 110 employees, Innov’ia is, with its subsidiaries, one of the European leaders in the design and toll manufacturing of powders and granules for the food and feed industry, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and fine chemical sectors.

An introduction to cow-centered housing will be the topic of the next session of the Technology Tuesdays webinar series offered by the Penn State Extension Dairy Team. The webinar will be held Oct. 11 from 8:30 to 10 a.m., Eastern Time, and is free of charge. “If you are making your living from the dairy cow, then she should be central to a lot of your decisions,” notes Dr. Robert Graves, agricultural engineer, Penn State Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. “A cow-centered housing system starts with a cow-centered owner, managers and workers. While each has responsibilities and concerns that include more than the cow, they must be rooted in the firm foundation of ‘what’s good for the cow is good for the dairy!’”

It isn’t every day that students get to work out with professional football players, but students representing 34 Michigan schools will have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on Sept. 27 during this year’s Fuel Up to Play 60 Kick Off to School Health at Ford Field in Detroit. Students will learn a number of fun and easy-to-implement “plays” that can be incorporated into their nutrition and physical activity programs, inspiring students, schools and communities to create healthier school environments. The third annual Kickoff event is presented by the Detroit Lions, Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) and United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM). The day’s “game plan” includes music, motivational talks, practicing football training camp-style skills with Detroit Lions players and trainers, and tasty food.