Savannah students selected as Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council’s Soy Innovation Challenge winners

Photo: Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council

At the 96th Missouri State FFA Convention, the Savannah FFA Chapter was recognized as the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council’s Soy Innovation Challenge winner.

As the state winner, Savannah FFA will receive $10,000 to implement in its chapter.

The Soy Innovation Challenge aims to engage FFA members in creating valuable ideas and business models based on the soy value chain to display at Missouri Soybeans’ Center for Soy Innovation in Jefferson City and across the state.

This is a two-part contest in which chapters design and develop an exhibit for the center and submit proposals for MSMC to consider.

The top-five chapters travel to the state’s capital to present to a panel of judges made up of industry professionals.

The chapters awarded on stage included Savannah, Centralia, Arcadia Valley Career Tech, California and Union Star, placed according to their listing.

The top-three chapters were presented with $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500, respectively, for their innovative submissions and presentations.

“With education as a core tenet of the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council’s mission, it was easy to develop a program that encourages young agriculturalists to think innovatively and pursue the soybean industry,” said Aaron Porter, MSMC chairman. “MSMC finds it imperative to pour into local FFA chapters and students interested in agriculture to not only help us grow engagement at the Center for Soy Innovation but create future leaders for our organization.”

To receive the state title, Savannah designed a mobile soy-education center that offers virtual reality (VR) simulations, labs, cooking demonstrations, observations and other self-guided modules.

The chapter’s goal was to reach a variety of ages to help them understand the industry while highlighting plant science and agriculture as a plausible career choice.

“Career readiness is a fundamental piece of the agricultural education curriculum and Missouri FFA Association mission,” said Teresa Briscoe, Missouri FFA executive secretary. “This contest offering from the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council is a unique opportunity for students to enhance useful skills in the classroom and future workforce while educating students on a pivotal part of Missouri’s agricultural landscape. Missouri FFA encourages more chapters to apply year after year to reap the benefits of the valuable contest.”

The Savannah FFA Chapter’s proposal will be implemented at the Center for Soy Innovation and hit the roads as a moveable classroom as late as the 2025 field-trip season.