Farm Products Down & FFA Convention Looks at Jobs

Farm Products Down & FFA Convention Looks at Jobs. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The 83rd National FFA Convention is underway in Indianapolis, Indiana. Over 55,000 members and guests are expected to attend this year. Besides the convention sessions, workshops and entertainment, students have the opportunity to learn more through the FFA's Career Show. Bryan Kelley, National FFA Career Show Manager. KELLY: This is the first year for the Alumni Nation. It is geared to attract our National FFA Alumni members so that they can get a benefit out of the commission. We've also expanded on Teacher's World which was new last year offering more services and providers of services to our teachers in the classroom. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the value of Washington State's farm products last year reached nearly $7.3 billion, down 8 percent from 2008. Still, the USDA says record high values of production were set for eight crops: grapes, hops, sweet corn, mint oil, dry edible beans, wrinkled seed peas, alfalfa seed and apricots. Washington Agriculture Department Director Dan Newhouse says the global recession has hurt prices overall, but the state's high quality and diversified farm goods are still showing strong demand worldwide. The state's top five crops are apples, milk, potatoes, wheat, and cattle and calves. Now here's today's Washington Grange Report. (GRANGE) That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.