Ohio Small Grains Checkoff provides thousands for statewide nutritional campaign

DELAWARE, Ohio – Eleven Ohio FFA chapters were chosen to receive a $500 grant to participate in the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program’s (OSGMP) nutritional-awareness campaign, “Food for Thought Challenge.”

Introduced at the annual Farm Science Review, Food for Thought is a statewide competition among FFA chapters to increase awareness about the nutritional value of a diet with whole grains, among other healthy behavior changes, in their schools and communities. Participants will create a campaign that will promote small grains in any way they choose.

Participating FFA chapters submitted campaign entries in September and were selected in October based on the originality of their campaign ideas.

FFA chaptered selected to participate in the Food for Thought challenge include, Cory-Rawson, Cedarville, Eaton-MVCTC, London, Madison-Plains, McComb, Mowrystown, North Union, Ridgedale and Riverdale. The selected chapters met on Nov. 10 at the Ohio FFA center to kick off the contest. Participants met past winners who are serving on the Youth Advisory Board, learned about gluten, received their $500 checks and brainstormed creative ideas for this year's contest.

The Mowrystown FFA chapter received a $500 grant from the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program.

The Mowrystown project name is “Giving Thanks,” and they will be amplifying service throughout the community with a hot, home-cooked meal for free. With this grant, Mowrystown FFA will be using the money to purchase food to provide a Thanksgiving meal to educate the community about the importance of gluten.

The Thanksgiving meal will be at two local churches – Mowrystown Church of Christ and Fairfax Methodist – on Nov. 24, starting at 11:30 a.m. and ending at 1:30 p.m.

The chapter would also like to thank the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program for choosing its grant and allowing the chapter to educate the community.

Many chapters have already begun implementing their campaigns, which include tactics such as promoting the use of student food journals, organizing educational fairs with health-related groups and providing healthy snacks between classes. The FFA chapters will present their campaigns to a panel of judges at the 88th Ohio State FFA Convention on May 3 and 4 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. One chapter’s efforts will also be selected as the winner and they will be honored with the $2,000 grand award.