College Aggies Online - Ag Advocate Competition

Animal Agriculture Alliance, a national non-profit organization working to educate the public about the important role that animal agriculture plays in feeding a hungry world, and the American National CattleWomen, Inc. are excited to invite you to participate in the second annual College Aggies Online (CA0) competition.

As you know, it is important that stakeholders involved in production agriculture take proactive steps to tell the industry’s true story. Today’s farmers and ranchers make it possible for Americans to enjoy the safest, most affordable and most abundant food supply in the world. Too often, activists are the ones telling the story – a misleading story – about how farm animals are raised and food is produced. These radical groups are well-organized, well-funded, and dedicated to eliminating the entire animal agriculture industry. The threats are real and the potential impact is enormous.

The next generation of farmers and ranchers must speak out! CAO will equip you with the tools to be confident agriculture advocates and will connect you with other young people who are active in agricultural organizations around the country. Participants will be provided science-based resources to more effectively utilize social media tools like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter to provide accurate information about food production. CAO represents a valuable opportunity that will help you better understand the challenges facing agriculture.

The competition kicks off on September 1. Students who participate in CAO will compete to earn points for themselves and for Alpha Zeta by taking part in activities on CAO’s private online forum, accessible at http://aggiesonline.ning.com. Participants will be able to create personalized member profiles and will receive points for uploading agriculture-related photos and videos or by participating in discussion forums. Scores will be tallied in April 2011 to determine the winner at the end of the competition.

The winning student group will receive a $750 grant, national recognition, and a trip for one representative to Washington, D.C. for the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s annual Stakeholders Summit. Additional recognition and prizes will be awarded to the runner-up in the club competition and to the two top-placing individual competitors. (The Western Kentucky University Block and Bridle Club took home top honors at the inaugural competition.)

Last year, more than 350 CAO participants from 50 universities across the U.S. promoted agriculture’s true story by sharing more than 3,000 photos on the network and authoring 100 blog posts. Members also advocated for agriculture in their communities by writing letters to the editor of local news outlets and by participating in other outreach activities.

CAO needs your help!

The competition is set to begin on September 1, 2010. They need your help in promoting the program to other agriculture student and organization leaders who have a keen interest in communicating about agriculture to the public. Feel free to visit the network at http://aggiesonline.ning.com to get involved.

Help CAO continue this program to get young agriculturalists more involved in promoting and educating the public about animal agriculture and its importance.