Odessa FBLA students focus on agri-business

The Odessa High School chapter of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) formed a partnership with the AgriBusiness Council of Spokane in December of 2012. The goal was to work with the council to support and promote a strong, active and viable agriculture community in the Inland Northwest.

To learn more about the AgriBusiness Council, FBLA students met with Jay Allert, President of Aslin Finch Company and the committee chair of the AgriBusiness Council. Allert shared that agriculture is a 38-billion-dollar industry in Washington state, contributing 13% of the state’s income, as much as Boeing. The AgriBusiness Council was formed to ensure that the industry of agriculture was well represented in government and business. “If you don’t have a voice at the table, you are probably on the menu.” By being organized and engaged, the council has increased public awareness, directed more state tax dollars towards agriculture and increased investments in the industry.

A tour of Spokane Seed Company gave further insight into the goals of the AgriBusiness Council. The family-owned business was established in 1908 and is currently run by president and CEO Pete Johnstone, who also serves on the AgriBusiness Council.

The business has changed a great deal in 100 years. Today the focus is on processing top-quality peas, lentils and garbanzo beans that are shipped all over the world. Spokane Seed is the only supplier of peas to Campbell Soup and Gerber Baby Food. Students observed the entire process from delivery of legumes from the farmer, to cleaning, bagging, quality-control measures and palletizing for shipping. Finally, Johnstone reinforced the messages of the AgriBusiness Council. The business of agriculture is to feed the world, and with 7 billion people on Earth and counting, the industry has to learn to do more with less land and resources. There is more demand for what is produced, so the future is very bright in agriculture, not just in farming, but in all the industries that are connected, especially business.

AgExpo seminar

To promote a strong, active and viable agriculture community with the AgriBusiness Council, the Odessa FBLA chapter hosted a session at the Spokane AgExpo and Northwest Farm Forum called “The Business of Agriculture.” The goal of the session was to enlighten high school students about business careers in agriculture, as many teens are unaware of the career opportunities available to them in agricultural business.

Speakers included Don Strebeck of the Odessa Trading Company (sales), Brenik Iverson of the accounting firm Leffel, Otis & Warwick, Susan Horton of Wheatland Bank (management), John Kragt of the law firm Carpenter, McGuire & DeWulf, Rob Soliday of Ag-Tech Services (technology), Derek Teal of Co-Ag (marketing) and John Bartels of Columbia Bank (banking and finance).

Not only did the speakers discuss their career paths and their interest in agriculture, but they also provided many words of wisdom for students about to embark on college and making decisions about their futures.

Wheatland Bank, Wilbur-Ellis, AgVentures Northwest and Inland Power & Light sponsored the room in which the session was held and provided the door prizes.

The Partnership with Business Project was coordinated by FBLA members Jenna Shafer, Alexis Burdick, Carsen Weber and Trevor King and will be entered into the state FBLA competition in April.