ASTA’s First the Seed Foundation Receives Significant Donation

Dec 19: The American Seed Trade Association’s First the Seed Foundation announced today it is the recipient of a significant donation by Peterson Genetics to be used to build the Core Curriculum program related to seed production for middle school students.  The First the Seed Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established in 2008 to inform today’s consumers and tomorrow’s workforce about the importance of the seed industry.

“The mission of the First the Seed Foundation is to conduct education, outreach and communication on the value of crops and food produced from seed,” Mike Peterson, Peterson Genetics said.  “That is exactly why supporting the foundation through a donation to be used for the curriculum program seemed like a great fit.  With much of the American public removed from the farm, it’s an opportunity for us to teach how broad an impact seed-derived products have on our daily lives.”

Specifically, the Core Curriculum will be designed to engage middle school students with seed science through a STEM-lens (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).  Students will have opportunities to explore a variety of topics within seed sciences, to apply their learnings and to create solutions to actual problems – all in the context of the real world.

“We want to attract the best and brightest minds to agricultural fields of study and the Core Curriculum program will help students discover the many opportunities available in the field of seed science,” Peterson said.  “However, this can’t be completed without additional support.  That is why I urge my colleagues in agriculture to consider making a donation to the First the Seed Foundation and help increase awareness of the evolving seed industry.”