ST. LOUIS For many FFA members, the National FFA Convention is a life-changing event. Members could be receiving an award they’ve been working for throughout their high school experience, running for national office, meeting fellow members from across the country or competing in a national contest. And now, chapters in Iowa have a chance to win a trip to this convention.

FFA Chapters across Iowa are competing with chapters in seven other states to win an all-expenses-paid trip to their National Convention in Indianapolis. The FFA Chapter Challenge, sponsored by Monsanto Company, began March 7 in an effort to connect students and local farmers. With a week left in the competition, Valley High School in Des Moines is in the top spot in Iowa with 153 votes, followed by Sumner Fredericksburg High School in Sumner with 115 votes and Grinnell High School in Grinnell with 76 votes. Currently, 304 chapters are registered for the competition with 39 of those chapters in Iowa.

The FFA Chapter Challenge sponsored by Monsanto, through the National FFA Foundation, involves chapters in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Georgia and Alabama. FFA members must reach out to local farmers, meet them, learn about their operations and share what their chapter is doing in the community.

Chapter advisors must first register their chapters online at “http://www.FFAChapterChallenge.com”>www.FFAChapterChallenge.com. Farmers will visit the same website and vote for their favorite chapter. Farmers must be 21 years or older and actively engaged in farming. Farmers can vote only once per chapter, but can vote for multiple chapters.

“As a company whose only business is agriculture, Monsanto is proud to support the FFA Chapter Challenge,” said John Raines, Vice President of Monsanto Customer Advocacy. “We see this as an opportunity for FFA chapters to build new and stronger relationships with farmers in their community. We encourage Iowa farmers to go online to www.FFAChapterChallenge.com and support their favorite chapters by voting.”

The chapter with the most votes in all seven states by May 1 will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for six students and an adult advisor to the 2011 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis valued at more than $6,500 and a $1,500 line of credit that they can use to buy FFA- merchandise, fund related activities or help pay for chapter costs. The top 125 chapters participating in the competition also will receive a $1,500 line of credit. For participating, each of the seven state FFA organizations will receive a $1,500 grant to help fund FFA activities.

All winners will be announced on www.FFAChapterChallenge.com by May 15.