The third year of FMC’s Stand and be Heard national anthem singing contest is underway but the deadline to submit performance videos is fast approaching. In 2014 the company will award a total of $25,000 in scholarship prizes, $10,000 of that for the contest winner. FMC named the contest after its Anthem and Anthem ATZ herbicides.
Paul Redhage says the online video submission window for contestants that started the March 1st ends Friday, June 20th.
“FMC has been coming up with lots of new products for farmers over the past 7 or 8 years, and we have a theme called Investing in Farming’s Future. Well that’s obviously new products for farmers, but we said what are the other kinds of things as an organization can we do to invest in farming’s future and one is the youth of agriculture. So we came up with the idea of the national anthem singing contest. It’s for students 13-21 years of age, involved in agriculture in some way or an agricultural organization, say FFA, 4-H, Student NAMA, AFA.
Last year’s winner, Noelle Goodson from Ohio, says the key for contestants is to get out the vote.
“You just have to record yourself and send it in online, it’s as easy as that. But the main thing is you’ve got to get a lot of votes and promote yourself. I made little business cards with my name that said Noelle, vote for me. I handed them out everywhere. I put it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and my dad really helped a lot by emailing people. My ag advisor emailed teachers all over Ohio so I had schools from all over voting for me.”
In addition to the very helpful scholarship, Noelle told HAT there have been great opportunities as a result of the contest, including recording in Nashville, a trip to Las Vegas, and singing the Anthem for the opening general session at Commodity Classic.
All of the contest details are here.