Students invited to enter essay contest on science, agriculture

Missouri's junior high students are invited to share their thoughts about science and agriculture as part of a national essay contest sponsored by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST).

The council, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is sponsoring the "Boundless Science for Bountiful Agriculture" essay contest for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students across the nation. The contest's purpose is to educate and excite students, teachers and parents about agricultural science.

Essays of up to 500 words should be submitted online at www.cast-science.org by Nov. 1.

Topics for the competition include:

Ag Science in the City: "The Importance of Agriculture for Urban Areas"

Alternative Fuel Research: "Bioenergy Powering the Future"

Conservation of Resources: "Working Cooperatively to Ensure a Bounty of Food and Natural Resources"

Cultivating New Technologies: "Producing Food in Space" or "Using Lasers, Robots, and Computers in Agriculture"

Dynamic DNA: "Boosting Agricultural Bounty with Genetics"

Food Science and Nutrition: "Using Science to Create a Safe and Healthy Food Supply"

Weather and Crop Production: "The Impact of Atmospheric Sciences on World Food Supply"

Essays will be judged on originality, creativity, quality of research, grammar, organization and how applicable the essay is to the chosen topic. Winners will be recognized at the school, Congressional district, state, and national levels. The national winner, along with his or her parents and teacher, will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., March 20-23, 2003, during National Agriculture Week.

The winning student will also receive a $3,000 savings bond.

CAST is an international consortium of 37 scientific and professional societies. For more details on the essay contest, visit www.cast-science.org/contest/index.html or call (202) 675-8333.