On Saturday, Jan. 12, more than 50 people from the Newton area represented the Newton FFA chapter at the World’s Toughest Rodeo at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The event was sponsored in part by Red Brand agriculture fencing, which has been a national sponsor of FFA for more than 60 years.

Sarah Rammelsberg, marketing communications manager from the Keystone Steel & Wire division in Peoria, Ill., presented a check to the Iowa FFA as part of the 2012 Home Grown program. FFA members James Leonard and Connor Claypool accepted the check on behalf of the Newton FFA chapter. Zach Guinn, store manager from Theisen’s, and James Horn, the local FFA advisor, were also on hand for the presentation.

“Home Grown” is an initiative developed by Red Brand that financially supports local FFA Chapters. The program is facilitated through the distribution partnership of Theisen’s and Hutchison Lumber & Building Products. For every order placed in 2012 of Red Brand field fence, sheep and goat fence, barbed wire, and horse fence, $1 is donated by Red Brand to the local FFA chapter selected by Theisen’s. Nationally for 2012, Red Brand supported over 700 chapters, while payments made to chapters within the Hutchison Inc. distribution network totaled more than $141,000.