SMITHFIELD, Va., Oct. 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce a $50,000 donation to the North Carolina Future Farmers of America (FFA) to support expansion of the North Carolina FFA Center in Bladen County, including the construction of a new female dormitory and additional facility upgrades.

“Additional dormitories and facility improvements will allow us to meet the housing demands and provide clean, temperature-controlled restroom facilities for our members,” said Gerald Barlowe, North Carolina FFA state agricultural education leader. “Smithfield’s generous donation will help us make these improvements a reality so that we can continue to educate North Carolina youth on the importance and growing diversity of the agriculture industry.”

The North Carolina FFA is comprised of nearly 20,000 members and engages more than 1,900 students through its summer camp program at the North Carolina FFA Center each year. The growing number of female students interested in agriculture and leadership development has created a critical need for dedicated housing for female members. Providing 72 additional bed spaces will increase opportunities for student participation and facilitate unique leadership development experiences. It is expected that more than 500 female campers will attend camp each summer as a result of the expansion.

“The North Carolina FFA Center is a tremendous asset to our community and we’re proud to contribute to their growth,” said John Sargent, general manager of the South Central Hog Production Region for Smithfield Foods. “Smithfield Foods has a strong commitment to support the communities we call home, and we are thrilled to be able to prepare students for leadership, personal growth, and career success through this unique agricultural partnership.”

Smithfield’s support of the North Carolina FFA Center aligns with its commitment to contribute to the vitality of the communities where its employees live and work. In the state of North Carolina, the company has more than 10,000 employees across seven facilities and 200 company-owned farms.

For more information about Smithfield’s commitment to its local communities, please visit smithfieldfoods.com/helpingcommunities.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan's Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, Farmer John®, Kretschmar®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Gwaltney®, Carando®, Margherita®, Curly's®, Healthy Ones®, Morliny®, Krakus® and Berlinki®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Future Farmers of America

The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 540,379 student members as part of 7,489 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online, on Facebook and Twitter.

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