WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Four exemplary FFA members were announced as stars at the 2017 Indiana FFA Convention. The winners are Robert Armstrong, Franklin FFA, State Star in Agribusiness; Brandi Adkins, Rushville FFA, State Star in Agricultural  lacement; Emily Kilmer, Tri-County FFA, State Star  in Agriscience; and Blake Danner, Frontier FFA, State Star Farmer.

As State Stars, each will receive a scholarship sponsored by The Jeff Lehman Family. The State Star program is sponsored by Elanco Animal Health and AgriGold Hybrids.

Indiana FFA’s State Star in Agribusiness is Robert Armstrong, whose love and dedication for honey bees is buzzing after growing up on a small family farm outside of Indianapolis. Robert raises honey bees, markets products from his hive and sells beekeeping supplies such as woodware and live bees. He manages 11 production colonies and 10 nucs. Robert hopes to continue to expand and diversify his SAE to become his fulltime occupation and educate others about the importance of agriculture.

Indiana FFA’s State Star in Agricultural Placement is Brandi Atkins, who has a very strong passion for veterinary medicine and got her foot in the door of the industry very quickly. Beginning in 2013, she job shadowed throughout the summer at a local veterinarian’s office. After that experience, Brandi eventually attained part-time employment at the office, filling the role as veterinary assistant. Running blood tests, filling prescriptions and maintaining logs are just a few of the many tasks Brandi takes on in the office.

Indiana FFA’s State Star in Agriscience is Emily Kilmer, who has completed three experiments focused around wind turbine blades, turbidity in water due to various soil types and the impact of tilling methods and water turbidity in surrounding surface water ditches. Emily’s research has had an effect on the decisions of local farmers in their tillage practices. Emily will use the skills she has gained as she becomes an agriculture teacher.

Indiana FFA’s State Star Farmer is Blake Danner, who found his love for the livestock industry through his family’s business, Purple Power Boar Stud, and from there he has grown and developed his own business of raising and selling show pigs. Blake currently owns 27 sows 3 boars, and has sold semen and pigs to 24 different states, just in the last year. He has built his client list by caring for customers and offers anything from feed advice, to show day finishing to each and every one of his customers.

CHICAGO — Commodity Carnival, an award-winning interactive fair experience sponsored by National 4-H Council and CME Group, will visit 120 state and county fairs across nine states this summer, teaching fairgoing families the fundamentals of risk management in agriculture. It also continues to be accessible beyond the fairgrounds through the mobile companion app, Risk Ranch.

“Empowering youth today and creating opportunities for them tomorrow is our key objective,” said National 4-H Council’s President and CEO Jennifer Sirangelo. Developed by Ohio State University extension, Commodity Carnival will travel to the following states during the 2017 fair season: Michigan, Ohio, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. To find a list of participating fairs that will be hosting Commodity Carnival this summer and fall, visit www.cmegroup.com/4hcarnival

 

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Perdue Farms has recently become a new sponsor with the National FFA Organization and is working with the organization to provide FFA members the opportunity to grow into leaders, build their communities and strengthen agriculture through Supervised Agricultural Experience grants.

Perdue Farms announced in early June that it was donating $10,000 through its charitable giving arm The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation to the National FFA Foundation to fund SAE grants in selected states this fall.

FFA members who wish to initiate or improve their supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs) can apply for an SAE grant. Grant recipients are selected by the SAE Grants Committee, and are based primarily on financial need.

“At Perdue, we appreciate the important role that FFA plays in educating and encouraging the youth of our nation to explore careers in farming and agriculture,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation. “Investing in this program is a great way to help them meet their mission. We are honored to be a part of what they do.”

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Indiana FFA recognized six people for their dedication to agriculture education and FFA at the 88th Indiana FFA State Convention on June 21. Brad Acton, Stacey Hartley, Mel Lenig and Tamara Neighbors were recognized as Honorary Degree Recipients, while Duane Huge and Ben Helms were tabbed with the Distinguished Service Award.

A middle school agriculture education teacher at Lebanon High School, Stacey Hartley has played a vital role in the development and success of both the middle school and high school FFA chapters. Increasing the pipeline of incoming teachers, Hartley has influenced numerous students to pursue a degree in agriculture education. She was named IAAE’s District IV Teacher of the Year and Lebanon’s School Corporation’s Teacher of the Year.

Mel Lenig has been an agriculture educator for 34 years. He has been involved in many activities that have furthered agriculture in both his local community and the state of Indiana, where he has taught over 6,000 students at Penn High School. In 2007, Lenig was named Indiana’s Agriculture Educator of the Year and has even been invited to the White House twice by two different presidents as a National Finalist and a National Winner of the Building Our American Communities Program.

Currently serving as the executive director of Indiana FFA, Tamara Neighbors began her career in agricultural education at Mount Vernon High School where she taught for six years. She worked to develop a chapter that focused on growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture. She has worked diligently to put more structure within the FFA and has launched a five-year strategic plan that should serve as the template for the Association’s operations in the future.

Brad Acton has been an employee of the Indiana FFA Leadership Center for the past seven years where he plays a key role in the maintenance and upkeep throughout the year. Brad dedicates himself day in and day out to maintain the facilities at the Indiana FFA Leadership Center.

After 41 years of teaching agriculture classes, Ben Helms retired from teaching in 2016. Helms taught at L&M High School for two years and taught at Bloomfield High School for 39 years. Helms served as the dorm counselor at Indiana FFA State Convention for 25 years. During his career, he has spent many hours at the Indiana FFA Leadership Center maintaining, detailing, and building structures around the facility.

Duane Huge has served as an agricultural educator for a combined 32 years at Cloverdale High School and Danville High School. He has had several State Star Recipients, three National Proficiency Finalists and one Winner. Huge also has one National Soils Evaluation Winning Team. Because of his leadership, Danville will be adding a middle school program and second teacher in the fall of 2017. In his local community, he is a member of the Cloverdale School Board, Hendricks County Farm Bureau Board and Danville High School Department Head and has coordinated and developed multiple service events.