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Spotlight on Youth - June 5, 2019

Vermilion County FFA students join Bennett at Capitol

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Members of the Oakwood High School and Georgetown-Ridge Farm High School FFA chapters joined Senate Agriculture Chair Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) at the Illinois State Capitol on March 19.

“For decades, FFA has been fundamental to agricultural education in Illinois and across the country,” Bennett said. “Today’s FFA not only trains future farmers, it also helps prepare the next generation of scientists, veterinarians and business owners. It is always a pleasure to meet these bright and talented young men and women.”

The students were at the Capitol for Illinois Agriculture Legislative Day. This annual advocacy day brings FFA students, farm, agricultural commodity organizations, and other agricultural interest groups to Springfield to meet state lawmakers, share the agricultural community’s priorities for the year, and offer feedback about policies concerning agriculture, business, conservation, education, and more.

 

INFB names its 2019 student scholarship winners

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) and the Farm Bureau Foundation recently awarded 13 scholarships to incoming or current college students involved in agriculture. The scholarship money can be applied to tuition, housing, books, and other educational expenses.

Joeleigh Rutledge of Hendricks County is the recipient of this year’s Marion Stackhouse Memorial Scholarship. Rutledge is a graduating senior from Cascade High School and will be attending Lakeland College in the fall.

The $1,000 scholarship is named after the former INFB president, who served from 1976-87. Winners of this scholarship must be INFB members pursuing studies in agriculture.

In addition, two $1,000 scholarships are offered to members of a collegiate Farm Bureau chapter. This year, Purdue University students Leah Jacobs and Thomas Letsinger received these. Jacobs, of Hancock County, and Letsinger, of Tipton County, are active Collegiate Farm Bureau of Purdue members and are expected to graduate in May 2020.

Ten students, one per INFB district, received $500 Carolyn Hegel Memorial Scholarship awards:

•District 1: Abigail Powell, Marshall County – Triton High School, graduating senior

•District 2: Justin Johnson, Whitley County – Purdue, graduating 2022

•District 3: Olivia Wyrick, Clinton County – Clinton Central High School, graduating senior

•District 4: Dillon Muhlenkamp, Jay County – Jay County High School, graduating senior

•District 5: Clayton Fugate, Montgomery County – Purdue, graduating 2020

•District 6: David Reed, Randolph County – Winchester High School, graduating senior

•District 7: Brooke Lueking, Sullivan County – Sullivan High School, graduating senior

•District 8: Mason Gordon, Rush County – Purdue, graduating 2020

•District 9: Luke Peters, Shelby County – Heritage Hills High School, graduating senior

•District 10: Hannah Walker, Washington County – Salem High School, graduating senior

Many county Farm Bureaus also offer annual scholarships for students in their area. To learn more, visit the Scholarships and Grants page at www.infarmbureau.org/scholarships

Bellmont winner competing at Indiana State FFA Convention

DECATUR, Ind. — On March 9, members of the Bellmont FFA competed in District 6 Leadership Contests. Placing first was Andrew Fuelling in Extemporaneous Public Speaking, which qualifies him to compete in June at Purdue University, at the Indiana State FFA Convention.

Those placing second were Brooklyn Wurm in Traditional Scrapbook, Olivia Conrad in Ag Sales Presentation and Plant & Soil Demonstration, Ethan Short and Jeremiah Lengerich in Ag Mechanics & Technology Demonstration, and Andrew Fuelling in Ag & Farm Business Management Demonstration.

Those receiving third place were Katie Melcher and Gabby Birch in Multimedia Scrapbook, and the group of Jeremiah Lengerich, Abbey Rumschlag, Mia Singleton, and Ella Kintz in the Quiz Bowl Competition.

Not placing in the top three in their events, but receiving high honors, were Claire Fuelling in Freshman Creed, and Mia Singleton in Freshman Essay and Freshman Prepared Public Speaking.

BELLMONT FFA WINNERS, in front from left, are chapter advisor Bradley Smazenko, Jeremiah Lengerich, Andrew Fuelling, and Ethan Short; and in back, Ella Kintz, Abbey Rumschlag, Gabby Birch, Katie Melcher, Olivia Conrad, Claire Fuelling, and Brooklyn Wurm.


Short ties for first in national FFA soils contest in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Congratulations to the Bellmont FFA Soils Evaluation Team, which competed in the National Land and Range Judging Contest in Oklahoma City. The Decatur, Ind., team – consisting of Ethan Short, Olivia Conrad, Andrew Fuelling, and Claire Fuelling – spent two days in rigorous preparation for the judging that took place May 2.

The students competed in both the Home Site Evaluation and Land Evaluation divisions. In the Home Site division, the team placed 30th out of 55 teams. In the Land division, the team placed 39th out of 102. In an outstanding performance, Short tied for first place individually in the Land Division, out of 405 students.

To qualify for the national contest, the team placed third in its area contest as well as fifth out of 47 teams in the highly competitive Indiana State Soils Contest. Andrew Fuelling and Short also placed in the top 10 individuals in the state contest.

The Soils Contest judges land sites and home sites for their potential abilities. Areas judged in the national contest include textures, permeability, depth, erosion, runoff, and water table of the soil, as well as the slope characteristics and flooding potential of the land.

 

 

AGCO Parts awards five scholarships to Illinois students

 

BATAVIA, Ill. — AGCO Parts, a division of AGCO Corp., awarded five scholarships worth $6,500 at the 14th Annual Touch-A-Tractor event held by the Kane County Farm Bureau (KCFB).

The five recipients are all Illinois resident students pursuing an agriculture-related field of study. This is the second year it was able to fund five scholarships, including the largest scholarship, the AGCO Platinum scholarship worth $2,500.

AGCO Parts employees raised the scholarship funds from monthly employee donations in exchange for the privilege of wearing jeans to work. The following students are this year’s recipients:

The AGCO Parts Platinum Scholarship for $2,500 went to Erin Kettelkamp of Elburn, Ill. She currently attends the University of Illinois, majoring in veterinary medicine.

Two AGCO Parts Division Scholarships for $1,000 each went to Ethan Hoffman of Malta, who will attend Kishwaukee College in the fall, studying agriculture business and technology; and Andrew Gould of Elburn, who attends the University of Illinois, majoring in technical systems management.

Two AGCO Global Women’s Network Scholarships for $1,000 each were awarded to Kristen Hoffman of Kingston, who currently attends Iowa State University, majoring in agribusiness; and Catherine Bend of Earlville, who currently attends the University of Wisconsin, majoring in agricultural business.

 

6/6/2019