2009
Proficiency Winners from ND State FFA Convention
Click
on the proficiency area below for the complete story.
Click here to see photos of all the winners
·Ag. Communications
sponsored by Dakota Plains Cooperative (
Valley
City
, Litchville & LaMoure): Stephanie Barnhart, Kenmare
·Ag. Education sponsored by
ND Association of Ag Educators: Dylan Nerem, Minot
·Ag. Mechanics Design
& Fabrication sponsored by James Valley Grain: Jordan Becker, Carrington
·Ag. Mechanics Energy Systems
sponsored by OtterTail Power Company: no state winner
·Ag.
Mechanics Repair & Maintenance Placement sponsored by Butler Machinery Company: Andrew Rieger, Maddock
·Ag. Mechanics Repair & Maintenance Entrepreneurship sponsored by CF Industries: No state winner
·Ag. Processing sponsored by
ND Ag Products Utilization Commission: Daniel Glynn, Oakes/Sargent Central
·Ag. Sales Placement
sponsored by Farmers Union Service Assn.: Wil Schuler, Wahpeton
·Ag. Sales Entrepreneurship
sponsored by Spangelo Funeral Homes: Lucas Schmaltz,
Rugby
·Ag. Services
sponsored by the ND Grain Dealers Assn.:
Joel Clifford, Minot
·Beef Production
Entrepreneurship sponsored by the ND Stockmen’s
Assn. and a $100 gift certificate from Stockman’s Supply in
West Fargo
: Brandon Koenig, Carrington
·Beef Production
Placement
sponsored by the ND Stockmen’s Assn.: Michael Heinrich,
Medina
·Dairy Production
Entrepreneurship sponsored by Midwest Dairy Assn./ND Division: Audrey Nash,
Richland
44
·Dairy Production
Placement sponsored
by Midwest Dairy Assn./ND Division: Natalie Laubner,
Mandan
·Diversified Ag. Production
sponsored by the Lisbon FFA Chapter: Brett Rockeman, Kenmare
·Diversified
Crop Prod. Entrepreneurship sponsored by the Dakota Growers Pasta Company: Cole Vculek, Oakes/Sargent
Central
·Diversified
Crop Production Placement sponsored by Steve and Cynthia Strege: Tiffany Stoppler, Minot
·Diversified
Horticulture
sponsored by Wahpeton FFA Chapter: Tanasha Krull,
Richland
44
·Diversified
Livestock Prod. Entrepreneurship sponsored by Bernard and Jean Meyer and Tammy Meyer: Katy Reis,
Medina
·Diversified
Livestock Production Placement sponsored by Bryan and Janet Strom: Nicole Richardson,
Hebron
·Emerging Ag. Technology
sponsored by ND Farmers Union: Danelle Hoff,
Hebron
·Environmental Science
& Natural Resources sponsored by Bridgette & Randy Readel/Dow Chemical: Kami Slaughter,
Medina
·Equine Science
Entrepreneurship sponsored by Wade and Lynn Moser: Anna Richter,
Carrington
·Equine Science
Placement sponsored by the ND Assn. of Agriculture Educators: Jessica
Ehlers,
Scranton
·Fiber and Oil Crop Production
sponsored by the ND Soybean Council: August Heupel,
Medina
·Floriculture
sponsored by the Wahpeton FFA Alumni Assn.: Kristin Ripplinger, McClusky
·Food Science and Technology
sponsored by the AgriPro Wheat/Syngenta: Andy Backstrom, Maddock
·Forage Production
sponsored by the Interstate/Monsanto Seed Company: Matthew Sheen,Carrington
·
Forest
Management sponsored by the Bottineau FFA Chapter: Waylon Leingang,
Garrison
·Fruit Production sponsored
by ND FFA Foundation: Lauren Kautzman, New Salem
·Grain Production
Entrepreneurship sponsored by the ND Wheat Commission: Josh Stutrud,
Rugby
– Josh also received a $500 scholarship from the ND Barley Council and the ND
Grain Growers Assn.
·Grain Production
Placement
sponsored by the ND Barley Council: Aaron Pepple, Williston
·Home and Community Development
sponsored by the ND Assn. of Rural Electric Cooperatives: Taylor Mattson,
Carrington
·Landscape Management
sponsored by Al and Pat Giese: Dustin Thompson, Bottineau
·Nursery Operations
sponsored by Joel Janke: Kelsey Shaw, Minot
·Outdoor Recreation
sponsored by the Larimore FFA Chapter: Tyler Fettig, Napoleon
·Poultry Production:
sponsored by the ND FFA Foundation: Logan McLean, Central Cass
·Sheep Production
sponsored by the ND Grocers Assn.: Kyle Wolf, Napoleon
·Small Animal Prod & Care
sponsored by the ND FFA Foundation: Erin Krebs, Belfield
·Specialty Animal Production
sponsored by ND Buffalo Assn.: Travis Rossman, Turtle Lake/Mercer
·Specialty Crop Production
sponsored by David & Denise Swanson and $200 scholarship from Dakota Growers
Pasta: Paul Rice, Maddock
·Swine Production
Entrepreneurship sponsored by the ND Pork Council: Courtney Bischoff,
Lisbon
·Swine Production
Placement sponsored by the Dr. R. Brent and Karla Young:
Christopher Bjornstad, Carrington
·Turf Grass Management
sponsored by the ND FFA Foundation: Grayson Spangelo,
Hebron
·Vegetable Production
sponsored by R. D. Offutt Company: Chase Rosenau, Carrington
·Veterinary Medicine sponsored by the ND Veterinary medical Assn.: Zachary
Rameden,
Rugby
·Wildlife Prod. & Management
sponsored by the ND Game and Fish Dept.: Karlee Brown, Carrington
Ag Communications Placement Proficiency --
Stephanie Barnhart (Kenmare)
By Sarah Perry
Joining the Kenmare FFA Chapter’s Ag Communications team initially
sparked Stephanie Barnhart’s interest on the topic.
Her hard work learning the various tasks from her coach and teammates
compelled her to pursue a part time job with The Kenmare News. She tackles many
different tasks on a day-to-day basis depending on what her editor asks her to
complete. Stephanie has acquired
valuable skills through this experience which have taught her to write press
releases, edit and proof-read articles, design eye-catching advertisements,
conduct archive research, conduct interviews and write feature stories.
Stephanie’s job has given her insight on a career path she plans to
pursue.
In the future, Stephanie plans on attending college, double majoring in
English and Communications with a minor in Sociology.
She hopes to use her degree to then obtain a job in a
communications-related career.
Because of
Stephanie’s hard work and dedication, she has become the winner of the State
Ag Communications Placement Proficiency. She
received her award at State Convention in June, and this award is sponsored by
the Dakota Plains Cooperative (
Valley
City
, Litchville, and LaMoure). The
national sponsor is the McCormick Company.
Agriculture Education
Proficiency Winner -- Dylan Nerem (
Minot
)
By Sarah Perry
Dylan Nerem stepped into his first Ag department classroom his sophomore
year and joined the Minot FFA Chapter that same year.
Throughout his involvement within the classroom and the chapter, Dylan
knew that he wanted to become an agriculture education teacher and FFA advisor.
He then became a student teacher under one of his FFA advisors, Mr. Jeff
Ball. Throughout his experience
under Mr. Ball’s leadership, Dylan learned how to prepare lesson plans,
present the lessons to the class, and create worksheets and tests.
Dylan has even had the opportunity to teach in the classroom and
administer worksheets and tests to determine if his methods of teaching reached
the students. This experience has
assured Dylan that becoming an agricultural education instructor and FFA advisor
is truly what he wants to become.
In the future, Dylan plans on attending college to pursue a degree in
Agriculture Education. He would then
like to use his degree to become an ag teacher and FFA advisor in
North Dakota
. Ideally, Dylan would like to teach
at a school without an FFA Chapter in order to start a chapter at the school.
Because of Dylan’s hard work and dedication, he is the winner of the
State Agriculture Education Proficiency award.
He received his award at the State FFA Convention in June, and this award
is sponsored by the North Dakota Association of Ag Educators.
The national sponsors are The James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation and
The Lincoln Electric Company.
Ag Mechanics Design and Fabrication
Proficiency – Jordan Becker (Carrington)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Jordan Becker is the
2009 Ag Mechanics Design and Fabrication Proficiency winner at the State FFA
Convention. Jordan, a 17-year-old
from Carrington, began working at Becker Construction in the summer of 2004.
Becker Construction is owned by
Jordan
’s father, Dan Becker, and is a company which builds grain bins, grain dryers,
shivers systems and steel buildings.
“When I started
working for Becker Construction, I had no specific job but to keep moving and
not to slow down,” said
Jordan
. First, he concentrated on how to
run all the equipment and experience the skills/methods used for erecting grain
bins. Since that first summer,
Jordan
has taken on more and more responsibilities.
He has advanced to general arc welding and has leaned how to use the chop
saw, concrete saw, and other power tools. He
has even advanced to supervising the crew to help ensure that the building
process keeps progressing when his father is not on site.
Jordan
works part-time during the school year and full time in the summer.
When
Jordan
graduates from
Carrington
High School
in May of 2010, he plans to pursue a college degree in an ag-related field and
then some day take over the family business.
The state sponsor for the Ag Mechanics Design and Fabrication Proficiency
awards is James Valley Grain in Oakes and the national sponsors are Carry-On
Trailer Corporation and Dodge Trucks.
By Jon Odermann
Over the past few
years, Andrew Rieger has developed a reputation for being a very “hands-on”
guy. When Andrew was thirteen years
old, he started working on a neighboring farm.
This job provided Andrew with the opportunity to develop his welding and
mechanical skills while performing maintenance and repair operations on a
variety of equipment.
When Andrew was a
junior at
Maddock
High School
, he was selected for a co-op placement, working for The Dryer Guy.
He worked there to install new farm dryer systems and recondition used
dryers. Andrew continued in the
co-op program working three hours a day plus weekends until graduating in 2008.
Upon graduation, Andrew was hired to work full time with The Dryer Guy
and has continued to take on additional responsibilities within the company
including operation of foam insulation equipment and installation of plumbing
for propane burners.
Andrew credits part of
his success to his high school Ag-Mechanics program and Co-op experience.
“By working in the co-op experience during high school and then working
full time for The Dryer Guy, I have been able to make money to purchase my own
vehicle and also purchase tools that I can use at home.
I was also able to take the burden of my dad, and pay my own way,” said
Andrew.
Andrew plans to
continue working for ‘The Dryer Guy’ and learn as many skills as possible in
the dryer and insulation business.
Andrew Rieger received
the Ag Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Placement Proficiency Award at the ND
FFA State Convention in June. This
award is sponsored by Butler Machinery Company and the national sponsors are
Hobart Welders and Tractors Supply.
Ag Processing
- Daniel Glynn (Oakes/Sargent Central)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Daniel Glynn, a recent
graduate from
Oakes
High School
, won the Ag Processing Proficiency award at the State FFA Convention in
Fargo
,
ND
. Daniel began working at the local
farmers’ elevator, Fullerton Farmers Elevator, in 2005.
This elevator employs an average of 20 people and has three grain
handling plants and one agronomy plants. The
facility’s capacity is over two million bushel and has a rail that will hold
90 rail cars and three loadout stations.
Daniel’s duties when
he started included cleaning up grain spills and checking bin levels.
Once his employer saw his strong work ethic, he gave Daniel a raise and
more responsibilities. Some of these
responsibilities have included dumping trucks, checking samples, weighing
trucks, writing up tickets of sale, moving grain around the grounds, and
providing general maintenance of the equipment and elevator.
Daniel has been very
active in FFA and 4-H in his community. This
Oakes/Sargent Central FFA member has been their chapter president for two years
and competed in Livestock Evaluation, Dairy Cattle Evaluation, Parliamentary
Procedure, and Horse Evaluation Career
Development Events.
Daniel’s future
plans include attending North Dakota State College of Science where he plans to
ear a degree in Crop Production Sales and Service.
His employer stated, “Daniel is a hard working young man and his
absence this coming fall will be noticed, and his presence missed.”
The Ag Proccessing
Proficiency is sponsored by ND Ag Products Utilization Commission and the
national sponsors are the Archer Daniels Midland Company and the CHS Foundation.
Ag Sales Entrepreneurship – Lucas Schmaltz (
Rugby
)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Lucas Schmaltz from
Rugby
is the winner of the 2009 Ag Sales Entrepreneurship Proficiency award given out
at the State FFA Convention in June. Lucas,
a recent graduate and member of the Rugby FFA Chapter, took over Omega Golden
Flax with his brother and sisters as partners in 2005.
They acquired the business from their parents and have been working to
make Omega Golden Flax a strong business.
Lucas’s parents
raise organic flax and decided to process the flax and sell it in 2000.
Lucas has been involved in all aspects of the business: from raising the
flax, cleaning it, and marketing the product.
Omega Golden Flax is sold in small local stores around the area and at
local famers’ markets and seed shows. The
siblings are hoping to expand the business out to a few other small gift shops
and tourist locations in the future. “Overall
I have learned a lot through this whole experience and have something to be
proud of in the end,” said Lucas.
Susan Schmaltz,
Lucas’s mother said, “Lucas has been a valuable leader and willing team
member with his siblings to create this ag-business.
Some of his beginning business experiences have included registering and
becoming a member of the Pride of Dakota Association, creating a business name
and logo, working with a bagging company to print flax bags with the business
logo, purchasing boxes for shipping, and acquiring stickers, stamps, and other
essentials in the bagging industry.” He
has also learned bookkeeping skills, customer relations skills and how to deal
with the ND State Weights and Scales Department.
Lucas graduated this
spring from
Rugby
High School
and plans to go to NDSU in
Fargo
in the fall and double major in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Sales.
He would like to become an agriculture educator and FFA advisor in
North Dakota
.
The Ag Sales
Entrepreneurship Proficiency is sponsored by Spangelo Funeral Homes and the
national sponsors are Channel Bio and the National FFA Foundation.
Ag Sales Placement Proficiency Winner -- Wil
Schuler (Wahpeton)
By Bridgette Readel
Wil Schuler walked
away from the ND State FFA Convention as the winner of the Ag Sales Placement
Proficiency Award. This seventeen
year old graduate from Wahpeton, ND won this award because of his work for Minn-Kota
Ag products in
Breckenridge
,
MN
.
This Wahpeton FFA
member has been working for his father at Minn-Kota Ag Products since he was 16
years old. Wil began work there as a
warehouse employee but soon became partially responsible for inventory,
application of lime and daily deliveries to growers.
In the chemical division, he fills mini bulk tanks from the larger bulk
tanks and assists with answering questions from customers.
Hal Fischer, sales
agronomist at Minn-Kota Ag Products said, “Wil is an integral part of Minn-Kota’s
waste/spent lime spreading operation. With
the addition of equipment and his help, Minn-Kota greatly increased their acres
applied from the previous season. I look forward to working with Wil and
watching him grow his capabilities and responsibilities at Minn-Kota.”
The state sponsor for
the Ag Sales Placement Proficiency is the ND Farmers Union Service Association,
and the national sponsors are National FFA Foundation and Vigortone Ag Products.
Ag Service Proficiency – Joel Clifford (
Minot
)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Joel Clifford was
named the winner of the 2009 Ag Service Proficiency at the ND State FFA
Convention. This college student
currently works for Titan Machinery in Casselton as a diesel technician.
He first gained interest in tractors and diesel mechanics in his high
school sophomore year when he took his first ag class.
“In that class, I learned many things about engines and welding.
About halfway through the
year I joined FFA and started helping a fellow classmate on a project of his, a
restoration of a John Deere Model G. While
working on it, I gained a great interest in tractors,” said Joel.
That summer Joel got a
job at Magic City Implement in
Minot
and started with basic tasks such as sweeping and taking out the garbage.
He has learned many skills over the years such as how to prepare combines
for the next harvest season, test for tractor errors with a computer, operate
and connect a GPS system and a EZ-Steer system, operate heavy equipment, and
perform Uptime inspections.
Joel is working at
Titan Machinery, who is sponsoring him while he attends Minnesota State
Community and
Technical
College
in
Moorhead
,
MN
to work towards his Diesel Mechanics degree.
Once he graduates,
Joel would like to continue working for Titan Machinery and perhaps even work
overseas for a year as a diesel tech for Case IH.
The state sponsor for
this award is the ND Grain Dealers Association and the national sponsors are
United Country Real Estate and the National FFA Foundation.
Beef Production Entrepreneurship
Proficiency – Brandon Koenig (Carrington)
By Kim Murphy
Brandon Koenig was named the 2009 ND State Beef Production
Entrepreneurship Proficiency winner.
Brandon
graduated from
Carrington
High School
in 2008 and is a current FFA member of the Carrington FFA Chapter.
He started his proficiency in 2003 after purchasing a crossbred Black
Angus heifer from his dad. In
November of 2008 he purchased several more cattle and currently has 103 head of
cattle. He has some registered
Maine
, registered Shorthorn and many commercial cows.
The first goal that
Brandon
had was to build up his commercial herd to the quality where he can raise club
calf heifers, steers, bulls and replacement heifers to meet the quality that is
demanded by today’s beef industry. He
has purchased five heifers and that are bred to produce club calves.
He plans to sell a few at the Nile Cattle Show in October and then on to
Colorado
in November.
His second goal was to
expand to a larger herd, which he did in 2008.
He hopes to make enough money from his cattle to pay for his college.
Brandon
’s final goal was to learn all the management aspects of raising beef cattle.
He has learned a lot from his parents and plans to continue his learning
through college.
Some of the skills,
competencies and knowledge that
Brandon
has obtained through this proficiency are many.
He has learned to castrate bull calves, properly ear tag, feed a balanced
feed ration, properly pull calves, watch cattle futures markets, administer
vaccination of cows, and select good quality beef animals.
He has also learned the importance of using fly repellant ear tags, salt
and minerals, and selecting good quality AI Sires.
Brandon
is currently attending Bismarck State College and plans to transfer to NDSU for
Animal Science. The state sponsor
for this award is the ND Stockmen’s Association and the national sponsors are
Bayer Animal Health and Nasco Division – Nasco International.
The winner also received a gift certificate from Stockmen’s Supply.
Beef Production Placement Proficiency
–Michael Heinrich (
Medina
)
By Kim Murphy
Michael Heinrich, a
recent graduate and FFA member of the Medina FFA Chapter, was named the ND State
Beef Production Placement Proficiency winner for 2009.
Michael started at a young age helping out with the cattle herd and crop
production enterprises on his family’s farm, five miles north of
Medina
. He works closely with his father
and two brothers. His family has a
commercial cattle operation using black commercial cows crossed with Angus
bulls. In 2007 his dad started a
heifer development operation where they raise heifers to 1 ½ years of age,
breed them to registered bulls and sell them as replacement bred heifers.
The cow/calf operation
includes 78 head of cattle and the replacement operation involves buying and
raising yearling heifers to grow and sell as bred heifers to other operators.
When Michael first started helping out he would ride in the tractor with
his dad to do chores and helped work calves.
His responsibilities have grown through the years.
He is now responsible for checking cattle during calving season,
administering vaccines to sick cattle, feeding cattle, spreading manure and
working cattle during weaning in the fall of the year.
Michael and his brothers currently own 26 pairs and plan to develop the
heifer calves to either keep or sell.
Michael plans to
attend NDSU in the fall and major in Animal Science.
With this degree he plans to better understand the cattle industry and be
able to return to the family farm and eventually start his own cattle operation.
The state sponsor is
the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association and the national sponsors are Fort
Dodge Animal Health and
Midwest
PMS.
Dairy
Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Winner -- Audrey Nash (
Richland
44)
By Karissa Brobst
The 2009 State Dairy
Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency award winner is from the small town of
Galchutte
, ND. Audrey Nash was awarded this
honor at the North Dakota FFA State Convention.
Her Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) program involved all aspects
of the dairy industry. Audrey has
been involved on the Nash Dairy, beginning with helping feed and raising the
calves for replacement in the dairy’s herd.
In 2006, she received a grant from her FFA chapter in order to help her
purchase her first bred
Holstein
heifer. She learned the
responsibilities of what it takes in order to keep a healthy herd and also sell
a safe high quality dairy product. Audrey’s
responsibilities include the maintenance of healthy calves for replacements and
all aspects of the milking routine from stripping to cleaning up after the cow
leaves the parlor. Audrey’s herd
now consists of one lactating cow and two replacement youngstock.
Audrey is currently enrolled in a two-year program at a private bible
college. After she has completed
that two-year program; she plans on attending a local college.
At the end of her college career, she is hoping to start a career that
she will thoroughly enjoy while giving her financial security.
The state sponsor for
this award is Midwest Dairy Association – ND Division, and the national
sponsors are New Holland and De Laval, Inc.
Dairy Production Placement Proficiency
– Natalie Laubner (
Mandan
)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Natalie Laubner, a
recent graduate from
Mandan
High School
, won the Dairy Production Placement Proficiency award at the State FFA
Convention in the beginning of June. Natalie
began helping out on her family farm, Laubner Ranch and Dairy, when she was very
young. “At five years of age at
4:30 AM, I would go outside to help out with chores.
My mom would bring me with her to help with small tasks such as opening
gates and pail or bottle feeding. One
of the main things that most interested me was being able to work with the cows
directly. I often got to disinfect a
cow and possibly even wipe a cow without getting kicked,” said Natalie.
Natalie has come a
long ways since those early days. She
has now been put in charge of the day-to-day feeding, milking, and overall care
for the animals. She also makes and
updates feed rations for the animals which allow her to make sure that the
animals are not only getting the proper nutrition, but she is able to control
their supplement intake. She also
enjoys delivering and vaccinating calves to prevent numerous health programs in
order to maximize the herd.
Last summer,
Natalie’s Dairy Cattle Evaluation Career Development Event team won first
place at the State FFA Convention and competed in the event at the National FFA
Convention in Louisville, Kentucky last fall.
Her team received a gold ranking and was in 11th place overall.
In the fall Natalie
plans on attending
Kansas
State
University
and majoring in Animal Science. Throughout
college she plans on studying abroad so that she can experience different
perspectives on how other countries value agriculture.
Natalie would like to continue her education after graduating college and
get a master’s degree and then find employment in the agriculture sector as a
research scientist for an agricultural organization.
The Dairy Production
Placement Proficiency is sponsored by the Midwest Dairy Assn. – ND Division
and the national sponsors are GEA WestfaliaSurge and Kuhn North America.
Diversified Ag Production – Brett Rockeman
(Kenmare)
By Melissa Hansen
Fixing fence and
working cattle on his family’s farm is how Brett Rockeman got his start in
agriculture production. His family
also helped him earn the 2009 Diversified Agriculture Production Proficiency
Award. Brett helps farm about 1,200
acres of wheat, barley, canola, corn, flax, and alfalfa, as well as oversees
many of the daily needs of the 200 head cow herd.
“I have had a great
advantage of growing up around agriculture and knowing how things are done on
the farm,” said Brett. “This
knowledge would take a long time to acquire if I would have just jumped into
this program.”
Brett’s hours and
responsibility have steadily increased during the three years he has been
developing his Supervised Agriculture Experience Program.
In the area of crop production, he is expected to operate a variety of
machinery including the swather, baler, combine, and tractor.
He helps with the repair and maintenance of the equipment as well.
He assists with the cattle herd by fixing fence, feeding, vaccinating,
and helping to sell bulls.
A recent graduate of
Kenmare
High School
, Brett plants to return to the family farm after college.
His parents are Mark and Annette Rockeman.
The state sponsor for
this award is the Lisbon FFA Chapter and the national sponsors are the CME Group
and Delta Consolidated – A Danaher Company.
Diversified
Crop Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency -- Cole Vculek (Oakes/Sargent
Central)
By Bridgette Readel
Cole Vculek holds a
deep appreciation for the crop production lifestyle.
This appreciation, combined with a strong work ethic and long hours in
the field, are being rewarded; Cole has earned a 2009 Diversified Crop
Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award.
“Raising seed
potatoes for the family farm will make us self sufficient, save us time and
seems like the best way to expand and streamline our operation,” he said.
Cole worked with his
father as a youngster, and in 2005 he was able to start farming with 2.4 acres
of red onions. As his part of the
operation grew, he found himself responsible for growing seed potatoes as well
as soybeans. Along the way, he
learned many valuable lessons ranging from making business decisions, operating
equipment and caring for the crop from start to finish.
“Cole is a very
intelligent young man who possesses a great deal of knowledge about every phase
of the family’s farming operation,” wrote Dan Spelllerberg, Oakes FFA
advisor. “His skills and
dedication to agriculture will make him an asset to the industry and community
for many years to come.”
Cole graduated from
Oakes
High School
in May 2008 and is pursuing a four-year degree in Ag Economics with a minor in
Crop and Weed Sciences. Upon
graduation, he plans to expand his operation, continuing raising potatoes,
onions, soybeans and corn.
Cole was active in the
Oakes/Sargent Central FFA Chapter. He
has participated in Extemporaneous Public Speaking, Ag Mechanics and
Demonstration Career Development Events. He was the National Vegetable
Production Proficiency winner for 2008. Cole
is the son of Brian and Julie Vculek. Dakota
Growers Pasta Company is the state sponsor for this award and the national
sponsor is the CHS Foundation.
By Melissa Hansen
Tiffany Stoppler has
always enjoyed being outside and working with her hands.
Her interest in agriculture led her to a position working with the
North Dakota
State
University
Research
Extension
Center
. Her work experience has helped her
earn the 2009 Diversified Crop Production Placement Proficiency award.
Tiffany is a member of the Minot FFA Chapter and is currently attending
North Dakota
State
University
pursuing a career in agriculture.
Some of the skills
that Tiffany has learned to perform include plant water management, weed
identification, crop identification, how to stake out test plots, planting seed
depth, cross pollination, chemical application, and harvesting of various crops.
Her responsibilities have increased from helping tag harvesting bags,
watering to collecting data, and spraying herbicides independently.
“I think that in
order to have a successful career in agriculture, one needs to be very motivated
and willing to learn. Things in this
field are constantly progressing and it is important to stay ahead of the curve.
It was obvious to me that Tiffany desired knowledge in agriculture and
horticulture and was willing to work hard,” said Shanna Mazurek, Tiffany’s
supervisor at the
NDSU
Research
Extension
Center
.
Tiffany served as the
Minot FFA Chapter President in 2007-2008. She
was also a member of the Crops team and Parliamentary Procedure team.
In 2008, Tiffany was a National Finalist in the Diversified Horticulture
Proficiency Award area. Her parents
are Dave and Jodi Stoppler.
The state sponsor for
the Diversified Crop Production Placement Proficiency awards is Steve and
Cynthia Strege, and the national sponsors are the National Crop Insurance
Services and the National FFA Foundation.
By Melissa Hansen
What do you get when
you mix some vegetables, fruits, add in a few flower beds and lawns to mow? -
You get a great diversified horticulture Supervised Agriculture
Experience Program. For the past
three years, that is exactly what Tanasha Krull has been doing.
All of her hard work has paid off since she is the 2009 State Diversified
Horticulture Proficiency Award winner.
Tanasha has always
enjoyed being outdoors and helping taking care of her family’s garden, flower
beds, and lawns. She has learned
many skills including selecting seed, planting at the appropriate time,
operating a lawn mower, and clipping around trees and shrubs.
She has also learned how to produce and preserve many fruits and
vegetables.
“Each summer I visit
her, I am impressed by the size of the gardens, and her dedication to her
projects,” said Tony Boehm, Krull’s advisor from the Richland 44 FFA Chapter
. “Tanasha has certainly taken
things learned in the classroom and applied them to her own business.”
The state sponsor for
this award is the Wahpeton FFA Chapter and the national sponsors are the
Nationwide Foundation and the National FFA Foundation.
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Katy Reis, a recent
graduate of
Medina
High School
, was the winner of the Diversified Livestock Production Entrepreneurship award
at the State FFA Convention. She won
this award because of her Supervised Agricultural Experience program of raising
heifers and pheasants.
Katy became interested in raising cattle because her father has been
raising them and she always helped with the chores and making hay.
In 2005, Katy bought three heifers calves from a neighbor and also
decided to raise pheasant chicks that year because of the declining population
of the birds in her area. She
purchased 117 pheasant chicks.
Since she started, Katy has raised a second generation of pheasants and
then sold or released all of them in 2006. She
has purchased a horse and started raising guinea hens. Katy said, “I started
raising pheasants to release the birds out in our area to increase the pheasant
population. Many hunters come to the
Medina
area to hunt pheasants, so I felt that it was important to raise large,
hunter-friendly pheasants. After
raising pheasants for a year, I had people contact me about purchasing them to
butcher for meat, so that became another way to market the pheasants.
For my cattle, I plan to raise the calves, then sell them at a local
auction barn, breed the cows, and buy bred heifers to increase my herd.”
Katy plans to attend Bismarck State College in the fall with the intent
of transferring to
North Dakota
State
University
to obtain a degree in Engineering. She
plans to continue growing in the production of raising cattle and training her
horse. She would like to take over
the family farm one day.
The state sponsors for this award are
Tammy Meyer
and Bernard and Jean Meyer. The
national sponsors are Tractor Supply Company and the National FFA Foundation.
By Kim Murphy
Nicole Richardson was
selected as the 2009 ND State Diversified Livestock Production Placement
Proficiency winner. Nicole recently
graduated this spring from
Hebron
Public School
and is a current member of the Hebron FFA Chapter.
Since 2006, Nicole has spent 2,063 hours working on her grandparent’s
diversified farm/ranch where they raise sheep and beef cattle along with horses.
Nicole has progressed
in learning how to manage a beef and sheep flock by taking part in range judging
and helping out with the record keeping along with all the physical labor on the
ranch. She has also learned a lot on
training horses by reading, watching, and working with the horses.
Marketing, animal
welfare, safety, responsibility, breed selection, nutrition, calving and
lambing, recordkeeping and vaccinating are just a few of the many skills and
activities performed during her proficiency.
Nicole plans to attend NDSU to pursue a degree in Animal and Range
Science. After school she hopes to
obtain a job dealing with range management and some day start a farm/ranch of
her own where she can raise cattle and horses.
The state sponsors for
this award are Bryan and Janet Strom. The
national sponsors are Behlen Manufacturing Company and the Wahl Clipper
Corporation.
Emerging
Ag Technology Proficiency -- Danelle Hoff (
Hebron
)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Danelle Hoff, a Hebron
FFA member and recent high school graduate, is the winner of the State Emerging
Ag Technology Proficiency Award. She
won this award because of her work at Red Trail Energy, which is an ethanol
plant near
Richardton
,
ND
. The plant uses corn to produce
ethanol to be used with gasoline to create E-85 and E-10.
Red Trail Energy is owned by 800 investors and employs 42 people.
Danelle first started working at Red Trail Energy in 2005; she started
out by cleaning the office and with small projects.
She has since moved up to office assistant, then to accountant assistant,
and now as an assistant in the scale house.
Some of the skills she has learned are working in the scale house and
weighing the trucks, billing out freight on a weekly basis, filling corn
contracts, filling out paperwork correctly, and training new employees.
As well as her position at Red Trail Energy, Danelle is extremely busy
with FFA and 4-H activities. She has
competed in FFA activities such as Range Judging, Parliamentary Procedure, Dairy
Judging, Livestock Judging, Memorized Public Speaking, and Dairy
Handling/Showmanship Career Development Events.
In 2008, Danelle won the State Dairy Handling/Showmanship event and went
on to compete at the National FFA Convention where she received a silver award.
This fall, Danelle is planning on attending
North Dakota
State
University
majoring in Agricultural Education and Natural Resource Management.
Following college Danelle would like to either be teaching agriculture in
the classroom or working for the NRCS. Along
with her full time job she would also like to have a small farm.
The state sponsor for this award is the ND Farmers
Union and the national sponsors are BASF and the National FFA Foundation.
Environmental Science and Natural
Resources Management Proficiency – Kami Slaughter (
Medina
)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Kami Slaughter, an FFA
member from the Medina FFA Chapter, has won the Environmental Science and
Natural Resources Management Proficiency award at the State FFA Convention.
Kami won this award because of her work at the Central Grasslands
Research Extension Center (CGREC) which is located near Streeter, ND.
The research center has about 5,000 acres of land and a herd of
approximately 500 cattle. Their
goals are to increase the range-carrying capacity of native range, and to
stabilize grass production from year to year.
Kami’s job duties at
the center included collecting CRP and pasture clippings, drying and weighing
bags of clippings, entering the weight information data on the computer, and
conducting soil water testing. She
also checked cattle and weeded and harvested plants in the garden.
Kami had to learn 200 plants and their Latin names when she started at
CGREC. “I also learned several
characteristics to identify plants such as the size and shape of the ligules, a
crimp in the leaf, and the arrangement of hair on a leaf,” said Kami.
Missy Hansen, Kami’s
FFA advisor, stated, “Two words can describe Kami; responsible and
determined.” She has been a very
active FFA member, competing in Horse Judging, Livestock Judging, Food Science,
Nursery/Landscape, Quiz Contest, Parliamentary Procedure, Meats Judging, and Ag
Mechanics Career Development Events. Kami’s
teams for Food Science and Livestock Judging won the state competition and she
competed in these events at the National FFA Convention.
Kami currently attend
Bismarck State College and plans to transfer to the MedCenter One College of
Nursing in 2010 and become a registered nurse.
The state sponsors for
this award are Bridgette and Randy Readel with Dow Chemical.
The national sponsor is the National FFA Foundation.
Equine Science Entrepreneurship Proficiency
Winner – Anna Richter (Carrington)
By Myron Johs
Anna Richter, a junior
and FFA member from Carrington, was awarded the Equine Science Entrepreneurship
Proficiency award at the State FFA Convention in June.
This 17-year-old has had a passion for horses for many years.
Her activities include training her grandfather’s and cousin’s horses
for riding and reining. For the last
four years Ana has been working at breaking colts.
Anna has been very
active in showing her reining horse in ND Quarter Horse Shows and National
Reining Horse Association events. She
has placed in many of these competitions, including the Grand Champion Youth
Reiner for
North Dakota
this past year. Since 2001, Anna
has been involved in 4-H Hippology and for the last two years has been a member
of the Carrington FFA Horse Judging Career Development Event.
Her future interests
would be to train a colt from the beginning until properly broken.
She also would like to get involved in training cutting horses and
participate in that event. An
ultimate goal is to reach the Quarter Horse Congress or World Show in the next
couple of years. Anna’s long term goal is to attend the
University
of
Mary
and receive a degree in radiology. She
would like to train horses for a hobby and keep showing them after she finishes
her college education.
Wade and Lynn Moser
are the state sponsors, and the national sponsors are Keystone Steel and Wire
Company – Red Brand and Land O’ Lakes Feed/Purina Mills.
Equine Science Placement Proficiency –
Jessica Ehlers (
Scranton
)
By Kim Murphy
Jessica Ehlers, a
Scranton FFA member, was chosen as the 2009 ND State Equine Science Placement
Proficiency winner. Jessica works
for her parents on their ranch near Reeder, ND where they raise Quarter horses
along with beef cattle and sheep. Jessica
rides many miles during the year checking and working with their livestock.
She also breaks some of the young horses they raise.
Jessica’s mom has
taught her a lot about horses. She
has also visited with veterinarians about horses and she hopes to continue her
equine science studies in college. Jessica
not only rides horses on the ranch but she is also in horse 4-H and a member of
the ND High School Rodeo Association where she barrel races, pole bends and team
ropes. Since 2005 she has worked
approximately 741 hours with her horses.
Jessica plans to
attend
Northwest
College
in
Powell
,
WY
next year to major in Agricultural Business and minor in Equine Science, as
well as continuing with her rodeo career there.
She then plans to transfer to a four year university to finish her
degree. She hopes to someday be an
agriculture loan officer and own her own cattle ranch where she would like to
continue raising Quarter horses that are versatile, have good dispositions and
are athletic.
The state sponsor for
the Equine Science Placement Proficiency awards is the ND Association of Ag
Educators, and the national sponsors are Ariat International and Tractor Supply
Company.
Fiber and/or Oil Crop Production Proficiency – August
Heupel (
Medina
)
By Myron Johs
August Heupel was
awarded the Fiber and Oil Crop Production Proficiency Award at the State FFA
Convention held in
Fargo
in June.
“Heupel Farms has been in our family for over 100 years, and I want to
be able to carry on the family tradition for many years to come,” says August
Heupel. August, who is a senior at
Medina
, has been assisting in all aspects on the family farm for many years.
Two years ago, August
decided he wanted to begin his own farming operation so that he could develop
his skills in managing his business. He
rented land from his father and planted flax.
Last year he rented more land and planted soybeans.
Both of these crops fell into the Fiber/Oil Crop proficiency area; thus
he was able to continue with his expansion of the proficiency area.
Some of the skills
that August has accumulated over the years have been running the machinery,
harvesting, handling weed and insect control, applying chemicals and
fertilizers, and marketing. Those
are all valuable skills needed to increase profits in the production of oil and
fiber crops.
This graduating senior
plans to attend Bismarck State College and major in Plant Process Technology.
After college, he will have an option of working in a processing plant or
continuing to farm and ranch with his family.
The state sponsor is
the ND Soybean Council and the national sponsor is N K Soybean Seeds.
Floriculture Proficiency – Kristin Ripplinger
(McClusky)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Kristin Ripplinger, a
McClusky FFA member, won the Floriculture Proficiency award at the State FFA
Convention in June. Kristin began
exhibiting grain sheaves at the ND State Fair following her 7th grade year.
She found that those entries did so well that she decided to increase her
exhibits to include floral exhibits in the years to follow.
Since that first fair, Kristin has earned 36 Grand Champions, 14 Reserve
Grand Champions, one Overall Grand Champion, and two Overall Reserve Grand
Champion awards at the ND State Fair in
Minot
. After making several floral pieces
for friends and teachers, Kristin’s basketball coach suggested, “Kristin,
you should have your own business.”
Kristin soon became
the owner and operator of A Daisy a Day. This
floral business, which specializes in fresh and silk florals, is run out of
parents’ home but is very professional. Kristin
has developed business cards, a website, posters, advertisements, and order
forms for her business. When she
started, Kristin wanted A Daisy a Day to be a service to her community.
The nearest floral business was 47 miles away and would charge a $25
delivery fee per order. Kristin
listed three goals for her new business: to produce unique products, to create
personal products, and to offer products that are affordable.
She has created unique FFA floral arrangements for the State FFA
Alumni/Foundation Auction, a silk bride’s bouquet that traveled all the way to
Hawaii
for the wedding, a floral cross for a local bank, floral arrangement in unique
containers such as boots and teapots, and even received 28 orders for fresh
flowers for this Valentine’s Day.
Kristin graduated this
spring and plans to attend the
University
of
Mary
in the fall. She would like to earn
a history education degree with minors in physical education and coaching.
Kristin said, “I would like to return to a rural ND community to
inspire my history students to love history as much as my history teacher did
for me; and to coach my team to many successful seasons on and off the court.
I plan on continuing my involvement in agriculture by living on a farm,
raising horses, and promoting the FFA by participation in the FFA Alumni.
The state sponsors for
the Floriculture Proficiency awards is the Wahpeton FFA Alumni and the state
sponsors are the National FFA Foundation and Bayer Environmental Science.
Food Science and Technology Proficiency – Andy
Backstrom (Maddock)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Andy Backstrom, a
recent graduate from
Maddock
High School
, won the Food Science and Technology Proficiency award at the State FFA
Convention in June. Andy is a member
of the Maddock FFA Chapter and is the son of Dennis and Priscilla Backstrom.
Andy won this award because of his work with pinto
beans and discovering how they react to different fertilizer types.
His family has grown pinto beans as a crop for many years and Andy became
interested in studying them for a science fair project.
Because of his farming background, Andy was already familiar with
different types of fertilizer. He
used his backyard as a trial area, beginning in his sophomore year of school.
Since then the experiment has grown in size and detail.
After completing his
experimentation on the pinto beans, Andy proceeded to compete at the local,
regional, state and international level of the Science Fair.
At each of these competitions, he was required to give a presentation to
several judges. In addition to
presenting on his experiments, Andy had to complete a display board and write an
extensive research paper about his findings.
Because of his hard work, Andy received first place at the state Science
Fair and also received a $12,000 scholarship for winning the regional Science
Fair.
Next fall, Andy plans
on attending either
Jamestown
College
in
North Dakota
or
Northwestern
University
in
Iowa
where he plans to study business and communications.
The state sponsor for
the Food Science and Technology Proficiency awards is Agri-Pro Wheat/Syngenta,
and the national sponsors are the CHS Foundation and Kraft Foods, Inc.
Forage Production Proficiency -- Matthew
Scheen (Carrington)
By Bridgette Readel
Matthew Scheen, a
Carrington FFA member, was named the 2009 Forage Production Proficiency award
winner at the State FFA Convention in June.
This college freshman has a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE)
program that includes working on his grandfather’s farm and for Veen’s Hay
Service of Carrington. While Matthew
did all sorts of chores while working for Veen’s, his primary duties revolved
around haying. He is able to
contribute to the custom mowing operation, raking, baling, stacking and hauling
hay. Proper maintenance is always a
concern when operating machinery and Matthew has the knowledge and skills to
service the equipment when needed.
In the time that
Matthew has worked for Veen’s Hay Service, he has learned invaluable skills
that will contribute to his future. He
expanded his knowledge of native grasses and alfalfa production, mechanical
skills, profit margins and price to customers.
And along the way, he became a valuable employee with a good work ethic.
Joel Lemer,
Matthew’s FFA advisor noted, “He has great mechanical skills and is to the
point that he can do many of the necessary repairs to keep the haying equipment
in operation.” These skills will
serve Matthew well as he pursues his goal of diesel repair at a dealership in
the future. In order to achieve that
goal, he is currently attending WyoTech in
Laramie WY
, earning a degree in automotive technology and an emphasis in diesel engines.
While a Carrington FFA
member, Matthew participated in range and crop judging, mechanics exhibits and
various chapter leadership activities.
The state sponsor for
the Forage Production Proficiency awards is Interstate/Monsanto Seed Company,
and the national sponsors are Claas of American and Lextron.
Forest
Management Proficiency – Waylon Leingang (Garrison)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Waylon Leingang from
the Garrison FFA Chapter is the winner of the Forest Management Proficiency at
the State FFA Convention. Since 2006
Waylon has worked part-time for the West McLean Soil Conservation District.
His job consisted of planting trees and laying fabric over the tree rows.
“The working conditions at times are fairy dirty on windy days.
It is also muddy at times because of the rain.
We work long days laying fabric with some 9 and 10 hour days.
In fact, once we ended up laying around 70 rolls of fabric that were 750
feet long in seven days,” said Waylon about the work.
Some of the skills
learned by Waylon were identification of trees, replacement of disks on the
fabric machine, repair and operation of the fabric machine, and the planting and
packing of trees.
Waylon will graduate
from
Garrison
High School
in 2010 and would like to go to college for mechanic work.
His parents are Tom and Carol Leingang from Garrison.
The state sponsor for
the Forest Management Proficiency awards is the Bottineau FFA Chapter and the
national sponsors are Dodge Trucks and John Deere.
Fruit Production – In ND? – Lauren Kautzman (New
Salem
)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Lauren Kautzman,
daughter of David and Tamara Kautzman of New Salem, knows the trials and
tribulations of growing fruit in
North Dakota
. Lauren won the Fruit Production
Proficiency at the State FFA Convention because of her work with apples trees
and strawberry plants.
“My mom was the first one to show me all the apples on the trees when I
was little, and that got me attached because I knew then that even in
North Dakota
you can grow fruit,” said Lauren. What
started out with two apple trees has grown into a Fruit Production Supervised Ag
Experience Program with eight apple trees and a host of strawberry plants.
Though some of the fruit or products made from the fruit has been sold,
most of the produce has been given away to friends and family.
Lauren likes to dry the apples, make apple pies and cinnamon apples, make
jelly and pies and cheesecake to share with others.
While babysitting, Lauren also likes to include the children in her SAE.
“All the years that I have been babysitting, I haven’t known a kid
that doesn’t like apples or strawberries.
This year during the time I babysat I would take the kids over to the
trees and garden and we could see who could pick the best apples.
It was a lot of fun to get them involved, but it also taught them
something, too,” said Lauren.
Lauren will be a senior at
New
Salem
High School
this fall and plans to attend the
University
of
North Dakota
after graduating and majoring in radiology.
The ND FFA Foundation
sponsors this award and the national sponsor is the DuPont Company.
Grain Production Entrepreneurship
Proficiency Winner – Josh Stutrud (
Rugby
)
By Kelly Finke
Josh Stutrud, son of
Todd and Coleen Stutrud, grew up on a fourth generation farm, which consists of
7,000 acres. “I enjoy working with
the cattle and in the fields. On any
given day there could be four generations working on the farm.
My SAE is just as diversified as our farm”.
Josh works for his
father and grandfather along with farming a quarter of land that was not part of
the operation until he crop shared the acreage with the landowner.
Josh hopes to continue his SAE into a career and become a full-time
farmer. He states, “I want to come
home after graduating college, taking over the farm as the fourth generation
farmer. I hope to have my own family
someday, passing the values on to my kids that my parents and grandparents have
given me”. Josh has been farming
his own land for two years and was able to make a profit each year.
This allowed him to refreain from borrowing operating money, and enabled
him to pursue expansion. Josh does many jobs, from swathing canola, cleaning
grain bins, seeding, assisting during calving, and many other tasks. “Josh
performs any task requested of him on the farm” explains Todd Stutrud,
Josh’s employer and partner in Stutrud Farms.
“Even though Josh does not receive any monetary compensation because of
the labor/machinery exchange, Josh is dedicated enough that you would believe
that it is his own farming
operation”.
Josh and his family
have a long history with the FFA. Within Josh’s family you will find people
who hold American degrees, past state officers, ag instructors, and a past State
FFA Advisor. Josh hopes to be a
state officer, national officer, and a state champion judger.
“Josh has taken amazing steps towards achieving his goals by expanding
his SAE program significantly along with developing a very impressive resume”
explains his Rugby FFA advisor, Rick Vannett.
The ND Wheat
Commission sponsors the plaques for this award and there is a special $500
scholarship given to the winner by the ND Grain Growers Association and the ND
Barley Council. The national sponsor
is Pioneer Hi-Bred.
Grain
Production Placement Proficiency Winner -- Aaron Pepple (Williston)
By
Bridgette Readel
Aaron Pepple has
earned a 2009 Grain Production Placement Proficiency Award for his Supervised
Agricultural Experience (SAE) project working on his grandfathers’ farms.
“Since I was a young
boy, I always dreamed that someday I would be able to own and operate my own
farm and be successful at it,” said Aaron.
“After finishing college, I hope to be farming in some capacity with my
grandfathers.”
Starting about six
years ago, Aaron has spent his summers working on both grandfathers’ farms.
Initially, he did the basic work around the shop as he worked his way up
to operating the air-seeder, sprayer, cutting hay and harvesting wheat, canola
and sunflowers. Last year, Aaron
really added to his responsibilities by renting 150 acres on his own and raising
durum. This year, Aaron, along with
two of his uncles, is renting 400 acres from his grandfather on which they will
raise durum.
With continued work
experience on the farm and his college education, Aaron looks forward to making
decisions on his own farm someday.
Aaron graduated from
Williston
High School
in 2008 and is pursuing degrees in Farm Management, Diesel Technology and Crop
Production at the North Dakota College of Science in Wahpeton ND.
While attending college, Aaron worked at a local farming operation and
will continue to do so when he returns to college this fall.
Upon graduation, he plans to gain employment in the agricultural field
before immersing himself in full time farming.
While a member of the
Williston FFA chapter, Aaron served as chapter president and received district
proficiency awards in Ag Mechanics Repair and Maintenance, Grain Production,
Poultry Production, Oilseed Production, and Diversified Crop Production.
He is the son of Wes and Kathy Pepple and has one brother, Nathan.
The state sponsor for
the Grain Production Placement Proficiency award is the ND Barley Council and
the national sponsor is Pioneer Hi-Bred.
Home and/or Community Development Proficiency—Taylor
Mattson (Carrington)
By
Stephanie Lee
Taylor Mattson is the
2009 Home and/or Community Development Proficiency award winner.
This Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Program was awarded at the
North Dakota FFA State Convention.
Taylor
is a member of the Carrington FFA Chapter and is the son of Kent and Sharie
Mattson.
Taylor
’s
SAE program involved a variety of projects designed to help those in his
community and beyond. He took part
in Adopt-a-Highway, food drives, Relay for Life, and the Hurricane Katrina
Relief Effort.
Taylor
also helps out at the local food pantry and assisted in the rebuilding of the
local bowling alley.
Taylor
states, “My main goal was to make a difference.
Whether this difference was noticed by the whole community or just by the
few people it directly benefitted, I didn’t care.”
Taylor
’s involvement has allowed him to work to make a difference in his community,
act as a positive role model for others, and develop some personal skills, such
as time management. In the four
years that
Taylor
has participated in this SAE program, he has completed over 1,000 hours of
documented service and community development.
After graduating,
Taylor
plans to attend
North Dakota
State
University
and begin working toward a Masters degree in Crop and Weed Science.
He eventually hopes to have a career as a chemical and seed dealer and
raise a family in
North Dakota
.
The Home and/or
Community Development Proficiency awards are sponsored by the ND Association of
Rural Electric Cooperatives and the national sponsor is Carhartt, Inc.
Landscape Management – Dustin Thompson (Bottineau)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Dustin Thompson has
spent the last two summers working for a landscaping company, Outdoors Design.
Because of his hard work, Dustin has won the Landscape Management
Proficiency at the State FFA Convention in June.
Dustin has always enjoyed designing and building things even from the
time he was old enough to play in his sandbox.
In 2007, Dustin began working for a new company called Outdoor Designs
and has accumulated many skills: he has worked with landscaping and design,
block laying, putting in pavors, sodding, fertilization, plant selection, adding
sprinkler systems, and beach preparation for clients on the lake.
As well as working for Outdoor Design, Dustin works for Bottineau Lumber
and plans to continue his landscape work experience through college.
The state sponsors for
the Landscape Management Proficiency awards are Al and Pat Giese and the
national sponsors are the Tractor Supply Company and the National FFA
Foundation.
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Kelsey Shaw, a recent
graduate from
Minot
High School
, is the winner of the Nursery Operations Proficiency at the ND State FFA
Convention. Kelsey has worked in the
greenhouse at the Magic City Campus over the summers since 2006, watering,
fertilizing, repotting, and propagating plants as needed.
Kelsey was first getting interested in plants through her horticulture
classes and then joined the Nursery/Landscape Career Development Team.
Through this experience, Kelsey learned much about identification of
plants, proper ways to take care of greenhouse plants, and the sprinkler system
in the greenhouse.
As well as taking care
of the plants in the summers, Kelsey was also responsible for prepared plants
for the District Two FFA Nursery/Landscape and Floriculture Career Development
Events. It was her responsibility to
make sure that everything ran smoothly and that every part of each contest was
as good as it could be.
“While working at
the greenhouse over the summers, I gained a lot of knowledge about plants and
how to properly take care of them,” said Kelsey.
“After the first few weeks of working at the greenhouse, my ability to
identify plants increased a considerable amount.
I went from knowing a few of the plants, to being able to identify each
one by name and knowing numerous characteristics of each plant.
I also became an expert at managing my time.
While working two other summer jobs, I had to know how long it took me to
do my work at the greenhouse and how long it took me to get from place to
place.”
Kelsey’s goal is to
attend college and major in an agricultural field such as agronomy or
agriculture education. The state
sponsor for this award is
Joel Janke
and the national sponsor is Dodge Trucks and Landmark Nurseries.
Outdoor Recreation Proficiency – Tyler Fettig
(Napoleon)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Tyler Fettig, a FFA member from the Napoleon FFA Chapter, won the Outdoor
Recreation Proficiency award at the State FFA Convention.
Since 2006,
Tyler
has spent summers working for the
Beaver
Lake
State Park
in the maintenance field. His job
description includes cleaning the bathrooms, mowing the lawn, and cutting and
picking up tree branches and garbage. He
began working weekdays and then ended up on duty on weekends which brought more
challenges and responsibilities.
Tyler
knows the importance of talking with campers to get ideas about what campers
like or dislike about the park and how it can changed for the better.
He also spent more time collecting camping fees, making sure campers are
parked in the correct spot, reminding campers of park rules, and just keeping
the campers informed about what the park has to offer.
Tyler
graduated this spring and plans to attend
Northland
Technical
College
and get an associates degree in Fire Science or Fire Technology.
He would like to be employed at a fire station somewhere in
North Dakota
.
The state sponsor is
the Larimore FFA Chapter and the national sponsors are GM Powertrain and Lund
Boat Company.
Poultry Production Proficiency –
Logan
McLean (Central Cass)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
When people think of
poultry, most people think of chicken – but not Logan McLean.
Logan
was the winner of the Poultry Production Proficiency award at the State FFA
Convention held in June. Logan, a
member of the Central Cass FFA Chapter, became interested in birds when he
started volunteering at a hunting preserve near his home. He
started worrying about the populations of hunting birds and decided to work to
increase the numbers of them in
Cass
County
. “I saw what I had to do to be
able to make pens, and it wasn’t as difficult as it looked.
So my parents bought the supplies and my dad and I put up the pens.
And by the time I knew it, I was raising hundreds of bird my first
year!” declared
Logan
.
Logan
now has a game farm where he raises, hatches, cares for,, releases, and sells
five different kinds of pheasants. He
also has chukars, Guinea hens,
Rio Grande
turkeys, and many different kinds of chickens.
Logan
sells his poultry through local newspaper advertisements and flyers in sports
stores and at gas stations.
The Central Cass FFA
advisor, Scott Wisness, said, “
Logan
takes a lot of pride in his game farm. It
is well known around the area and he has developed a good reputation.
I visited him last summer and saw how excited he was about his project;
he could talk about it non-stop.”
The state sponsor is the ND FFA Foundation and the national sponsors are
American Proteins and the National FFA Foundation.
Sheep Production Proficiency – Kyle Wolf (Napoleon)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
A WOLF IN SHEEP BREEDING
Kyle Wolf, a recent
high school graduate from Napoleon, has won the Sheep Production Proficiency
award at the State FFA Convention for his work with his herd of
St. Croix
sheep. Kyle began raising
St. Croix
sheep in 2006; he decided on this breed of sheep because they are not raised
for their wool because they have hair instead.
They are bred mainly for meat production.
The
St. Croix
breed are more disease resistant and can stand harsh climates better than other
sheep breeds.
What started out as a
small flock of 14 sheep has grown and grown and now Kyle is the biggest
St. Croix
sheep breeder in a four state area. Kyle
markets his sheep to slaughter houses as they are produced for their lean, high
quality meal. He also advertises on
the St. Croix website and has placed ads in the national
St. Croix
newsletter.
Kyle’s FFA advisor,
Brian Schneider, said, “Kyle is doing an excellent job with his sheep
production which is a huge credit to him as his parents have no livestock on the
farm and they have never had sheep so Kyle has had to renovate or create all of
the facilities needed for this project. In
2007 Kyle had a 200% lamb crop which is excellent for a beginning producer.”
Kyle’s future plans
include attending Bismarck State College to pursue a degree in power plant
technology. After working a few
years in this field, Kyle would also like to further his education by obtaining
a power plant management degree.
The state sponsor is the ND Grocers Association and the national sponsor
is the National FFA Foundation.
Small Animal Production and Care—Erin Krebs
(Belfield)
By
Stephanie Lee
Erin Krebs is the 2009
FFA Small Animal Production and Care Proficiency award winner.
This Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Program was awarded at the
2009 State FFA Convention.
Erin
is a member of the Belfield FFA Chapter. She
lives in
Belfield
,
ND
and is the daughter of Anthony and Kathy Krebs.
Erin
’s
SAE activities included raising, caring for, and showing rabbits.
Her interest in this project arose from watching her older brothers raise
and show rabbits for 4-H.
Erin
’s main goals for her SAE were to earn money through showing her rabbits and
to improve her overall showmanship skills. In
the past three years, she has maintained a constant breeding stock of five to
seven rabbits and earned over $500, thus accomplishing her goals.
She has also won numerous awards at the Stark/Billings County Fair and
the North Dakota State Fair and is a member of the American Rabbit Breeders
Association.
After graduation,
Erin
hopes to pursue a degree in Secondary Mathematics Education. The
Small Animal Production and Care Proficiency award is sponsored by the ND FFA
Foundation and the national sponsor is Merial.
Specialty Animal Production—Travis Rossman
(Turtle Lake/Mercer)
By
Stephanie Lee
Travis Rossman is the
2009 Specialty Animal Production Placement Proficiency award winner.
This Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Program award was presented
at the North Dakota State FFA Convention. Travis
is a member of the Turtle Lake-Mercer FFA Chapter.
He lives in
Turtle Lake
,
ND
and is the son of Roger and Jodie Rossman.
Travis’s SAE project
involves working at Thomas Honey in
Turtle
Lake
. His responsibilities include
working as a beekeeper, extracting honey, and performing carpentry work.
Most of his carpentry work involves building “nukes”, small beehives
that are used to expand the bee population and start new colonies.
Travis also operates the company’s forklifts and other vehicles.
He has earned over $12,000 at Thomas Honey over the past three years.
After graduation this
May, Travis plans to attend Bismarck State College and enroll in one of the many
technical programs offered. He hopes
to eventually have a career that allows him to remain in
North Dakota
.
The Specialty Animal
Production Placement Proficiency awards are sponsored by the ND Buffalo
Association and the national sponsors are Land O’Lakes Feed – Purina Mills
and the National FFA Foundation.
Specialty
Crop Production Proficiency -- Paul Rice (Maddock)
By Kelly Finke
What does specialty
crops, helicopters, and ag economics all have to do with each other?
All three are a few goals that Paul Rice of the Maddock FFA Chapter has
set to get him up, up and away on to his future.
Paul has demonstrated through his Specialty Crop Production SAE that many
goals can be met if you keep working hard; through this hard work Paul has won
the Specialty Crop Production Proficiency award at the State FFA Convention.
Paul began his SAE his
freshman year in partnership with his brother J.T.
Together they rent approximately 500 acres and decided early on to plant
specialty crops because his family had been involved in planting sunflowers,
pinto beans, and corn for many years. “Not
only have I had the chance to sharpen my agricultural skills through many
summers on the farm, but I have also been advised in the management of the farm
operation from my grandfather and father,” explained Paul.
Along with Paul’s
farming responsibilities he has jumped at many FFA opportunities.
Paul is a member of the Maddock A.S. Gibbens FFA Chapter and been
involved in many different activities. Most
recently he competed in the state Ag Sales contest, has won many different
proficiency areas, and was named State Star Farmer at last year’s state
convention. Outside of FFA Paul is
busy with 4-H, football, basketball, track, choir, church youth, Maddock Legion
baseball and is an EMT volunteer member of the Maddock Ambulance.
Paul has his private pilot’s license and is currently taking helicopter
flying lessons. He also finds time
in the summer to help coach summer baseball and raises and releases pheasants
into the surrounding area.
Paul is currently
attending NDSU in the fall and major in Ag Economics.
Paul would like to pursue a career in helicopter piloting after college,
but eventually will use his Ag Economics degree to return to the family farm.
Gary Wald, Paul’s FFA advisor states, “I feel that Paul will be
successful in his career choice, and through his Supervised Agriculture
Experience Program he has a great start. Paul
is the son of John and Barb Rice of Maddock.
The state sponsor for
these awards is David and Denise Swanson with a $200 scholarship from Dakota
Growers Pasta. The national sponsor
is the National FFA Foundation.
Swine Production Entrepreneurship
Proficiency -- Courtney Bischof (
Lisbon
)
By Kelly Finke
Courtney Bischof from
the Lisbon FFA Chapter is the winner of the State FFA Swine Production
Proficiency Award. Courtney is the
daughter of Rodney and Laurie Bischof of
Lisbon
,
ND
.
Courtney became involved in showing pigs when she was only 10 years old.
This year she will be showing six pigs and raising bred gilt hogs.
“I have gradually increased my number in hogs from two to four, from
four to six and this year six plus breeding gilts” explains Courntey.
She raises her pigs in a pen with a sheltered barn and bought pig panels
and fences to set up separate stalls. Courtney
markets her hogs for butcher and uses the money from the shows and sales to buy
new hogs for the next season. “Courntey
has put together a nutrition program for her pigs that has shown an increase in
feed efficiency and average daily gain. She
has been preparing her hogs for shows and trains them sot that they are very
cooperative in the ring” states Myron Johs, the Lisbon FFA Advisor.
Courtney doesn’t let her SAE “hog” up all her time!
In FFA she has been involved in many shows, contests, and busy on the
officer team. She is also active in
4-H Hippology and her 4-H club, NDJPSA, Band, Music, and much more.
After high school Courtney hopes to pursue a degree in Accounting and
Business Administration at
Bemidiji
State
University
and hopes to one day move to
Colorado
. “
“My swine project has helped me to learn a lot.
It has provided me with something to work towards” explains Courtney.
And she continues to work towards her goals each day.
The state sponsor for these awards is the ND Pork Council and the
national sponsors are LA-CO Markal and the National FFA Foundation.
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Chris Bjornstad is the
winner of the Swine Production Placement Proficiency award which was given out
at the State FFA Convention in June. Chris
received this award because of his extensive work at B & N Pork.
Chris, a recent graduate from
Carrington
High School
, has been working at B & N Pork for the last eight summers.
B & N Pork is a farrow to finish hog operation located northeast of
Carrington which sells primarily market hogs to Cloverdale Meats in
Minot
, but will sell feeder pigs on occasion to local clients.
This business prides itself in producing efficient, lean, heavy muscled
market hogs.
When Chris started working at B & N Pork, he started with cleaning
the buildings and doing sanitation work. With
more experience, he was trained in piglet management which included clipping
needle teeth, clipping tails, giving iron shots and vaccination shots, doing
castration, and weaning. Eventually,
Chris has taken on the responsibility of doing evening chores and locking up the
facility and also has started to gain knowledge about the financial aspect of
the business.
Chris has participated in numerous FFA leadership activities and has been
a member of the local Crops team, the Range Management team, the Dairy Foods
Team, the Quiz Team, the Farm Business Management team and the Parliamentary
Procedure team.
Chris plans to attending NDSU this fall and pursue a degree in computer
science. He would like to be
employed as a computer programmer and move to the outskirts of a big city.
The state sponsors for
the Swine Production Placement Proficiency awards are Dr. R. Brent Young and
Karla Young and the national sponsors are Sunglo Feeds and Phibro Animal Health.
Turf Grass
Management -- Grayson Spangelo (
Hebron
)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Grayson Spangelo from
Hebron
was named the Turf Grass Management Proficiency winner at the ND State FFA
Convention in June.
What started out five
years ago as a small job mowing neighbors’ yards with a push mower, has turned
into a thriving business for Grayson Spangelo.
This Hebron FFA member started his company Lawns by Grayson with the
thought that he could improved the town’s image and provide a necessary
service. Since that humble beginning
of a few lawns, Grayson soon proved to his neighbors and also to the Hebron Park
Board that he could mow with the best. In
fact, Grayson credits his successes to people’s willingness to tell their
neighbors and friends what a great job Grayson does with their lawns.
Grayson’s father,
Bob Spangelo, lent money to him to purchase his first push mower and as business
picked up, Grayson bought more and more equipment that would help him mow his
clients’ yards and businesses, as well as the city park and the recreation
complex in
Hebron
. Grayson owns 3 riding lawn mowers,
a 4-wheeler equipped with spraying equipment, 2 push mowers, and 2 weed eaters.
Grayson also bought a John Deere 8820 with a 930 header in order to begin
a custom combining venture.
After graduating in
2010 from
Hebron
High School
, Grayson plans to attend ND State University and concentrate in animal and
range science.
The state sponsor for this proficiency is the ND FFA Foundation and the
national sponsor is John Deere.
Vegetable
Production Proficiency -- Chase Rosenau (Carrington)
By Bridgette Readel
Chase Rosenau from the
Carrington FFA Chapter is a very motivated person.
When he was a young student he joined his family’s 3/8 acre pumpkin and
gourd patch to raise money for college. Once
involved, he found that he wanted to take over the pumpkin patch and expand it.
Chase is now handling all the major production tasks associated with the
pumpkin patch.
Chase has learned
invaluable skills about crop production from the pumpkin patch.
He has learned the variables in production agriculture and also how to
plan for the future since he hopes to add more land and crops to the operation.
“I feel the pumpkin patch is helping me prepare to lead a life where I
run an actual farm, not only in the production sense, but also in the financial
and business end of the occupation as well,” he says.
Besides expansion of the pumpkin patch, Chase has personal goals that
include attending
North Dakota
State
University
to major in Ag engineering and agribusiness and then returning to the family
farm. “Chase is a very intelligent
young man with a bright future before him,” said Carrington FFA Advisor, Joel
Lemer. “The business will continue
to grow and Chase will continue to develop his vegetable production and
competencies.”
Along with farming, Chase has been very active as the secretary and now
president of the Carrington FFA Chapter, attending leadership conferences and
participating in Crops and Land Judging, FFA Quiz team and Tractor Driving
contests. This fall he will be a senior at
Carrington
High School
in
Carrington
,
ND
.
The state sponsor for this award is R. D. Offutt Company and the national
sponsor is Seminis Vegetable Seeds.
Veterinary Medicine Proficiency – Zachary Rameden
(
Rugby
)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
The Veterinary
Medicine Proficiency award is a new award area given at the ND State FFA
Convention this year, and Zachary Rameden from the Rugby FFA Chapter won the
district and state award for this area. Zachary
started volunteering at the Rugby Veterinary Service to acquire the skills
needed for him to become a veterinarian someday.
The Rugby Veterinary Service is an average-sized clinic with 15
employees. It offers a variety of
treatment for both large and small animals including laser surgery and stays
up-to-date with the newest technology. Zachary
assists in examining, treating, monitoring and caring for the animals that are
brought in. He also handles
sanitation duties by cleaning the medical equipment and the boarding area, as
well as making sure all supplies are adequately and properly stocked.
Some of the skills Zachary learned while working at the clinic include
how to draw up and administer medicines, how to properly restrain animals, how
to sanitize and clean the kennels and medical facilities, how to assist with
medical procedures for both small and large animals, and how to care for
boarding and hospitalized animals.
In the future, Zachary would like to become a state FFA officer and maybe
move on to become a national FFA officer. He
plans to double major and earn degrees in
Agriculture Education
and Animal and Range Science at ND State University while meeting
pre-veterinary requirements. The
then would like to obtain his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree and move back
to
North Dakota
to open his own veterinary clinic.
Zachary Rameden is the son of Joseph and Nancy Rameden from
Rugby
.
The state sponsor is
the ND Veterinary Medical Association and the national sponsor is the American
Veterinary Medical Association.
Wildlife Production and Management Proficiency –
Karlee Brown (Carrington)
By Beth Bakke Stenehjem
Karlee Brown, a
Carrington FFA member, won the Wildlife Production and Management Proficiency at
the State FFA Convention because of her work at the Arrowwood National Wildlife
Refuge. The Arrowwood National
Wildlife Refuge concentrates on managing almost 16,000 acres of land owned by
the government for various types of wildlife.
Karlee has worked at the refuge the summers of 2007 and 2008 through the
Youth Conservation Corp Program. She
has learned much from her employment including how to identify waterfowl eggs,
band pelicans, collect leafy spurge beetles, replace WPA signs, identify weeds,
check bird nests, clean and mow grounds, and build birdhouses.
Her summers at the
refuge have been busy and educational. Karlee
said, “I gained a much better understanding of wildlife conservation.
I am even more concerned about wildlife conservation than in the past.”
Karlee plans to get a
two-year pre-vet college degree at Eastern Wyoming college and hopes to then
find employment as a veterinarian assistant and hop to someday open her own
clinic.
The state sponsor for
the Wildlife Production and Management Proficiency is the ND Game and Fish Dept.
The national sponsors are Land O’Lakes Feed/Purina Mills and United
Country Real Estate.
ND FFA Foundation