D2-Lmcaster Firming, Saturday, November 18, 1995
National FFA Convention Breaks Attendance Record,
KANSAS CITY, Mo. More
than 37,000 FFA members and
guests were enthusiastic, excited,
and motivated after being chal
lenged to develop “Leadership for
a Lifetime” during the 68th Na
tional FFA Convention. Nov.
9-IJ.
The record crowd of FFA mem
bers and guests from throughout
the country and beyond came to
experience the world’s largest an
nual student gathering and to
show their support for the blue and
gold of the FFA. Last year’s at
tendance was 34,372.
Members had the opportunity to
hear words of wisdom from some
nationally-known speakers,
including Secretary of Agriculture
Dan Glickman, Senator Richard
Lugar of Indiana, and Miss
America Shawntel Smith. These
speakers challenged members to
hone the leadership skills that
would assist them throughout their
life.
During the opening Reflections
program, the 1994-1995 national
FFA officers got the standing
room-only crowd on its feet and
ready to experience a convention
that would provide them with new
ideas and flesh approaches to take
back to their chapters.
Other speakers who inspired the
convention attendees were Diana
Golden, Olympic gold medal
skier, Fred McClure, past national
FFA officer and one of Time
magazine’s SO most promising
leaders 40 and under; John Alston,
motivational speaker; Jeanne
Robertson, humorist; David
Toma, former New York City
police officer; and Emanuel
Cleaver, mayor of Kansas City,
Mo.
The National Agricultural Ca
reer Show featured nearly 300 ex
hibitors, including colleges and
universities with agricultural pro
grams, as well as industry repre
sentatives for production agricul
ture, agribusiness, agriscience,
and other diverse agricultural
areas. In addition to learning more
about opportunities in agriculture,
members could enjoy live enter
tainment, browse through the FFA
shopping mall, and grab a bite to
eat at the FFA Food Court.
FFA members participated in
the multitude of convention activi
ties including career development
events, awards ceremonies, lead
ership workshops and a salute to
sponsors who make possible the
extensive offering of FFA pro
grams through the National FFA
Foundation. The Honorary Ameri
can FFA Degree, Distinguished
Service Award, and VIP Citation
were awarded to businesses and
individuals who support the or
ganization. The FFA awarded
1,466 American FFA Degrees, the
highest degree earned by an FFA
member.
In transacting the official busi
ness of the organization, delegates
voted on proposals and made re
commendations to the board of
directors. The delegates voted to
increase national dues from $3.50
to $5 per year.
The National FFA Alumni con
vention held on Nov. 8 included
leadership workshops, awards
ceremonies, and another success
ful auction, raising more than
$48,000 to support FFA programs.
FFA Elects 1995-96 National
FFA Officer Team
The 1995-1996 national FFA
officer team was elected Nov. 11
at the 68lh National FFA Conven
tion.
Leading the six-member team is
national FFA president Seth Der-
ner, 20, of Bartlett, Neb. The na
tional secretary is Cody Wagner,
19, of Banner, Wyo. Vice presi
dents representing each region
are: central region, Joe Caffee, 20,
of Geneva, Ind.; eastern region,
William Catania, 19, of Westfield,
N.Y.; southern region, Clara-
Leigh Horn. 20, of Ashville, Ala.;
and western region, Andy McCall,
19, of Houston, Texas. The offi
cers will take a year-long leave of
absence from college to serve
their term.
Demer, the son of Dennis and
Sharon Demer, is a member of the
Wheeler Central FFA Chapter.
His local advisors are David Ni
chols and Robert SwctL Demer’s
supervised agricultural experience
(SAE) program consists of a cow/
calf operation, ranch improve
ment, and placement in agricultur
al production. He is a junior ma
joring in agricultural education at
the University of Nebraska-Lin
coln.
Wagner’s parents are Jim and
Sally Wagner and he is a member
of the John B. Kendrick FFA
Chapter. Wagner’s local advisers
are Jim Bohn and Nick Siddle. His
SAE program is diverse and con
sists of a beef and sheep operation
and agriculture sales and service
enterprises. A sophomore at the
University of Wyoming, Wagner
is studying molecular biology.
Caffee, the son of Dennis and
Rebecca Caffee, is a member of
the South Adams FFA Chapter.
His local adviser is Fred Schuman.
Caffee’s diverse SAE consists of
beef and poultry production, agri
cultural processing, and agricul
tural communications. He attends
Purdue University, where he is a
sophomore majoring in agricultur
al education.
Catania is the son of William
and Toni Catania. A member of
the Westfield FFA Chapter, his
adviser is Phil Baideme. Catania’s
SAE involves turf management,
landscape management, fruit pro
duction, and horticulture. He is a
freshman majoring in psychology
at Fredonia State University.
Horn’s parents are Wallace and
Diana Horn. She is a member of
the Ashville FFA Chapter where
her local adviser is Tommy Hill.
Her SAE is a diversified livestock
operation that consists of lambs,
hogs, steers, heifers and horses.
Horn is a junior at Auburn Univer
sity majoring in basic science/pre
veterinary medicine.
McCall is the son of Michael
and Karen McCall. A member of
the Cypress Creek FFA Chapter,
his local advisers are Kevin Page
* and Wayne Sales. McCall’s SAE
consists of showing swine and
raising rabbits. He is a sophomore
'at Lubbock Christian University
where he is majoring in agricultur
al business.
During their year of service the
national officers will each travel
more than 100,000 miles and
make hundreds of appearances on
behalf of the FFA. The national
officers represent members to of
ficials in government, business,
education, and agriculture. As
they travel during the year, they
meet with members on the local,
slate and national levels.
American Star Farmer And
American Star In Agribusiness
Randy Petroshus, 21, Allegan,
Mich., and Wade Kallevig, 21,
Willmar, Minn., were named the
American Star Farmer and the
American Star in Agribusiness,
respectively, at the 68th National
FFA Convention. Each received a
$2,000 cash award and will parti
cipate in an international expert-
ence program in Europe for
achieving the FFA’s highest hon
or.
Each star was chosen from a
field of four national finalists.
Darrell S. Glodowski, 21, Am
herst Junction, Wis.; Benji Ort
man, 21, Westport, Ind.; and J.
Ryan White, 21, Sturgis, Ky.,
were the other three star farmer
candidates. Larry Edward Duff
ncr, 21, Ephrata, Wash.; Chad
Eric Reinhart, 21, Normal, 111.;
and Chad Alan Thixton, 21, Sal
em, Ind., were the other three star
in agribusiness candidates. The
finalists were selected from 1,466
American FFA Degree recipients,
and each finalist received $l,OOO.
National, state and local FFA
officials selected the stars on the
basis of knowledge of their enter
prises, management skills, return
on investments and growth of
their programs. The stars were
also judged on leadership abilities
demonstrated through their FFA
activities.
American Star Farmer
Randy Petroshus’ first calf died
soon after he entered it in a dairy
show. Evidence that the Allegan,
Mich., seven-year-old should find
another career aspiration? Appar
ently not. Petroshus, now 21 years
old, stayed with dairy farming,
bought another heifer the next
spring and now has 190 head of
Holsteins.
Petroshus’ determination and
agricultural success have earned
him recognition as the 1995 Na
tional FFA American Star Farmer,
one of the agricultural education
organization’s highest honors.
Petroshus began his agricultural
career as a young boy, making $1
an hour doing chores on the family
farm. His income source gradually
shifted to the Allegan County Fair,
which “was always a big money
maker to generate funds to buy
more cows and heifers,” he said.
Showing livestock taught him
marketing essentials such as
showmanship and grooming, but
also life lessons namely how to
lose, he said. Those life lessons
continued after Petroshus joined
FFA in 1988.
“It wasn’t long before I learned
that FFA was more than judging
cows at the Agricultural Skills
Contest in Lansing.” he said. “I
began to get involved in all the
leadership activities as well, and
eventually met a whole new world
of friends.” He was elected Michi
gan slate FFA officer in 1992. His
FFA adviser is Robert Brown.
As a student in the dairy man
agement program at Michigan
State University, Petroshus gained
new ideas about the dairy indus
try. His two-year collegiate judg
ing team placed second in Hol
steins at the 1992 World Dairiy
Expo in Madison, Wis.
Petroshus recently became a
partner wi.th his parents, Jerome
and Virginia Petroshus. They
operate more than 750 acres and
own 550 head of cattle. Currently,
they are designing and planning a
state-of-the-art 400 milking facili
ty-
Charles Snyder, FFA projects
consultant, recommended Petro
shus highly for the American Star
Farmer Award. “Randy’s lead
ership is only exceeded by his
honesty, dedication, hard work
and a vision for the future of agri
culture and how he can play a role
in establishing a future for young
agriculturists such as himself,” he
said.
American Star In Agribusiness
Wade Kellevig owns and oper-
ates a successful seed condition
ing plant in Willtnar, Minn. He
processes more than five million
pounds of soybeans annually, dis
tributing them locally, regionally
and in Japan. While Kallevig’s
success would be admirable under
any circumstance, it becomes es
pecially noteworthy when his age
comes into play. Kallevig is only
21 years old
'Die National FFA Organization
recognized Kallevig’s success by
naming him 1995 American Star
in Agribusiness, one of the agri
cultural education organization’s
highest honors.
Kallevig began growing soy
beans on a 7.5 acre field as a fresh
man in high school. The next year
he increased to 43.5 acres, bought
a tractor, and rented a neighbor’s
grain cleaner. Kallevig eventually
purchased the cleaner and moved
it onto his family’s farm. He has
since built a new processing plant
and warehouse, and now process
es more than 83,000 bushels of
soybeans annually.
Several of Kallevig’s largest
customers sought him out for his
reputation for high quality pro
cessing. He has contracts with ICI
Seeds, a division of Zeneca Inc.;
Cenex/Land O’ Lakes Seeds;
Minnesota Public Seeds; apd Ac
cess Marketing, which markets his
seeds in Japan.
Unlike many young agricultur
ists, Kallevig did not step into an
existing family business, but cre
ated his own. Kallevig said he has
benefited from learning the seed
business “from the ground up.”
Raising certified seed taught him
the growing end of the business.
Planning his own expansions and
operating his facilities initiated
him into the seed processing in
dustry. Working with both indivi
dual customers and large compan
ies has helped him develop excel
lent sales skills. Concerted record
keeping gives him a firm handle
on the business, and managing
employees has given him human
Farm Employee
Management Seminar
In Mid-December
LANCASTER (Lancaster
Co.) —Finding and keeping good
employees is a continual struggle
for many farm businesses. Some
farmers don’t expand their
businesses because it would
require hiring employees.
“Employment Management for
Farm Business” is a two-day
seminar designed to help farm
managers meet the challenge of
developing a strong and produc
tive team of employees.
The seminar, sponsored by
Farm Credit, is being offered in
two Pennsylvania locations in
mid-December. According to
Jonas Kauffman, executive direc
tor of Farm Credit Financial Man
agement Service, the seminar will
be useful for farm managers who
employ or are considering hiring
at least one full-time employee
and to key middle managers who
supervise one or more employees.
“Over 500 farm businesses in.
New York and New England have
enjoyed this Farm Credit
sponsored seminar, and we are
very pleased to be able to bring it
to Pennsylvania’s farm mana
Names Officers
resources experience.
Kallevig, son of Steve and Cin
dy Kallevig, is active in several
crop associations. He has partici
pated in numerous local, regional,
state, and national FFA activities
and was Minnesota’s FFA Star in
Production in 1992. Kallevig is a
member of the Willmar FFA
Chapter, and his advisors are D.
Hanson and N. Pearson.
FFA Foundation
Raises $6.07 Million
For the 29th consecutive year,
the National FFA Foundation has
set a record level of support for
FFA and agricultural education I
programs. At the 68th National
FFA Convention, H.D. “Harry"
Cleberg, 1995 FFA Foundation
Sponsors’ Board chairman, an
nounced that the Foundation
raised a total of $6,070,000 in
1995 to support projects and pro
grams for FFA and agricultural
education, an all-time record. A
crowd of more than 35,000 FFA
members and guests cheered the
announcement.
Cleberg, president and chief
executive officer of Farmland In
dustries, Inc., said the contribu
tions of the more than 1,000
Foundation sponsors help prepare
future agricultural leaders.
“The FFA provides excellent
training, not only for agricultural
careers, but also for personal lead
ership skills,’’ he said. “My indus
try colleagues and I know that
supporting the FFA today ensures
us well-trained, motivated em
ployees tomorrow.”
Cleberg introduced 1996 FFA
Foundation Sponsors’ Board
Chairman-elect Allan R. Johnson,
president of Farm Progress Com
panies, Inc. Johnson announced
the 1996 Foundation theme, “FFA
Leadership for a Lifetime.”
Since 1944, the National FFA
Foundation has provided more
than $63 million to FFA members
for awards, scholarships and
achievement programs.
gers,” said Kauffman.
Among the topics to be dis
cussed at the seminar arc recruit
ing, interviewing, and training
new employees; motivating diffe
rent types of employees; develop
ing a compensation and incentive
plan; and improving communica
tion within your business.
Instructors for the seminar are
Kauffman and Gary Snider. Snid
er is a farm business consultant
with Farm Credit of Western New
York. Both men have been pre
senting seminars for farm business
managers for many years.
The seminars will be held Dec.
13 and 20 at the Carlisle Holiday
Inn and Dec. 14 and 21 at the Wil
liamsport Sheraton Inn.
Preregistralion is.required. The
seminar registration fee is $195
and includes reference materials,
lunches, and coffee breaks for
both sessions.
Additional participants from
the same farm can register for a
reduced fee of $125. Registration
deadline is Dec. 5. For more infor
mation or to register, call Jonas
Kauffman at (800) 477-9947.