A36-Lanc«ster Farming, Saturday, November 23, 1996
KANSAS CITY, Mo. The
six student members who will lead
the National FFA Organization for
the 1996-1997 year were elected
Nov. 16 at the 69th National FFA
Convention.
Corey Rosenbusch, a 19-year
old from Glen Rose, Texas, is the
new national FFA president. Hol
ly Bentley, 19, of Sabina, Ohio,
was elected national FFA secre
tary. Vice presidents representing
each region are: Brad Montgom
ery, 19, of McDonald, Kan., cen
tral region; Raymond Starling, 20,
of Autryville, N.C., eastern re
gion; William Charles “Charlie”
Jones, 20, of Billingsley, Ala.,
southern region; and Rachel Fehr
inger, 20, of Peetz, Colo., western
region. The officers will take a
year-long leave of absence from
college to serve their term.
Rose, the son of Gary and Vick
ie Rosenbusch, is a member of the
Glen Rose FFA Chapter, where
his father is the adviser. As his su
pervised agricultural experience
program (SAE) Rose raised
swine. He is a sophomore major
ing in agricultural development at
Texas A&M University.
Bentley’s parents are Roger and
Beverly Bentley. She is a member
of the East Clinton FFA Chapter
where her adviser is Kenneth
Fliehman. Bentley’s diverse SAE
includes swine production, com
and soybean production, and fruit
and vegetable production, consist
ing of pumpkins, gourds, and In
dian com. She is a sophomore ma
joring in agricultural education at
The Ohio State University.
Montgomery, the son of Lindon
and Diane Montgomery, is a
member of the Cheylin FFA
Chapter. His adviser is Max Keltz.
Montgomery’s SAE consists of
sheep production, registered seed
wheat production, and placement
in an agribusiness firm. Mont
gomery attends Kansas State Uni
versity where he is a sophomore
majoring in agricultural econom
ics.
Starling is the son of Murd and
JoAnne Starling. A member of the
Midway FFA Chapter, his advis
ers are Barry Croom and Glenn
Howell. As his SAE, Starling was
involved in nursery crop produc
tion as well as placement on a to
bacco and swine farm. A junior at
North Carolina State University,
Starling is majoring in agricultural
education.
Jones’s parents are Charles and
Jan Jones. He is a member of the
National FFA Elects Officer Team
Billingsley FFA Chapter where
his adviser is Clayton Spencer.
Horse production and forage crops
are part of his diverse SAE. Jones
is a junior at Auburn University
majoring in agricultural econom
ics.
Fehringer is the daughter of
Kenneth and Judith Fehringer. A
member of the Peetz FFA Chap
ter, her adviser is Larry Geu. Fehr
inger’s SAE consists of horse pro
duction and agricultural place
ment. She is a junior at Colorado
State University where she is ma
joring in agricultural economics.
During their year of service the
national officers each will travel
more than 100,000 miles making
hundreds of appearances on behalf
of the FFA. The national officers
represent members to officials in
government, business, education
and agriculture. As they travel
during the year, they meet with
members on the local, state and
national levels.
National FFA Foundation
Sets New Record
KANSAS CITY, Mo. For
the 30th consecutive year, the Na
tional FFA Foundation has set a
record level of support for FFA
and agricultural education pro
grams.
At the 69th National FFA Con
vention, Allan R. Johnson, 1996
FFA Foundation Sponsors’ Board
chairman, announced that the
Foundation raised a total of
$6,707,000 in 1996 to support
projects and programs for FFA
and agricultural education, an all
time record.
Johnson, president of Farm
Progress Companies, Inc., said the
contributions 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.”
Johnson introduced 1997 FFA
Foundation Sponsors’ Board
Chairman-elect Wayne L. Beck,
vice president supply manage
ment, Pioneer Hi-Bred Interna
tional, Inc. Beck announced the
1997 Foundation theme, “FFA
Leaders with a Vision.”
Since 1944, the National FFA
Foundation has provided more
than $7O million to FFA members
for awards, scholarships, and
ROY'S STEINER SALES & S
151 Sousley Road, Lenhavtsville, PA 1
achievement programs.
Russell Combines
Accounting, Agriculture
Twelve years old and already in
debt. By choice. As a future ac
countant and tax attorney, Richard
Russell was never scared of hand
ling money. With his first loan of
about $9,000, Russell bought 13
head of breeding cows. Five years
later, he used earnings from the
livestock venture to purchase a
240-acre farm with his brother.
The two also rented 200 acres to
grow com and alfalfa hay.
Russell, now 20, has a 110-acre
malt barley contract as well as a
100-acre spring wheat contract
He also continues to farm land in
the Basin, Wyo., area with his bro
ther.
Russell’s agricultural success
has earned him recognition as the
1996 National FFA American Star
Farmer, one of the agricultural
education organization’s highest
honors.
From his first day in the River
side FFA Chapter, Russell’s goal
was to be a state agricultural profi
ciency winner and a state FFA de
gree recipient He served as chap
ter treasurer and president com
peted at the state level in
management and mechanics judg
ing, and won the national forage
crop proficiency award. As a re
sult of the award, Russell partici
pated in an agricultural experience
tour of Europe. “I feel that there is
a special advantage to be obtained
from traveling abroad,” he said,
“In current management theory,
diversities are said to be an asset
Having traveled abroad, I have be
come a more diverse person.”
Russell’s career plans are proof
of his varied interests. “I will at
tend the University of Wyoming
this fall and continue my educa
tion in accounting,”‘he said. “My
present plans are to become a cer
tified public accountant then go to
law school. I plan to become a tax
attorney. By using computers and
the Internet I plan to stay in the
Big Horn Basin of Wyoming and
stay involved in farming, my true
passion.”
Computers already are a key
element in Russell’s operation. “I
use a computerized accounting
system to keep track of expenses,
income and inventory,” he said.
“This allows me to make better
management decisions to mini
mize costs and to maximize after
tax income.”
Russell is the son of Cheryl and
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Donald Russell. His FFA adviser
is Tony Anson.
Bischoff Turns Free Wood
Into Profitable Enterprise
Chad Bischoff s high school
business venture was crucial to his
family’s survival. His father, who
was seriously injured in a car acci
dent, could’t work for more than a
year. During that time, “family
finances were tight and one way I
could help was through cutting
firewood,” Bischoff said.
After clearing farmers’ fence
rows of trees and brush, Bischoff
heated the family’s Marshall,
Mich., house with part of the
wood and sold the rest. Then,
when the local chain saw dealer
went out of business, Bischoff and
his father decided to open then
own dealership called the Chad &
Dad Saw Shop. Now the partners
own a power equipment sales out
let with projected sales of about
$6OOOOO. They plan to build a new
facility soon to accommodate their
growing business. Their goal is to
earn $3 million in gross sales over
the next 10 years.
The National FFA Organization
reocognized Bischoffs accomp
lishments in agriculture by nam
ing him the 1996 American Star in
Agribusiness, one of the organiza
tion’s highest honors.
Bischoff, now 21, believes he’s
been able to expand his business at
such a rapid pace because he sets
goals and plans the steps to
achieve them. It took only 12
months to expand his equipment
line from one brand of chain saw
to 16. By that time he also offered
lawn and garden equipment,
boats, and motors.
“Our sales have more than
doubled each year as we get a
higher profile in the power equip
ment field and add new lines of
equipment,” he said.
Attractive showroom displays
“give the impression that the cus
tomer is welcome to browse and
inspect the equipment,” he said.
And no matter what else is going
on, Bischoff always pays prompt
attention to customer inquiries and
follows up quickly on sales leads.
Inventory, billing and customer
service also are top priorities.
mm
“Profit is realized only when
you have a rapid turnover of stock,
an efficient service department
and up-to-date receivables,” Bis
choff said.
An active member of the Mar
shall FFA Chapter, Bischoff was
chapter vice president, competed
in the state forestry skills, crop
skills, and agricultural issues for
um career development events and
won the national sales and service
proficiency award. His FFA ad
viser is Floyd Beneker and he is
the son of Gale Meade and Ronald
Bischoff.
National FFA
Organization Gives
New Award For Diversity
KANSAS CITY. Mo. The
National FFA Organization pre
sented the new H.O. Sargent
Award at the 69th National FFA
Convention to recognize indivi
duals who have achieved and pro
moted diversity in agricultural
education and the FFA.
This award is a modification of
the H.O. Sargent Award that ex
isted in the New Farmers of
America (NFA), the former or
ganization for African-American
agriculture students, before NFA
was incorporated in FFA in 1965.
Award recipients were Walter
Jones of Pinetops, N.C., agricul
tural education instructor at
Southwest Edgecombe High
School; Dr. Herman Moody of
Harrisburg, Pa., state director of
vocational-technical education
and a former member of the New
Farmers of America; and William
Sam Combs of Bristow, Okla.,
who founded an organization
called REAP—Retired Educators
for Agricultural Programs to
increase participation of African-
American youth in agricultural
education and FFA.
The National FFA Organization
established the H.O. Sargent
Award in 1995 to remember the
NFA and to recognize its place in
the history of the FFA.
The award is open to all people,
both FFA and non-FFA, and is
sponsored by Merck AgVet Divi
sion. Applications are available
through the National FFA Organi
zation.