Megan Sellner – 6th grade is the Sleepy Eye School Patroller of the Month for November.
Mary Hoffmann, Sleepy Eye Ag. Teacher, was recognized for her service as the Region III Vice President at the National Ag. Teacher Conference.
Mary Hoffmann, Sleepy Eye Ag. Teacher, attended the National Association Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Virtual Convention November 30 – December 4, 2020. This professional development conference was attended by Agricultural Instructors from across the nation. Hoffmann was able to attend the National Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Virtual Conference as well.
Hoffmann has served as the Region III NAAE Vice President for the past three years. As part of the virtual convention, Hoffmann attended board meetings, conducted the Public Policy committee meeting, and presided over the Region III meeting. Hoffmann also attended many professional development workshops and assisted with awards presentations for the general sessions.
At the conference, Hoffmann was recognized for her service to NAAE and to the position of Region III Vice President. For this position on the NAAE Board, Hoffmann represented all of the Region III Ag. Teachers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska. She was also the board consultant for the Public Policy Committee, ran the Region III Conference meetings, and attended NAAE Board meetings and functions. There are six regions in the NAAE, each being made of up states grouped by geographic area.
“It was an honor to be chosen to lead and represent Region III Ag Teachers in the NAAE Organization. This organization is essential to Ag. Teachers and I truly appreciated my three years of service as Vice President.”
“It was an excellent opportunity to attend the first ever Virtual NAAE Convention and learn from others in the same profession. It’s great to expand my network of Ag. connections and resources to teachers across the nation.” Hoffmann says.
By Katelyn Capacia, FFA Reporter
The Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter held its annual Crops Show/Greenhand Night Program virtually on Tuesday, November 17th. It was a chance for us to highlight the fall events, the greenhands, and announce the winners of the 2020 FFA Crops Show.
100 FFA members exhibited a total of 430 samples of corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, and miscellaneous crops at the 2020 Sleepy Eye FFA Crop Show. This included 37 JH members exhibiting 111 samples and 63 HS members with 319 samples.
The purpose of the crop show is to exhibit a sample of a crop that will be judged on appearance: uniform color and size as well as having no defects or unwanted debris. Making a crop sample for the show involves a lot of patience and attention to detail. The longer amount of time you spend preparing a crop sample, the more success you will have in the end. After the crop show, the crops are stored until the county and state fairs the following summer.
The 2020 FFA Crop Show was a huge success, and would not have been possible without the involvement of the community! Thank you to everyone who contributed including donating crops and judging the crops.
The Jr. High 2020 champions for each of the crop divisions included the following:
Soybeans Champion: Damazion Porter
Wheat Champion: Nora Coulson
Oats Champion: Caleb Suess
The Sr. High 2020 champions for each of the crops divisions included the following:
Soybeans Champion: Abigail Hornsby
Wheat Champion: Corey Freestone
Oats Champion: Morgan Hoffmann
Combined 7th – 12th Grade Champions:
Miscellaneous Champion: Adam Johnson
Ear Corn Champion: Jacob Schultz
Shelled Corn Champion: Jacob Schultz
TOP TEN OVERALL JR. HIGH EXHIBITORS:
Jr. High Crop Show Champion – Jasmine Petermann
Reserve Champion for Jr. High – Samantha Price
3rd Place – Damazian Porter
4th Place – Caleb Suess
5th Place – Carter Lazatin
6th Place – Bryson Dolly
7th Place – Destiney Dittbenner
8th Place – Ari Krizmarzick
9th Place – Taylor Berkner
10th Place – Jacob Mellen
TOP TEN OVERALL SR. HIGH EXHIBITORS:
Sr. High Crops Champion – Jacob Schultz
Reserve Champion for Sr. High – Adam Johnson
3rd Place – Morgan Hoffmann
4th Place – Isaac Lendt
5th Place – Jon Petermann
6th Place – Abigail Hornsby
7th Place – Carmen Lendt
8th Place – Riana Hernandez
9th Place – Carter Swensted
10th Place – Corey Freestone
Congratulations to all 100 FFA Crop Show exhibitors and good luck at the County and State Fairs!
Caption 1: Jacob
Jacob Schultz, 11th Grader at Sleepy Eye Public, is the 2020 High School FFA Crop Show Champion.
Caption 2: Adam
Adam Johnson, 10th Grader at Sleepy Eye Public, is the High School FFA Crop Show Reserve Champion.
Caption 3: Jasmine
Jasmine Petermann, 7th Grader at St. Mary’s, is the 2020 Jr. High FFA Crop Show Champion.
Caption 4: Sam
Samantha Price, 7th Grader at Sleepy Eye Public, is the Jr. High FFA Crop Show Reserve Champion.
The Sleepy Eye FFA Poultry Team wins the Region VI Virtual Contest. Pictured l to r – Adam Johnson, Isaac Lendt, Winsten Nienhaus, Anna Rossbach, and Noah Rossbach.
The Sleepy Eye FFA Milk Quality Team wins the Region VI Virtual Contest. Pictured l to r – Katelyn Capacia, Trey Heiderscheidt, Jorden Niebuhr, Victoria Poplow.
On November 18-19, the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter competed in the Poultry and Milk Quality Career Development Events or CDE’s. A CDE is an opportunity for students to learn about a certain aspect of agriculture and compete in competitions to demonstrate their knowledge.
The Sleepy Eye Poultry CDE Team placed 1st in the contest. Participants included: Adam Johnson (1st place individual), Isaac Lendt (2nd place individual), Winsten Nienhaus (4th place individual), Anna Rossbach (6th place individual), and Noah Rossbach.
The Poultry CDE involves judging chicken and turkey carcasses, eggs, processed poultry, chicken parts identification, and taking a poultry knowledge test.
The Sleepy Eye Milk Quality CDE Team also earned 1st place in the Region VI Contest. The team included: Katelyn Capacia (1st place individual), Trey Heiderscheidt (3rd place individual), Victoria Poplow (6th place individual), and Jorden Niebuhr (8th place individual).
In the Milk Quality competition, members score defects in milk, identify percentages of milk fat in dairy and non-dairy products, identify cheeses and their characteristics, rate CMT tests, take a knowledge test on milk marketing and production, and do a problem solving activity.
The Soils CDE Team also competed in a Region VI Contest in November. The team placed 4th. Team members included: Maddi Helget (7th place individual), Caden Evers, and Caleb Suess.
In the Soils Contest, members judge different soil profiles, and identify soil characteristics, including texture, depths, and erosion potential.
Good luck to all of the teams as they all qualified for State Competition in April.
By: Carmen Lendt, FFA Reporter
Member of the Month
Anna Rossbach is a 9th grader at Sleepy Eye Public Schools. It is her second year in FFA, and she wanted to be in FFA because she wanted to explore the world of agriculture. Anna is involved in the Poultry CDE Team. She really likes the hands on competition and learning about something new. Her favorite FFA activity is the Drive-in Movie night! Anna is looking forward to poultry contests this year. She has learned about different food productions and the history of agriculture by being in Ag Class. The award she is most proud of is 2019 1st Place Region VI Poultry Team.
Member of the Month
Brooke Arneson is a 10th grader grader at Sleepy Eye Public Schools. It is her 2nd year in FFA. She joined because she wanted to acquire new agricultural knowledge as well as to improve life long skills such as leadership and wanted to meet more friends. Brooke likes being on the Floriculture CDE Team because she likes to learn and identify the names of plants and flowers and she knows she will be able to use the knowledge and apply it to her daily life. Her favorite FFA activity is writing letters to her third grade pen pal. This year Brooke is looking forward to competing on the floriculture team and hopefully advancing to state. By being an Ag. class and FFA, she has learned the basics of plants and flowers and how to identify them. She has also learned how to use food grown or produced in recipes. Brooke has earned two FFA awards, the Freshman Top Scholar Award and the FFA Greenhand Degree.
Member of the Month
Noah Rossbach is a 7th grader at Sleepy Eye Public. It is his 1st year in FFA. Noah joined FFA because his siblings were in it and they had fun. He just joined the Poultry CDE Team. He likes grading eggs in the poultry contest. He doesn’t have an SAE yet. His favorite FFA activity is the Poultry Team. He is most looking forward to the lock-in this year. Through FFA, he has learned how to grade eggs, identify chicken parts, and a lot about the poultry industry. He has learned how plants grow through Ag. Class. Noah is most proud of this Member of the Month Award.
Officer of the Month
McKenna Dockter is a 12th grader at Sleepy Eye Public, and it is her sixth year in FFA. She decided to join because she wanted to become more outgoing and find good leadership opportunities for the future. She is the 1st Vice President on the officer team. She likes being Vice President because she has many responsibilities and it helps her with her time management. She is on the Floriculture CDE team because she loves to work with flowers and also enjoys the members of the team. Her SAE project is usually working at the Railway Bar and Grill, but is currently not working due to COVID. Her favorite FFA activity is fruit sales. She would like to try the crop show this year. McKenna has learned a lot about cars through her class in auto maintenance. Some awards she has earned are Blue and Gold Award, Sophomore Achievement Award, Star Greenhand Award, and Top 5 for BIG Team.
By Working with Farmers, Bayer Fund Invests in Children by Strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education in Rural Schools
Bayer Fund’s $15,000 America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grant will help Sleepy Eye Public School to purchase new equipment for the Ag. Shops.
- School districts from across the country were nominated and selected by a panel of teachers and farmers to receive STEM grants through Grow Rural Education.
- Since 2010, Bayer Fund’s America’s Farmers programs have awarded more than $57 million to thousands of nonprofits, schools and ag students across rural America.
- LOUIS, Mo. (August 2020) – In early 2020, Bayer Fund’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education partnered with local farmers to nominate rural public school districts and award grants to enhance their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum. Because area farmers answered the call, through Grow Rural Education, Bayer Fund awarded a $15,000 grant to Sleepy Eye Public School located in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.
A brighter tomorrow for farming communities starts with a commitment from Bayer Fund today, which is why the America’s Farmers programs have awarded more than $57 million to rural America since 2010. Sleepy Eye Public School is one of the many schools across the country that has benefited from Bayer Fund’s Grow Rural Education program.
Grow Rural Education grants have helped schools purchase an array of STEM-related materials, such as augmented-reality sandboxes, weather-forecasting and robotics equipment. Sleepy Eye Public will use the Grow Rural Education funds to purchase welders, saws, a planer, new welding tables, station dividers, and a central gas line as well as some equipment for teaching animal science.
“As educators, we are constantly thinking of new ways to engage our students, help them realize the importance of trade skills now and in the future, and ways to find grant funding for new equipement,” said Ag. teacher Mary Hoffmann. “We would like to thank the local farmers who nominated our district to apply for the Grow Rural Education Grant, as well as Bayer Fund’s Farmer Advisory Council who believed we could make a difference with the funds.”
To qualify for a Grow Rural Education grant, farmers nominate a public school district to compete for a merit-based $15,000 grant. School districts that are nominated, then submit a grant application describing their STEM-focused project. Grow Rural Education’s Farmer Advisory Council, consisting of a panel of math and science teachers and approximately 30 farmer leaders from across the country, review the finalist applications and select the winning school districts, including Sleepy Eye Public School.
“Bayer Fund and the farmers we partner with feel incredibly passionate about Grow Rural Education because we’re investing in our children – who are our future – by enhancing STEM learning in rural public school districts,” said Al Mitchell, President, Bayer Fund. “We are always amazed by the incredible support of local farmers, as well as the countless ways Grow Rural Education brings teachers, students and people in the community together to set children up for success.”
To view a complete list of winners or to learn more about the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program, visit AmericasFarmers.com or follow along on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericasFarmers. Farmers are also encouraged to participate in Bayer Fund’s America’s Farmers Grow Communities program, which is accepting farmer enrollments through November 1, 2020. Grow Communities protects the programs and institutions that keep farmers and their communities thriving by allowing farmers to enroll for a chance to direct a $2,500 donation to their favorite local eligible nonprofit organization.
About America’s Farmers
America’s Farmers, sponsored by Bayer Fund, is focused on strengthening rural America through three community outreach programs that partner with farmers to make an impact in communities where farmers live and work. The programs have given more than $57 million to rural America since 2010 and include:
- America’s Farmers Grow Communities supports rural communities by allowing farmers the opportunity to direct a $2,500 donation to their favorite local nonprofit organization.
- America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education supports rural education by providing $15,000 merit-based grants to enhance STEM education.
- America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders supports students pursuing ag-related studies by offering $1,500 scholarships towards higher education.
To learn more, visit America’s Farmers at www.americasfarmers.com.
About Bayer Fund
Bayer Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education and community development projects.
The Sleepy Eye Schools Patroller of the Month for October is 5th grader Camryn Maher.
This group of FFA Officers were interviewed by KNUJ during the Virtual National FFA Convention. L to R – Miah Brown, Presley Bauer, Brennen Meyer, Carmen Lendt, Leisha Martinez, Katelyn Capacia, Morgan Hoffmann, Maddi Helget, and Adam Johnson.
Nick Ludewig and Courtney Sellner received their American FFA Degrees during the 93rd National FFA Virtual Convention.
The 93rd National FFA Convention was celebrated October 27 – 29 on a virtual platform. We definitely missed our opportunity to flood the streets of Indianapolis with our blue jackets!
The convention did highlight award winners, American FFA Degree recipients, and service efforts throughout the country.
During Convention, the Sleepy Eye FFA was named a THREE Star National Chapter for growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture activities that the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter highlighted in their National Chapter Award application. Three stars is the highest ranking out of 1, 2, or 3 stars being awarded by National FFA.
The Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter had two American FFA Degree Recipients including: Nick Ludewig and Courtney Sellner.
During the National FFA Convention, several of the Sleepy Eye FFA officers took time to be interviewed by KNUJ Radio about their own experiences and activities they are participating in for FFA.
The National Days of Service this year were held around the country, with chapters logging their service projects and hours. Our Sleepy Eye Chapter logged 232 service hours with 6 different service projects: painting pumpkins for the nursing home residents; painting windows at Countryside and the Care Center; helping put up lights for the Holiday Lights in Motion; making cards for all residents at Countryside, the Care Center, and Divine; making posters for the FFA sign on 14; and making cards for the 3rd grade buddies.
“I am very proud of the accomplishments of the chapter and our two American FFA Degree Recipients. I also love that our students are finding so many ways to serve the community this year!” says advisor Mary Hoffmann.
Mrs. Mathiowetz’s third graders at St. Mary’s Catholic School who won the Accelerated Reader Football Challenge. Their class earned the highest percentage of AR points during the month of September.
