Nebraska FFA Foundation: August 2021 Newsletter

TRUE BLUE

Leadership. Tradition. True Blue.

August 2021

NEBRASKA NEWS

FFA Jackets: Helping Individuals Prosper “This student has been a member for a couple of years now. She is extremely proud to be an FFA member and is very fond of animals. When I first met her, we had a conversation where she explained to me that FFA was one of the few places where she felt like she belonged. She comes from a tough family situation and has high financial need.

She’s also been struggling with health issues that don’t allow her to be as active with animals as she used to be. An FFA jacket would provide her with the connection to animals and a sense of belonging that she needs to prosper.”

“This student is extremely active in our school and I know he will be as an FFA member as well. His older siblings are involved in FFA and they all have to pay for almost everything out of their own pockets. This member comes from a single-parent household and does not qualify for free/reduced lunch because of child support. I believe this member will be a very valuable addition to our FFA chapter as time goes on because of his great qualities. He would benefit tremendously from receiving a jacket.”

These are excerpts from the 2020 Blue Jackets.

Bright Futures. program advisor statements. With new challenges and difficult times being presented this year, there are many students battling

financial stability, health issues and even homelessness. An FFA jacket has the power to fill many members with confidence, a sense of hope for their future and provide them with a physical piece of belonging to a community they love, FFA. Each year, thanks to donors like you, students know what it’s like to be welcomed into the FFA family.

Your gift of $100 gives one FFA member a lifetime of opportunities.

This school year, Nebraska will have a total of 202 FFA chapters, more chapters throughout the state than ever before! In 2020, nearly 800 FFA members applied for a jacket through the Blue Jackets. Bright Futures. program. With the continued growth of agricultural education and FFA programs in Nebraska combined with the increased costs to purchase an FFA jacket, we expect the need to continue to grow.

If you feel compelled to support this campaign and provide for our leaders of tomorrow, please fill out the enclosed envelope or go to neffafoundation.org to make you 2021 Blue Jackets.

Bright Futures. donation by September 1.

Go to neffafoundation.org/support_us or return the enclosed envelope with your donation by September 1.

NEBRASKA FFA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE So far this year, the Nebraska FFA members, advisors, and state officers have been in for quite a treat, and it’s only going to get sweeter! After a long year and a half, we are finally planning and executing in-person activities. From the moment our names were called at State Convention, the state officer team has experienced so much! I am incredibly honored to serve as the State President alongside six other incredible women.

We started our year with Basecamp, State Officer Development, and Facilitation Training. These were a mix of in-person and virtual experiences.

We learned how to fulfill our state officer roles and prepared for our first in-person conference with members- Chapter Officer Leadership Training 2021. This leadership training consisted of 12 single day sessions, each day with a new group of students. These 12 days were pure bliss for the members and team. We were so excited to be face-to-face, which gave us a taste of what’s in store for this year. After COLT, the team spent a week traveling through the state with the Nebraska FFA Foundation to visit our supporters.

We were able to visit around 24 different businesses and donors within a four day period. My team and I learned so much about Nebraska agriculture and different career paths that are offered through such a diverse field of work.

In terms of the future, things are only going to get more exciting! Emma Kuss, the state secretary, and I are headed to Washington D.C. for State Officer Summit while the rest of the team will receive a virtual experience here at home. Along with that, we will begin preparing for EDGE Conferences, chapter visits, an in-person national convention, and other events happening throughout our year of service.

As I mentioned, we are in for a sweet year! We are excited to be at an all-time high for membership and chapter numbers with over 10,000 members and 202 chapters! Each one of these members should be stoked for a full year of FFA competitions, activities, and conferences. My team and I can’t wait to continue this promising year. We are ready to take on challenges that arise and celebrate each moment with all of you!

Best Regards, Ellie Wanek Nebraska FFA State President

2

I BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE OF AG

Looking Back on I Believe in the Future of Ag Ten years ago the Nebraska FFA Foundation I Believe in the Future of Ag campaign began to serve as an outlet for local FFA chapters across the state to receive donations for innovative projects in their classrooms, leadership programming, community service projects and field trips to advance agriculture education in their schools.

I Believe in the Future of Ag started in the northeast part of the state with a couple of corporate partners that wanted a way to support local chapters in their territory and state programming. The program turned into so much more with the addition of an educational advertising campaign and statewide presence in fall of 2011.

The campaign has grown tremendously throughout the years. The first year of the program going statewide in 2011-12, nearly $57,400 was donated to local chapters with 68 chapters participating. These local chapter donations were received by chapters sending out letters with the I Believe donation cards, receiving donations online and other fundraising ways. By the 2015-16 year, the chapters received over $300,700 in local donations to their chapters with 74 chapters participating. Then in 2019-20 year, nearly $370,000 was donated to local chapters with 144 chapters participating in the campaign.

The 2021-22 I Believe in the Future of Ag campaign wouldn’t be possible without the following sponsors

committing $20,000 each: LivestockMarket.com, Aurora Cooperative, BigIron Auctions, Central Valley Ag, Producers Livestock and CoBank. Other sponsors, contributing $10,000 each, include Bayer CropScience, DEKALB, Country Partners Cooperative, CPI, Farm Credit Services of America, Farmers Cooperative, Frontier Cooperative, Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, Pinnacle Bank and Valley Irrigation.

These corporate partners provide support for an educational campaign for FFA and agricultural education in Nebraska and support fundraising efforts at the local level. “Local FFA chapters and agricultural education programs play an integral role in growing and developing future leaders in agriculture and in our communities. I see this campaign as a very important tool to help those chapters have the resources they need to grow leaders and build communities,” says Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director.

Donors to the I Believe in the Future of Ag campaign choose which chapter they support. One hundred percent of each local donation is sent back to the designated chapter at the end of the campaign and a portion of the $35,000 challenge matching pool will be distributed to participating chapters. To donate to a local FFA chapter, contact your local FFA advisor or go online to neffafoundation.org. The I Believe in the Future of Ag campaign ends February 28, 2022.

Nebraska FFA Foundation Premier Sponsors ($25,000 or more)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources & Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication

3

SCHOOL-BASED ENTERPRISE

River’s Edge Vinyl brings hands-on lesson to Ashland-Greenwood Students Jaiden Tweton said the things she’s learned the most have been how a business worked.

“It’s a lot of work behind the scenes and I’ve learned to work with different people with different ideas.”

Tweton, pictured third from left above, just graduated from Ashland-Greenwood High School. She was part of a group of five students that started River’s Edge Vinyl.

The five students started this school-based enterprise in 2020, as part of the Launch! program.

Their company makes car decals, ear tags, Christmas ornaments, stockings, T-shirts, personalized cups, and even earrings, which they sell at a local boutique. The business idea started in Fall of 2020. Tweton and her fellow students attended their first Launch! program in February 2020, where they learned an overview of starting a business and began to explore options for

the business. She said their first idea was a coffee cart, but when the covid-19 pandemic hit, they knew it wouldn’t work for them.

The students had to work with an outside lawyer and start up their own accounts at the bank to get the business running. She said each of them had their own roles in finances, marketing, production, etc, and had weekly meetings, but in the end they had to help each other out to make sure everything got done and everyone was held accountable.

As for what happens since Tweton and two others have graduated, she said students applied to be part of the school-based enterprise and a couple new students will step in to keep the business running within the school.

To learn more about River’s Edge Vinyl, you can visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/riversedgevinyl.

Nebraska FFA Foundation 6-Star Sponsors ($15,000 - $24,999)

4

2020 SAE GRANT RECIPIENT

Taylor Pursues Career as Horse Trainer and Farrier with Help of Local Grant

Hanna Taylor Tri County FFA Member Horse Farrier SAE

Hanna Taylor, from the Tri County FFA Chapter, received a Nebraska FFA Foundation grant in 2020 for her Equine Supervised Agriculture Experience.

Taylor, who recently graduated, is working full time for a cutting horse trainer. She is also continuing her Supervised Agriculture Experience as a horse farrier.

Taylor attended the Oklahoma Horseshoeing School for eight weeks during her 2019 summer break. She intended to simply bring these skills back for her own horses, but she became so passionate about it that she wanted it to become her future. Her dream is to have her own business and to be a reining horse trainer and horse farrier. Right now, her biggest challenge is being taken seriously as a female in a male-dominated industry.

The grant she received from the Nebraska FFA Foundation helped her purchase a portable propane forge, shoeing anvil and stand and a hoof jack stand to grow her horse farrier business. In the application, her advisor David Barnard says he is extremely impressed by how she has a step-by-step, realistic plan to be successful.

Nebraska FFA Foundation 5-Star Sponsors ($10,000 - $14,999) FVC

Frenchman Valley Coop fvcoop.com

Livestock

Marketing · Credit · Commodities MEMBER FDIC

5

Your Premier Service Provider

BLEZEK CHARITABLE FUND DONATION

The Dr. Allen G. Blezek and Kay L. Blezek Charitable Fund to Leave a Lasting Impact on Agriculture Education Dr. Allen Blezek, who was well-known by many in the agriculture education profession, entered into rest July 6, 2020. He and his wife Kay will continue to support Nebraska FFA members and their advisors with their generous contribution to the Nebraska FFA Foundation.

Blezek grew up on a family farm near Randolph, Iowa. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education from the University of Nebraska– Lincoln (UNL) and taught agriculture education in Iowa before returning to Nebraska to earn his Master’s degree from UNL. He was a UNL Professor and Department Head Emeritus for the UNL Department of Agricultural Leadership Education

and Communication. He was one of the founding members of the Nebraska FFA Foundation Board of Directors and served as president.

The Blezeks’ contribution to the Nebraska FFA Foundation will leave a lasting impact on agriculture education and FFA in Nebraska, as it supports growing leaders, building communities and creating career connections for over 10,000 FFA members and their advisors across the state.

If you want to learn more about supporting the Nebraska FFA Foundation with a planned gift, contact Stacey or Sarah.

SAVE THE DATE: Blue Jackets. Bright Futures. Donation Deadline | September 1 Nebraska FFA State Convention | April 6-8, 2022 | Lincoln, NE

John Deere Gator Available Online for Annual Auction The Nebraska FFA Foundation has a John Deere Gator going on auction online on BigIron.com. The auction will end September 15. Details on the gator can be found online at neffafoundation.org.

Nebraska FFA Foundation 4-Star Sponsors ($5,000 - $9,999) alliantgroup AKRS Equipment Nebraska Corn Board Ag Processing Inc. Agri-Services Agency LLC BASF

Chief Industries Extreme Ag, Inc. Heartland Builders Co Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC LandTrust Liberty Mutual Insurance

Midwest PMS/Biegert Feed Nationwide Insurance Performance Plus Liquids Reinke Manufacturing Company Tredz Central

6

Wholestone Farms Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program U.S. Army

WAYS TO DONATE

Gifting Ag Commodities Another Option for Donors There are more ways to support Nebraska FFA members than by getting out your checkbook. Nebraska farmers and ranchers have a unique opportunity to support through gifts of commodities such as corn or cattle instead of making a cash contribution.

When you’re ready to make your gift of grain or livestock, let the Nebraska FFA Foundation and your local grain elevator or sale barn know. Once the Nebraska FFA Foundation has sold the commodity, you will receive an acknowledgement of transfer.

For the producer, no taxable income is reported because the commodity is transferred to the Nebraska FFA Foundation and sold. You are still able to deduct the entire cost of production.

The Nebraska FFA Foundation encourages producers to talk to their financial advisor or tax professional to determine if this is a smart decision for them.

Chad and Leah Trausch farm near Hastings and chose to make a gift through grain each year. Chad says, “FFA is a very good organization for youth in our state and for our schools.

It’s a good way to have youth involved and know where their food comes from – it’s not off the shelf.” Chad and Leah have four children, two of which are currently involved in the Adams Central FFA Chapter. When asked about gifting grain, he said “It’s easy.

The account is already set up, so it’s easy to just give both to the local FFA chapter and Nebraska FFA Foundation.

And there’s the added benefit of not paying the income tax on it.”

Growing Leaders. Building Communities. Creating Career Connections.

You can support the Nebraska FFA Foundation invest in agricultural education and FFA for over 10,000 FFA members and their advisors by growing leaders, building communities and creating career connections.

•

General Fund - Supports local FFA chapters, agriculture classrooms and Supervised Agricultural Experiences through the Nebraska FFA Foundation Grant Program like Hanna Taylor’s SAE grant.

•

I Believe in the Future of Ag - Designate your support to a local FFA chapter for their own programs.

•

Blue Jackets. Bright Futures. - Donate $100 to help Nebraska FFA members prosper by providing a jacket.

It’s easy! Go to neffafoundation.org/support_us or return the enclosed envelope with your gift to donate today.

7

PO Box 94942 Lincoln, NE 68509-4942

WHAT YOU’LL FIND INSIDE 3

4-5

7

Looking back on I Believe in the Future of Ag

School-Based Enterprise and SAE Grant Recipient

Gifting Ag Commodities Another Option for Donors

Website: neffafoundation.org | Phone Number: 402-472-5224 | Address: PO Box 94942 Lincoln, NE 68509