ND FFA Foundation Spring 2018 Newsletter by ND FFA

NORTH DAKOTA

FFA FOUNDATION

2018 Winter CDE High Individuals. See page 6 for full results. SPRING 2018 VOLUME 17, ISSUE 1

ND FFA FOUNDATION BOARD AND STAFF FOUNDATION BOARD Michael Axt, President Jeff Hagel, Vice-President Preston Gilderhus, Secretary Aaron Anderson, Treasurer JoDee Free Adam Marx Brian Vculek Alan Huettl Christina Dockter Misty Steeke Pam Tonnessen Kristi Tonnessen Madison Bodine Alfred Schwalbe Cole Ketterling Marissa Tuhy

STAFF TAM MADDOCK Executive Director ANDREW YOUNG Assistant Director BETH ALLEN Fiscal Manager

MEET OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBERS Kristi Tonnessen, Wishek Ag. Ed. Instructor

Pam Tonnessen, Alumni Representative

IN THIS ISSUE DONATE AN ITEM TO THE STATE FAIR AUCTION • PAGE 5 WINTER CAREER DEVELOPMENT EVENT RESULTS • PAGE 6 WINTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AND BLUE JACKETS BRIGHT FUTURES RECAP • PAGE 8 NDSU’S DR. ADAM MARX’S AG. ED UPDATE • PAGE 9 THE ND FFA FOUNDATION RECEIVES ITS FIRST ‘GIFT OF GRAIN’ • 10

WORDS FROM FOUNDATION PRESIDENT, MIKE AXT As President of the North Dakota FFA Foundation I would first like to compliment all the CDE teams who participated in events this past winter. I would like to congratulate those teams who won state contests at Minot and will represent North Dakota FFA at Indianapolis this fall during National FFA Convention. Recently I’ve been reading, and using as a reference in school, a book authored by Jim Collins titled “Good to Great”. This book addresses “good” as the enemy of “greatness”, and how we, as Americans have a lot of good schools, good towns, good hospitals and even good government, but, we have few great schools, great towns, great hospitals or great governments because we have become satisfied with just being good. I tell my Ag Mech students that the difference between a good welder and a great welder is only about two miles of bead. In order to become great at something we have to work hard at achieving it, great achievements do not come without hard work and dedication. I am positive the teams that received gold awards at our state CDE’s can testify to this. More on this later. As I read the history of Fridtjov “Fred” Bakk (his donation of land helped establish the ND FFA Foundation in 1980) I couldn’t help but be amazed at the vision and goals he set out to achieve. Fred came from Norway as a young man and arrived in New York harbor in 1929 the day the stock market crashed, many of those who arrived were sent back if they didn’t have a place to go. Fortunately, Fred knew some people from Norway living near Cogswell, North Dakota and had enough money to get there. Fred was a pioneer in production agriculture, one of the first in the area to try new methods of farming to increase both crop and livestock production. His vision was not selfish, but it was his desire that the fruits of his labor would be passed on to others so that their dreams of agricultural production might become a reality just as his dreams did. There’s a lot more to the “Bakk Farm” story and just as his good fortune on that dark day in the history of the United States led him to North Dakota, it was the good fortune of the North Dakota FFA Foundation to receive his farmland as an endowment to be managed in a way to enhance the interest of young students interested in agriculture. I challenge all of the FFA members who have received funds in the form of SAE grants, Washington Leadership Conference and college scholarships, travel stipends, etc., always remember to send a thank you card to express your gratitude to our sponsors. A personal thank you to all of our award sponsors, Star Partners, and anyone who has given to help with all the award programs sponsored through the ND FFA Foundation. I would also invite anyone else who may be thinking of becoming a Star Partner or would like to provide some type of endowment funds for the purpose of providing opportunities for our FFA Members, to contact the Foundation today.

$30,000

2018

RESULTS AND RECAP $20,000

TOTAL RAISED

$30,000

INDIVIDUAL DONORS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 230 online donors

$10,000

14 DONORS GAVE $500+ GIFTS 81,325 PEOPLE ENGAGED ON FACEBOOK $500 AWARDED TO KINDRED FOR BEST GHD CAMPAIGN

$1 2018

$13,122,480 raised for all charities taking part in Giving Hearts Day by over 28,000 donors

WELCOME TO THE

PROGRAM

ND C e North Dakota Ethanol Council

Star Partnerships start at $3,000. To join as a partner, contact Tam: tmaddock@ndffa

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT,

HERE’S THE RUNDOWN:

The State Officers have been busy traveling the state visiting our great friends and sponsors of the ND FFA.

CALLEN MITCHELL BECKER

Born to Mitchell (Kindred FFA Advisor) and Jessie Becker. Callen was 5 lbs, 13 oz and 19.25 inches.

FFA “SPEAKS UP TO END CHILD ABUSE”

#3 #5 44

ND FFA members who attended the 101 Conference in January created gift bags that were donated to the Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Dakota. With three locations around the state in Fargo, Bismarck, and Minot, these centers make it a priority to “Speak up to End Child Abuse”. Gift bags created are offered to children coming from abusive situations.

DONALD BAHL’S JACKET STILL FITS!

Donald sent this picture taken in January of this year. The jacket he is wearing was first worn at the National FFA Convention in Kansas City in 1940. Bahl is 96 years old. If your jacket “still fits,” show us by emailing tmaddock@ndffa.org.

WE SPENT TIME WITH NATIONAL OFFICER ERIKA BAIER

National FFA Officer Erika Baier spent time traveling around North Dakota visiting various FFA chapters this past March. Some of the chapters Erika visited include New Salem, Belfield, Killdeer, Velva, Turtle Lake, Granville and more.

CAN YOU HELP? 2018 ND FFA FOUNDATION & ALUMNI AUCTION

The 18th Annual ND FFA Foundation and Alumni Auction is to set to be held on July 21st at the North Dakota State Fair. We invite you to join us, and if you have an item or service you are interested in donating, please fill out the form below and send to Tam Maddock at tmaddock@ndffa.org, or text a photo of this completed form to Tam at 701.212.5235. You can also reach the Foundation office at 701.224.8390. All proceeds from the auction go to the ND FFA Foundation & ND FFA Alumni. ND FFA Foundation & Alumni Auction Donation Form 2018 ND State Fair • July 21st • Minot, ND 11:00 a.m. Silent Auction • 2:00 p.m. Live Auction - ND State Fair Center (upper level) Item Description: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Estimated Retail Value: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Please select one:

We will ship item to ND FFA Foundation by July 5. We will bring item to auction site by 11:00 a.m., July 21. We will have item available for pickup.

Donor/Organization: ________________________________________________________________________________________ (This is needed for sale bill listings, thank-you notes and questions)

Contact Person: ________________________________________________ Email:_______________________________________ Phone:_________________________________________ Auction Donations and this Form can be sent to: ND FFA Foundation, Attn: Tam Maddock 16180 48 St SE, Davenport, ND 58021 or emailed to tmaddock@ndffa.org or simply take a photo of your completed form and text to 701.212.5235

NEEDED:

The ND FFA is looking for a donation of 100-1000 pens and mechanical pencils for our students and volunteer judges to use at our career development events. This donation is great free advertising! If you can help, call the Foundation at 701.224.8390 or email Tam at tmaddock@ndffa.org.

2018 WINTER CAREER DEVELOPMENT

EVENT CHAMPIONS March 19 the ND State Fair Center was filled with more than 600 ND FFA members competing for the state titles in the Agronomy, Livestock Evaluation, and Agricultural Sales Career Development Events. More than 100 volunteers, representing numerous industries made this event possible serving as judges for the day’s events. Congratulations to all those who competed! The state title in the Agricultural Sales Career Development Event was earned by members of the Wishek FFA Chapter. Bringing home top honors the in the Livestock Evaluation CDE was the New Salem team and the championship Agronomy CDE team was from the Harvey FFA Chapter.

AG SALES High Individual – Veronica Schwartzenberger – Napoleon Team – Wishek – Left to right: Abigail Deile, Cassidy Walth, Alex Ruff, Alexa Ketterling, Jake Herr Ag Sales CDE sponsored by RDO Equipment and IRONCLAD Marketing

LIVESTOCK High Individual – Shaye Koester, Kidder County Team – New Salem – Left to right: Brooke Kunz, Conner Kaelberer, Jolie Sanders, Jess Sanders, Jake Sanders Livestock CDE sponsored by North Dakota Rural Rehabilitation Corporation

AGRONOMY High Individual – Matthew Voeller, Harvey Team – Harvey – Left to right: Makenna Vollmer, Matthew Voeller, Brian Friedt, Axel McKinven, Ethan Arnold Agronomy CDE sponsored by DuPont Pioneer 2nd-5th place plaques in all events were sponsored by District 6 FFA. The Crops Show was sponsored by ND Winter Show.

SAE GRANT

RECIPIENTS SAE GRANT RECIPIENTS: $1,000 BEGINNING GRANTS

$1,000 EXPANSION GRANTS

Kelly Zimmerman, Napoleon

Sydney Horner, Napoleon

Christina Bingham, Max

Kourtney Bitz, Napoleon

Kaden Schauer, Hettinger

Jayce Rivinius, Gackle/Streeter

Emma Mahle, Rugby

Kyle Leapaldt, Carrington

Jake Doll, Finley/Sharon

Lillian Steeke, Scranton

Alexa Young, Napoleon

Caleb Hauck, Oakes/SC

Averty Roth, Grant County

Aidan McMahon, Granville

Rebecca Schmidt, Center

Jacob Strobel, McClusky

Ben Scheresky, Max

Logan Lapica, Stanley

Madeliene Nichols, Carrington

Marissa Jensen, Kenmare

Caleb Woodrow, Munich

Brandon Rasmussen, Bowman County

Alexis Vandeberghe, Medina

Bailey Schock, Mandan

Colt Kersten, Max

Grace Schmitt, Towner

Shelby Meckle, Center

Mitch Stuber, Bowman County

Kia Ward, Dickinson

Garrett Jangula, Napoleon

*Garrett’s SAE Grant was sponsored by:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. BAKK

This past January, the ND FFA celebrated what would have been the 116th birthday of Fridtjov “Fred” Bakk: The man who generously gifted land in Sargent and Richland Counties that led to the inception of the North Dakota FFA Foundation. Today, that same land is used to generate around $100,000 of annual income that is used to fund ND FFA member programs. “Mr. Bakk’s generous gift has benefited thousands of North Dakota FFA members throughout the years by allowing the Foundation to offer college scholarships, SAE grants, Farm Business Management tuition grants and so much more,” says Tam Maddock, Executive Director of the ND FFA Foundation. Mr. Bakk’s donation of land is a gift we will always be grateful for as it allows us to provide opportunities to our members, what otherwise, would not be possible. One of the clearest ways to see the lasting impact this gift of land provides is the $30,000 in grant money provided annually to members to help establish or expand their Supervised Agricultural Experiences. Bakk would have turned 116 years old on January 30th.

2018 WINTER LEADERSHIP

CONFERENCES This past January, students from FFA chapters across North Dakota attended the 212° and 360° Leadership Conferences in Bismarck, ND. These conferences are an activity of the National FFA Organization made possible by title sponsor Syngenta and focus on multiple areas of leadership. 212° - the temperature at which water boils – focuses on taking students to the boiling point of leadership. At 211° water is extremely hot, but just one more degree gets us to the next level. The two-day 212° Leadership Conference is focused on student development and helps FFA members become aware of personal growth. FFA members attended sessions on making positive decisions, setting SMART goals and taking steps towards self-improvement. The 360° Conference takes students full circle in terms of chapter leadership. The two-day conference is focused on the importance of influence and how to become an influential leader. Students spent their time in sessions understanding influence, conducting a chapter needs assessment, crafting an influence plan for their local FFA chapter and developing a strategy to make an influence.

BLUE JACKETS

BRIGHTfutures

324 North Dakota FFA members applied for a blue FFA jacket through the North Dakota FFA Foundation’s program Blue Jackets, Bright Futures. The program provides a corduroy jacket to members who may not have the financial resources, as well as to those who have displayed the qualities and values of the FFA including leadership and personal growth. Each jacket given through this program is sponsored by a donor. Any individual can become a jacket sponsor with a contribution of $74. The ND FFA Foundation was able to provide 260 blue jackets. The iconic corduroy jackets were given in January at the ND FFA Winter Leadership Conferences in Bismarck, ND.

(Pictured on right) Timothy Johnson, Logan Becker, and Travis Kunkel pose with their jackets received from the Blue Jackets, Bright Futures program. 8

A GROWING CROP OF FUTURE HIGH SCHOOL

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATORS AT NDSU By Adam A. Marx, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Agricultural Education

If you live in rural North Dakota or western Minnesota it is likely your community has recently struggled to fill a teacher opening, particularly in Agricultural Education. The reason this is a likelihood is because this scenario, rural or urban, is commonplace across the country during the past five to eight years. Similar to most content areas in education, Agricultural Education is dealing with an ongoing nationwide teacher shortage. However, the tide is beginning to turn. Many factors contribute to this particular stretch of our teacher shortage. Regionally we see three major contributing factors including; retirements, program growth, and early career attrition. A small proportion of teachers decide each year to take their careers a different direction from teaching. Retirements and program growth have given the most volume to the position openings. Men and women in the late baby boomer generation made up a considerable proportion of the agricultural educator population until recently. Their deserving and hard-earned retirement decisions created a gaping hole in total need for teachers in Agricultural Education. Additionally, as communities and school systems recognize the value of Agricultural Education programs to their students, schools have added completely new programs and positions to existing programs. From 2008 to 2018, we experienced growth of 16 new teaching positions in North Dakota. Today, Agricultural Education stands with nearly 100 teachers in school programs across the state. In North Dakota, solutions to the teacher shortage crisis were being refined about the time people involved in North Dakotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Team Ag Ed began a more concerted effort to recruit and encourage young people into the field of education. Team Ag Ed consists of stakeholders including teachers, administrators, industry representatives, and university faculty. The fruits of these labors have produced nothing but positive results in recent years. Since the fall of 2014, students pursuing Agricultural Education at North Dakota State University (NDSU) has increased 100%. Presently at NDSU, 65 undergraduates from six states are seeking teacher licensure in Agricultural Education. Twenty of 23 graduates from Agricultural Education since the spring of 2015 have ultimately chosen to teach in the public schools. This academic year, eight students will complete degree requirements followed by an anticipated 16 students for the 2018-2019 academic year. Preliminarily, 20 high school seniors are accepted for fall 2018 seeking Agricultural Education at NDSU. The future for Agricultural Education at NDSU and in the region is extremely bright, due in large part to the efforts of Team Ag Ed in North Dakota and nationwide efforts by the Teach Ag campaign Since the fall of 2014, students supported by the National Association of Agricultural pursuing Agricultural Education Educators (NAAE). For more information on Agricultural at North Dakota State University Education and the diverse career outcomes for degree (NDSU) has increased 100% holders, contact Dr. Adam Marx at adam.marx@ndsu.edu or 701.231.7439.

GIFT of GIVES NEW MEANING TO GRAIN HARVEST TIME.

The ND FFA Foundation was recently given a unique gift – the gift of grain. This winter, the Zacharias family from Kathryn, ND made an unusual gift to the ND FFA Foundation, or at least the type of currency this gift originated as was unusual. Long-time supporters of the Foundation, parents Vaughn and Dorinda, have watched their three sons Vance, Verlin, and Donovan benefit from the curriculum agricultural education has offered and the personal growth and leadership skills provided by the FFA. Vance served as a state FFA officer in 2010-11 and would later represent ND as a finalist for the National Star Farmer. Twin brothers, Verlin and Donovan, also excelled in the FFA with strong supervised agricultural experiences and achievement in several proficiency award areas, including achieving recognition as the State Star Farmer and State Star in Placement award winners, respectively. Vaughn was a member of the FFA in high school, but Dorinda says regretfully, “I never had the opportunity to be in the FFA.” This mother of three and farm business manager proves that some of FFA’s strongest supporters never wore the blue corduroy. Dorinda would later serve six years as the ND FFA Foundation Board President. Because of the Zacharias family’s strong ties to FFA and years of dedicated support, the call to give more did not surprise Director, Tamra Maddock. Tamra recalls, “The Zacharias’ have always been generous with giving their time and resources for the support of our members. From volunteering at competitions to serving on the board and sponsoring events, I wasn’t surprised by their continued generosity, just by the delivery system.” In lieu of their normal cash donation, the Zacharias Family donated grain through their local elevator to the ND FFA Foundation. The process is simple. The producer can deliver a load of grain to the local elevator and instruct the manager to put the ticket in the name of the ND FFA Foundation. The producer will keep a copy of this ticket as evidence of production. Upon doing so, the elevator manager or producer contacts the Foundation. The Foundation then instructs the manager when to sell the gifted grain and payment is made directly from the elevator to the Foundation. Federal tax laws allow farmers to gift production to non-profit organizations, which allows the organization to benefit from the sale of the grain and the producer to benefit from less taxable income thereby avoiding self-employment tax and limitations by itemized deduction phase-out. When asked how the family became aware of this option for philanthropic giving they credited their accountant for the suggestion. “It’s a win-win for both our family and the charities and organizations we support,” says Vaughn. For more information about this unique way to help the ND FFA, please contact Tam at 701.224.8390 or ndffafoundation@ndffa.org or consult your accountant or tax-preparer.

10 & 20-YEAR