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Sauk Rapids Herald | Saturday, February 15, 2020
Finding passion in backyard business Mohs raises chickens for FFA project BY ANNA HINKEMEYER STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY ANNA HINKEMEYER
Leah Mohs holds a Rhode Island Red chicken in front of her coop Feb. 11 at her home in Rice. Mohs is raising 15 chickens and working at Mimbach Fleet Supply in Sauk Rapids as a part of her FFA supervised agricultural experience.
earn the coveted state degree as her supervised agricultural experience. Mohs started her chicken business with five Rhode Island Reds two years ago, within weeks of starting her job at Mimbach. She now has
Barred Plymouth Rocks and Golden Comets as well. “All are good layers and are hearty breeds, which is good for the hard winters,” Mohs said. “The first winter I had the Rhode Island Reds, they laid all winter.”
Requirements for the entrepreneurship and placement focus of a SAE include $2,000 in each profit and expenses. Expenses include building the coops, feed and travel. Profit comes from the eggs. She also has to
Mohs page 3C
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Rubes Sponsored by Fluegge’s Ag
RICE – Fifteen chickens in the backyard may seem as innocent as wanting a special pet or abundant access to fresh eggs, but for Sauk RapidsRice High School senior Leah Mohs, her chickens have created a thriving business. From a young age, Mohs has always enjoyed being around agriculture. She began by helping her mom’s family on its dairy farms and has always wanted her own dairy cow. “I knew a dairy cow was not feasible with my circumstances,” said Mohs who lives on a small property. “I figured I could talk my parents into chickens because they are easy to take care of. It was a way I could jump into agriculture.” Mohs is the Sauk RapidsRice FFA president and a Region IV FFA state officer. She has been involved in the FFA program since her freshman year. Mohs has earned her green and chapter degrees, and her flock of chickens, as well as two years of employment with Mimbach Fleet Supply in Sauk Rapids, are helping her
meet required hours, which were filled by agriculture classes at the high school. Experience within FFA and attending events is also required. Mohs said a lot of her knowledge of chickens and the agriculture industry has come through her work at Mimbach. She began as a cashier and would ask farmers questions about what and why they were purchasing certain items. Now, she serves as paint manager and feed manager in addition to helping out on the floor. “A lot of my chicken knowledge came from working with the feed more,” Mohs said. “I had to be ready for questions on different feed or breeds of chickens, but I ask a lot of questions too. I took a lot of what I learned from other people, brought it home and applied it to my own operation. It has made a huge difference.” Through FFA, Mohs said her passion for agriculture has grown and it has broadened her horizon to all of the possibilities. She plans to attend Ridgewater College in Willmar for a degree in agriculture business, but with a dairy management emphasis. As she talked with staff at the college, she gained a greater interest in dairy, specifically regarding artificial insemination and genetics. While her exact direction is still being decided, Mohs
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Page 2C | SATURDAY, FEB. 15, 2020 | SAUK RAPIDS HERALD
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fi o PHOTOS BY JENNIFER COYNE t Hanna and Adam Hebig talk about their plans for the day Feb. 3 at the couple’s 100m cow dairy near Little Falls. The Hebigs dairy farm with Adam’s uncle, Peter Fussy. c a H
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Hebigs build life as fourthgeneration dairy producers
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LITTLE FALLS – For Adam and Hanna Hebig, dairy farming has not only solidified their love for the industry and a familial career but also their affection for one another. “We’re together working on the farm all the time,” Hanna said. “And, I still get butterflies for him.” The young couple milks 100 cows with Adam’s uncle, Peter Fussy, at Fussy Family Farm near Little Falls. Adam and Hanna are the fourth generation on the farm, and they are raising the fifth generation – Adeline, 18 months, and Henry, 6 months. Days begin at 5 in the morning for the Hebigs. Within the hour,
c R v S t Hanna Hebig introduces a calf to her daughter, Adeline,b 18 months, at the family’s dairy near Little Falls. Hannaf and her husband, Adam, enjoy raising their two childreni on the farm.
the couple and their small children are at the dairy farm, and they prepare to milk the cows. “The kids are with us all the time,” Adam said. “As Hanna and I milk, most of the time Adeline likes to sit in the swing we have in the alleyway, and Henry sleeps.” After the Hebigs make their way through the barn, Hanna feeds calves while Adam
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s tends to other chores on the farm. They go their separate ways for a time – Adam continuing work on the dairy with his uncle and Hanna returning home with the children – before meeting again in the afternoon for chores and milking. “Some people really get annoyed working with their spouse, but I’m always thinking about what I can do, or what we can do, to be there for each other,” Adam said. Hanna agreed. “Farming together was always a fun idea, and then when I was pregnant we really wanted to be able to bring the kids with us to the farm,” she said. “With Adam as the fourth generation on the farm, it means a lot to him to raise his kids this way.” The Hebigs met a few years ago after both Hanna’s co-worker and friend encouraged her to meet Adam. At the time, Hanna was working at Rainbow Acres LLC and comanaging its calf facility. “My co-manager told me one day that her husband wanted me
Hebigs page 3C
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SAUK RAPIDS HERALD | SATURDAY, FEB. 15, 2020 | Page 7C
Schneider part of championship forage bowl team
UW-River h Falls tops r Kansas State n r University
I n BY EVAN MICHEALSON o STAFF WRITER What is more important than fresh water this winter? • Ritchie & Franklin waterers and parts • Ice-melt heaters and devices Come visit our booth #A701 at the
The 2020 American Forage and Grassland Council Forage Bowl champions – Kyle Hilger (front, from left), Leanna Schneider and coach Yoana Newman; (back, from left) Mark Kortbein and Anthony Neitzke – hold their plaque at the council’s annual conference Jan. 5-7 in Greenville, South Carolina. Schneider is a graduate of Foley High School.
team played the final against Kansas State University. In total, six schools participated in the competition, including Purdue University, Auburn University, University of Mount Olive and University of Kentucky. The UW-River Falls team is coached by Yoana Newman, associate professor of crop science
and Wisconsin Extension forage specialist. Newman has a United States Department of Agriculture National Institute on Food and Agriculture grant that helped support the team travel to the competition. The grant has also supported new equipment for the classroom and several undergraduate field research projects.
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RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The forage bowl team from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls took first place in the National Forage Bowl competition Jan. 5-7 at the Annual Conference of the American Forage and Grassland Council in Greenville, South Carolina. This is the second year in a row the team has earned the title. The competition is an undergraduate team event with a format similar to the game show Jeopardy. Categories cover all aspects of forage production and management. There is also a live forage plant identification contest as part of the competition. Two UW-River Falls teams participated in the competition. The winning team included Leanna Schneider, of Foley, along with Wisconsin natives Kyle Hilger, Anthony Neitzke and Mark Kortbein. The second team included Kolby Beehler, of Foley, and Kira Jacobson, of Cannon Falls, along with Wisconsin natives Molly McIlquham, Sara Behling and Sarah Anderson. The UW-River Falls
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Page 8C | SATURDAY, FEB. 15, 2020 | SAUK RAPIDS HERALD
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