Daughters’ achievements highlight of Lindgren’s FFA career

Staples-Motley FFA members and their parents attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Pictured are Molly Lindgren, American FFA Degree recipient (from left); Jennifer Strickland; Staples-Motley FFA Advisor Kerry Lindgren; Katie Benson, Minnesota State FFA President, Minnesota’s National Offi cer Candidate and American FFA Degree recipient; Dominic Nistler, American FFA Degree recipient; Steve Benson; Mikayla Sauber, American FFA Degree recipient; Scout Strickland, Staples-Motley FFA President; and Julie Benson.

BY SARAH COLBURN | STAFF WRITER

PHOTOS SUBMITTED Molly Lindgren and her father, Kerry Lindgren, attended the National FFA Convention where Molly received the American FFA Degree and Kerry received the Honorary American FFA Degree.

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Town: Sauk Rapids-Rice High School Grade: 11 Parents: Jerry and Christine Brenny Sauk Rapids-Rice High School FFA

Tell us about your FFA program and your involvement in it: I’m the president so I run the meetings. As a chapter we do Career Development Events and go to the elementary school and read to the kindergarten students and do an activity with them. We have meetings once a month and do diff erent fundraisers like the corn drive to raise money for Camp Courage.

What new skills have you learned in the last year in FFA? Leadership and communication skills, just getting out of my bubble more. It defi nitely helped to become president; once I became president, I was forced to do it.

Overall, what is the greatest benefi t you have received from being involved in FFA? Leadership skills and meeting new people. We go to diff erent things and the CDEs and meet people there from across the region. Each CDE has eight to 10 schools participating so we get to talk to people and meet people from other schools.

STAPLES – For decades, Kerry Lindgren has been shaping the minds of young FFA students coming through the Staples Motley program. His work has earned him a spot in the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame for 2022.

He joins more than 220 members who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame during the past 17 years.

The accolade is awarded by the Minnesota FFA Association, Alumni and Foundation.

“Sometimes you wonder if the things you did and the hard work you put in is recognized,” Lindgren said.

Lindgren retired after 36 years of serving as an FFA advisor and agricultural education teacher. He said he didn’t always get to see the outcome of his work but sometimes runs into former students who tell him what they’re up to.

In true teacher and parent form, Lindgren said his reward through the years has come through the kids and their successes. He even got to lead his own daughters when they came through his FFA chapter.

“When I saw them getting certain things, that was the highlight for me,” he said.

His daughter, Megan, who has epilepsy, earned the Minnesota FFA’s highest award, the Minnesota State Degree. His youngest daughter, Molly, earned her state degree and American Degree, was elected region president, competed at the national level in the Agricultural Communications Career Development Event as a ninth-grader and went to nationals for Creed Speaking.

Lindgren often worked 60 to 70 hours a week between teaching and FFA leadership responsibilities. As a parent looking back after retirement, he said, he worried that he spent too much time working but realized he was able to spend more time with his daughters as they progressed through

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Members of the Staples-Motley FFA participate in the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Pictured are Staples-Motley FFA Advisor Kerry Lindgren (from left) with Brian Sterricker, National FFA band member; Katie Benson, Rebecca Paskewitz and Molly Lindgren competed in the National FFA Agricultural Communications Career Development Event; and Zach Strickland (far right) earned the American FFA Degree.

Lindgren

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FFA.

“They were basically with me a lot,” he said. “My family was part of that program.”

Lindgren coordinated interesting agriculture experiences for his FFA students. The Staples-Motley School District owns about 300 acres of land they refer to as the Ag Center; it was leased to what is now Central Lakes College. The land provided an opportunity for Lindgren’s students to work side-by-side and hands-on with agricultural professionals including college professors.

“We had really close partnerships with the college,” he said.

Together, students and professors studied everything from the impact of raising tomatoes with manure to studying how nitrates leached into the water system.

Additionally, the school has its own greenhouse and high tunnel for use by the ag classes and FFA and also owns two 80-acre forests that FFA students have managed through the years. They would coordinate loggers to do the harvesting and the students saw the real-life impacts of land management.

The stewardship of the land and the area’s dedication to agriculture are what fi rst attracted Lindgren to the area. He said he never thought he would stay for 33 years.

The students and the diversity of the program are what kept him going. He worked to provide a program that focused on personal growth, career success and premiere leadership.

“We can help ignite that passion within but it was their responsibility to maintain that fi re, that intrinsic motivation,” he said. “I wanted to tell the students ‘This is yours, you gotta dig deep.’”

PHOTOS SUBMITTED Katie Benson poses with Staples-Motley FFA Advisor Kerry Lindgren. Katie Benson is not only a Staples-Motley FFA member but also Minnesota FFA State President, Minnesota FFA National Offi cer candidate and American FFA Degree recipient.

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