Foley FFA Chapter members are Elizabeth Lorenz (front, from left), Josi Pozorski, Cortney Brambrink, Travis Boyle, Grace Gadacz, Cylie Marshik, Alli Lewandowski, Braelynn Kuperus and Ben Lewandowski; (second row, from left) seniors Kayla Barthel, Emma Dietz, Evangelia Kuperus, Neavah Schmit, Kaitlynn Pollard, Jacquelyn Beauchamp and Marley Wheeler; (third row, from left) juniors Gabby Orton, Abbey Jurek, Kaylie Kuschel, Raylynn McColley, Lilly Dahler, Makayla Benc, Shelby Knosalla, Tyler Knosalla, Emmit Olson, Grace Loehrer and Ty Lambertson-Orton; (fourth row, from left) sophomores Skylar Morris, Kendra Dietz, Luke Sobania, Jesse Bursch, Jacob Schafer, Adam Kobinia, Blake Herbst, Nevaeh Beack and Steven Brambrink; (fifth row, from left) freshman Nolan Hackett, Sean Aasen, Alaina Moulzolf, Aleaya Kipka, Payten Alderink, Brody Blank , Ashley Postle, Ava Dahler, Jada Hansen, Kaylee Dahler and Darren Boyle; (back, from left) freshman Mason Arnold, Alex Wirtzfeld, Tyler Novak, Paige Fussy,Makayla Reishus, Brandilyn Garcia, Alaina Nordhausen, Lydia Hunt, Chloe Schbonkski, Kaiya Gotvald and Leo Gadacz.
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
(Below) Foley FFA officers are Josi Pozorski (front, from left), Cortney Brambrink, Travis Boyle, Grace Gadacz and Cylie Marshik; (back, from left) Elizabeth Lorenz, Alli Lewandowski, Braelynn Kuperus and Ben Lewandowski.
Rustic Acres from front
“ “
The leadership and opportunities that FFA is providing Anna has absolutely exceeded our wildest dreams
- Amanda Kaas
“The next thing we tried was freeze-drying some heart meat. Cora loved it.”
Cora is the family’s 9-year-old red fox Labrador retriever and official taste-tester.
“She’s picky, so everything we produce is pickydog approved,” Anna said. “We took byproducts from our farm and continued experimenting.”
Backroad Meats Inc. in Milaca played a critical role in expanding the business.
“We worked out a deal with them regarding discarded lungs and liver and the other undesired bits,” Anna said.
When the business started turning a profit, the Kaas family decided to expand into online sales.
“All of our food is natural and raised locally,” she said. “There’s no additives or bread. Just meat.”
Rustic Acres Pet Treats has a cottage foods license, so the business does not have to be federally inspected. A commercial feed license allows food product sales to animals, Anna said.
“We retain 97% of the nutritional value with freeze-drying,” she said. “Dehydrating only gives you 60% to 70%. Our freeze driers are constant-
ly running. We’re entering our second year of business.”
Amanda never thought the family would get involved with a freezedried dog treats business.
“We’d been processing our own meat products for about eight years,” Amanda said. “Basically, we were getting rid of all the animal byproducts. It just kind of clicked in my head, ‘There’s a market for this. Why aren’t we capitalizing on it?’”
Amanda said Rustic Acres Pet Treats is always coming up with new packaging ideas.
“It’s absolutely amazing both kids help us with the website,” she said. “It helps promote nutritious treats. We’ve really built a reputation with dogs and owners.”
FFA and 4-H were important during her upbringing, Amanda said, adding her father was a key person in their local FFA chapter.
“The leadership and opportunities that FFA is providing Anna has absolutely exceeded our wildest dreams,” she said.
Anna is currently taking biology, greenhouse management, and fish, lakes and rivers courses at Milaca High School.
“Next year, I’m hoping I can take animal sciences,” she said. “I want to attend the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus and go into civil engineering.”
Anna’s interested in building bridges and making sure soil is OK for skyscrapers. Since civil engineering is such as male-dominated field, Anna said she thinks she will have an easier time because of her knowledge as a small business entrepreneur.
Doug Olson is a Milaca High School agriculture department teacher and FFA adviser. He learned about what Anna was doing from co-adviser Leann Pietrzak.
Anna’s family business provides a supervised agricultural experience, he said.
Students maintain records of time spent within an SAE area. Students earning wages keep track of financial records, including income and expenses.
Olson said students record their skills that relate to agriculture, food and natural resource national academic standards. This prepares them for future competition.
FFA proficiency award applications come in many categories, Olson said.
“Anna’s application is
a 9-year-old red fox Labrador retriever. The Kaas family began making freeze-dried dog treats after receiving a similar gift.
production.
agricultural processing,” he said.
This year, others include outdoor recreation, beef entrepreneurship, specialty crop production and diversified livestock
“It’s a great way to highlight some really cool things,” Olson said.
Five Milaca FFA members have completed proficiency award applications. Students were
judged by Region 4 FFA advisers Jan. 31 and completed interviews Feb. 2. Students who place in the top three regionally advance to state competition in April.
Proud supporter of FFA
PHOTO SUBMITTED (Above) The Kaas family – Anna (from left), Lawrence, Amanda and Shawn – own Rustic Acres Pet Treats of Milaca. Anna uses the family-owned agricultural processing business as her supervised agricultural experience.
(Left) The Rustic Acres Pet Treats company logo features an important family member and company taste-tester –Cora,
Little Falls
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
Little Falls FFA Chapter members are Tori Pfaff (front, from left) and Gracie Giessinger; (second row, from left) Abbie Scepurek, Antonio Becker, Rachel Sankey, Lauren Wiherski, Briel Selinski and Haley Fitzpatrick; (third row, from left) Devyn Bollig, Cullen Moe, Alicia Holtz, Oliver Wiherski, Aden Larson and Jazmin Virnig; (back, from left) Marshall Kathrein and Isaac Schilling.
Little Falls FFA officers are adviser Gabi Molitor (front, from left), adviser Kim Czech, reporter Antonio Becker and vice president Alicia Holtz; (back, from left) treasurer Cullen Moe, sentinel Kaja Blechinger, president Lauren Wiherski, secretary Haley Fitzpatrick and adviser Matt Petrowitz.
Gilhmam, Kayden
Each year during National FFA Week, the National FFA Foundation hosts a 24-hour giving event called Give FFA Day. This year, the annual day of giving will be Thursday, Feb. 23 — its eighth year in a row.
Leading up to and during the event, FFA supporters are encouraged to get involved by sharing the event with their social and professional networks, giving of their time and/or funds, and telling others why they support FFA. Each year, those who support FFA unite to donate and raise funds while also increasing awareness for the organization.
Give FFA Day celebrates the spirit of giving in the FFA family. Alumni chapters and former members, businesses and organizations, parents and friends – those are just some of the people who individually and collectively make #GiveFFADay a success.
To learn more about 2023 Give FFA Day, visit FFA.org/GiveFFADay. There you will find social media images to download and share as well as more information about donating.
PHOTO
Milaca FFA Chapter members are Kaynen Hoeck (front, from left), Kayla Kent, Josie Linder, Kayla Grave, Amanda Grimm, Hannah Randall and Paige Maurer; (middle, from left) Allie Meyer, Claire Chalberg, Taylor Christensen, Alayna Hustad, Sara Miller, Ellie Linden, Nicole Nelson, Brittany Carlson and Jasmine Anderson; (back, from left) Cyan Steinbrecher, Joey Schmitz, Zach Timmer, Braden Taylor, Kaylee Tupker, Wyatt Maurer, Violet Hjort, Evan
Gadacz, Easton VanderHayden, Bryar Gadacz, Anna Kaas, Rollie Steinbrecher, Coleton Kiel and Heather Chapin.
Pierz FFA Chapter
(Below) Pierz FFA officers are vice president Edward Westmoreland (front, from left) and sentinel Emilie Smude; (back, from left) reporter Kaden Kroll, treasurer Dylan Vandenheuvel and president Elissa Pawlu. Not pictured is secretary Lauren Vandenheuvel.
Royalton FFA Chapter
In alphabetical order, the Royalton FFA Chapter includes Joseph Achen, Andrew Aleshire, Gage Balling, Ashley Betker, Brain Boser, Grady Bieniek, Isaac Czech, Jack Czech, Daniel Daak, Keagan Fuchs, Blake Gleisner, Jordan Hawkins, Brianna Lenz, Marizza Lenz, McKayla Loscheider, Abigail Nelson, Ava Nemeth, Peyton Wagner, Reili Ludwig, Landen Langner, Marisa Solland, Addison Orthman, Raelyn Vannurden, Kayden Vannurden, Ryder Wentland, Macy Wentland, Michael Zimmerman, Carrie Zabinski and Mr. Nathan Goldade.
(Below) Royalton FFA officers are sentinel Owen Paulson (front, from left), reporter Macy Wentland, treasurer Marizza Lenz, president Joseph Achen, secretary Abigail Nelson and vice president Ashley Betker.
