Special Edition
Wisconsin FFA Foundation Wisconsin FFA Alumni & Supporters Message from Janet Schneider, Foundation Board President The mission of the FFA is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. I could not be prouder of the commitment and the leadership of Wisconsin Team AgEd this past year. We work as a team and the Wisconsin FFA Alumni is part of our team. That is why this edition is a collaboration with them. We have much to celebrate in Wisconsin. With thousands of Alumni members across the state providing the local support for FFA programs to succeed. We live in challenging and uncertain times. With the strength and support that I have witnessed from Alumni and our sponsors, we will be “UNSTOPPABLE”. Thank you for your part and support in our mission.
Weyauwega-Fremont FFA Alumni (pictured above) received a $1,000 Legacy Grant. Waupaca FFA Alumni also received a $5,000 national Give Your Roots Grant.
Chapter national Chapter Back to
The next round of national grants are due in June!
$20,000 Awarded for Chapter Assistance Grants
Due to pandemic-related restrictions, many chapters have been unable to conduct their regular fundraisers. Even in cases where chapters have been able to conduct fundraisers, they have seen upwards of a 50% decrease in profits received. Local chapter fundraisers help support everything that members participate in – due payments, classroom supplies, competition resources, conference attendance, and leadership opportunities. Limited chapter funding can be a critical barrier for FFA participation as many members, this year in particular, are unable to afford dues or fees to participate in activities. FFA Advisors and agricultural educators are also facing budget shortfalls. Many districts had to cut budgets to have funding for needed PPE and pandemic-related supplies. This has led to many educators taking money out of their pocket to ensure enough lab materials for new protocols and materials for FFA-related activities. In response to challenges facing many Wisconsin FFA chapters this academic year, the Wisconsin FFA Foundation, in partnership with Wisconsin FFA Alumni & Supporters Association, launched the Wisconsin FFA Chapter Assistance Grant Program. The grant program provided $20,000 in funds to local chapters across the state. The Chapter Assistance Grants are supported by the Wisconsin FFA Alumni & Supporters Association and Foundation’s Star Mission program and its sponsors: Alliant Energy Foundation, Armor Animal Health, Compeer Financial, Culver’s, Investors Community Bank, Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative, and Rural Mutual Insurance Company. Forty chapters have received $500 grants: Amherst, Athens, Augusta, Baldwin-Woodville, Blair-Taylor, Campbellsport, Cassville, Cornell, Ellsworth, Freedom, Green Bay East, Hudson, Iowa-Grant, Janesville Craig, Jefferson, Kiel, Luck, Medford, Mishicot, New Auburn, North Crawford, Oshkosh North, Pardeeville, Pittsville, Potosi, Pulaski, River Falls, River Valley, Seneca, Slinger, Sparta, St. Croix Central, Turtle Lake, Unity, Wauzeka-Steuben, Westby, Weyauwega-Fremont, Wisconsin Dells, Wonewoc-Center, and Wrightstown. Chapters have indicated that the grant funds will help them bring their account balances out of the red, pay for membership fees, purchase supplies for the classroom, and replace missed fundraising dollars.
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How Chapters Benefited from Chapter Assistance Grants Blair-Taylor FFA:
Blair-Taylor FFA used the funds received towards sending members to the Spring Leadership Conference. This conference was the first opportunity their members had to attend an inperson conference since January of 2020. For all those who went they were first time leadership conference attendees. With the remaining funds available from the grant the chapter also purchased extra FFA jackets for their program. Members can borrow these jackets if they don't have their own.
Hudson FFA:
Hudson FFA used the funds received towards increasing involvement in their FFA week activities and to help cover CDE fees. Thanks to the extra funds, the chapter was able to include an elementary school coloring contest during FFA week. They were also able to send an additional four teams to compete in CDE contests.FFA the opportunities to spread the word of Agriculture to so many in our community!
Ellsworth FFA:
Ellsworth FFA used the funds received towards membership dues. By doing this, it helped reduce the out-of-pocket costs this year for FFA members. This resulted in a few new members joining their chapter.
Slinger FFA:
Medford FFA:
Slinger FFA used the funds received towards affiliation fees. This was the first year for the chapter to become an affiliate chapter. The grant helped offset the added costs as money was already tight due to not being able to hold fundraisers. Without the grant, they would not have been able to reach their goal of becoming affiliated and as a result, saw membership increase by about 64%.
Medford FFA used the funds received towards their tractor restoration project. The Agricultural Mechanics Class and FFA teamed up to restore a 1949 Farmall M Tractor. The tractor was donated by Dan Decker, in memory of Jim Decker (Dorchester, WI). Justin Grant/ Ed's Auto Body donated the paint job. Bill's Tire & Service donated a new set of tires for the tractor. The Medford community has been extremely supportive, but restoring a tractor right can be a
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big financial burden. The funds helped purchase necessary new parts that they were not able to get donated or budgeted for. The tractor is finished, and raffle tickets are being sold in the Medford area. Funds raised will go towards next year's projectFarmall A.
Green Bay East FFA:
Green Bay East FFA used the funds received towards constructing an electronic waste recycling box. Their FFA advisor, president, and secretary worked together to make the box from scratch. Designed like a library deposit box, community members can drop miscellaneous & unusable electronic waste into the trap door. CyberWorks in Green Bay coordinated with Green Bay East FFA to provide recycling free of charge! Funds remaining from the grant are being used to cover fundraising losses from earlier in the year.Thank you Wisconsin FFA Foundation & the Wisconsin FFA Alumni & Supporters for making this program possible!
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Wisconsin FFA Alumni and Supporters
50 Year Commemorative Tractor Limited Edition 1:16 Die-Cast Replica
1:16 Farmall 350 with 2 row cultivator
Serialization
FEATURES • Highly detailed by Spec Cast • Collector pewter plate • Die-cast metal • Rear wheel weights Stock # CUST 1976
Description 1:16 Farmall 350 with 2 row cultivator
• Gas engine • Fast hitch • Collectible display box
Unit Per Case
Unit Price
1
$90
Units Ordered
Order deadline is June 18, 2021 Shipping cost is $16 each or pick up at 2022 convention at the Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center in Wausau, WI.
Shipping
Pickup at convention
$16
Total
$0 GRAND TOTAL
Orders processed in order of receipt
□ Visa □ Mastercard (5% added on credit cards) □ Cash or check enclosed (U.S. Funds Only) □ Cash
Card No.__________________ Sec. Code _______Exp. Date __________
□ SHIP TO: (Please print clearly)
Name on Card ________________________________________________
□ PICKUP AT SHOW
Name ________________________________________
Signature ____________________________________________________
Street Address (No PO Box) ________________________
Checks made payable to : Wisconsin FFA Alumni Attn: Cheryl Steinbach W2680 US Hwy 10 Granton, WI 54436
City _______________________ State ____________ Zip/Postal Code ________________________________ Phone _______________________________________
©2021 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. Case IH, Case, Farmall, IH, International Harvester and McCormick Deering are trademarks registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.
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State FFA Convention to be Held In-Person! The 2021 Wisconsin State FFA Convention will be held in-person at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin the week of July 5th! Joe Schlies, State FFA President, commented “My teammates and I continue to make enormous strides in providing Wisconsin FFA members with a top-of-the-line State FFA Convention experience and are grateful to have the opportunity to provide members with an in-person celebration in a safe manner while also offering a virtual format. Coming together with the prioritization of health and safety guidelines, our organization continues to demonstrate this year’s Wisconsin State FFA theme of being “Unstoppable."
Let's Golf for FFA!
Let's Golf for FFA!
Support Wisconsin FFA at the 2021 Wisconsin FFA Foundation Golf Events Northwest: Monday, July 12
Wild Ridge Golf Course, Eau Claire
Northeast: Tuesday, July 13
Crystal Springs Golf Course, Seymour
Southern: Monday, July 26
Pleasant View Golf Course, Middleton Guest host: Pam Jahnke
Be an exclusive hole sponsor and register a foursome for only $500! That is a $140 savings!
** This is a great way to say Thank You to Alumni volunteers, industry donors, parents, and others! **
Find more details and register for the events online at: wisconsinaged.org/events/golf www.WisconsinAgEd.org
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Why I Serve... "I get back way more than what I give. I enjoy working with old and new freinds helping and supporting my local and Wisconsin State Alumni. FFA can change a students life and I can be part of that." ** Rudy Kaderly, Alumni Council Past President
"A way to give back to what the Alumni and Supporters gave me when I was an FFA member." ** Grant Staszak, Alumni Council Section 8
"I serve on the board because when I meet an FFA member…a student, that has genuinely taken advantage of the opportunities that lie within FFA I am so impressed with their leadership at such a young age. FFA is a fantastic starting point for tomorrow’s leaders." ** Trever Athrop, Foundation Treasurer
"I serve because I truly believe that the FFA has a posititive impact on youth and agriculture. I serve as a way of expressing my gratitude for the organization that had such a profound impact on me and my family as FFA members." ** Bobbie Montgomery, Alumni Council Vice President
"I heard a saying from a friend that ‘Service is Love made Visible’. I serve because I’m paying it forward and I truly love what this organization provides. When I joined FFA as a freshman in high school, little did I know the impact this organization would have on my career choices and personal successes. It’s my turn to support the 20,000+ FFA members and agricultural education students and I’m so grateful for the Foundation members who served when I was in high school. It’s my turn to pay it forward and make my love for FFA visible!" ** Katie Holwinski, Foundation At-Large Director
Alumni Highlights 2020-21 23,397 Members —> 4,140 Annual —> 5,928 Lifetime —> 13,329 Associate
1. Presented 8 Alumni Chapter Grants and Awarded 13 Leadership Workshop Scholarships. 2. Partnered with the Wisconsin FFA Foundation for $20,000 worth of FFA Chapter Assistance Grants. 3. Sponsored Speakers for FFA Spring Leadership Conference.
"For the future for all students and kids to help them have the same opportunities I had." ** Derek Trescher, Alumni Council Section 3
"To make a difference." ** Gene Heterbrueg, Alumni Council Section 10
"Serving on the WI FFA Foundation Board has been a great opportunity to give back to the organization that has grown my passion: education and agriculture. I serve to continue leadership and career exploration opportunities for youth to develop their own passions!" ** Deb Ihm, Foundation At-Large Director
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4. Wisconsin Alumni Association was the recipient of the Outstanding State Association Award at the National FFA Convention last fall!
5. Successfully held the 2021 Alumni Convention as a hybrid convention in February with about 180 members attending, with two-thirds attending in person and the other one-third attending virtually.
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Grants Available from the WI FFA Alumni & Supporters Association Wisconsin FFA Alumni & Supporters sponsor two different grants each year for local chapters to apply. The first grant is for New or Reactivated chapters: they can utilize the funds for startup or reactivation expenses. Some use the funds to get started with fundraising, such as buying items for raffles to raise extra money; others use it to help cover chapter costs for materials and items needed for general operating expenses and member promotion. The second grant is the chapter support grant to help their FFA chapters with specific programs. These grants can be used for activities that the alumni and FFA chapter work on together. This grant can aid a struggling FFA Alumni Chapter in supporting and or promoting agricultural education in its community. There are still grants available for chapters to apply for this year. The grant applications can be found on the website at bit. ly/3npt1Wc. The applications must identify a specific use of the funds that align with the mission and purpose of FFA. Once awarded a grant, a chapter will need to complete a follow-up report to share how they used the funds. Those forms are also available on the website.
Message from Nate Zimdars, Alumni Council President Spring is in the air! At long last some of you may be thinking - an end to the bitter cold, the snow (hopefully!), the long, dark nights, and high heating bills. For many, it seems as though winter will never end. All it takes is for the first cold spell or first snowstorm to create a longing for spring. Spring is a season of renewal, new life, and hope. Nowhere is this more evident than in agriculture. When I was a child, I used to always ask my grandfather, a lifelong farmer, what his favorite season was. Without hesitation, he always replied "spring". For the life of me, I just could not understand why. I always thought spring was a gross time of year. Many of my earliest memories of springtime consist of never-ending rain, lots of mud, and everything being messier than usual. This was especially true on the farm. I found it miserable. All I wanted was a quick transition (which never seemed to happen) to summer to a time when fluctuating temperatures were a thing of the past, the trees had all their leaves, muddy yards were replaced by green grass, and time was spent outside with family and friends until late in the evening. I was impatient looking ahead only to the better days without understanding the necessary changes that had to come first. That was where my conversations with Grandpa helped me recognize the bigger picture. Grandpa always liked to remind me that spring was when new life began on the farm. It was the season when the sheep would begin lambing, the number of chicks and ducklings would increase by the day, and, before too long, Grandpa and my uncles could take to the fields and begin planting. Without the spring rains and the mud that came with it, a bountiful fall harvest could never be realized. Sure, there are some challenges that come during the transition from winter to summer, yet they are necessary if we ever want to reach those summer days we long for. This past year has been a challenging year for everyone in a variety of ways. That is true for the Wisconsin FFA Alumni as well. We had to cancel events, establish new health and safety protocols at others, and reevaluate the ways in which we engaged with our membership. Now, after what can only be described as a long, dark winter, we have transitioned into spring - we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. While this pandemic may have caused us to hit the pause button and rethink how we operate, never did we lose sight of our mission to support agricultural education. Bringing that mission to life would not be possible if not for our local FFA Alumni Chapters and all the work that you do on a daily basis. And for that, I cannot say thank you enough. Throughout all the challenges and curveballs that have been thrown your way this past year, from school and event closures to loss of revenue, you have continued to show up. In big and small ways, you have continued supporting FFA members while staying flexible and adapting to these strange times. It is my hope that making it through this past year has breathed new life into your Chapter and inspired you as an Alumni member to help wherever you can as we move forward into better days. As we begin our return to normalcy, I ask that you continue the work you are doing locally while staying connected to Wisconsin FFA Alumni. It is our goal as an organization to increase and maintain contact with our membership. If your contact information has changed recently or you know of anyone who is not receiving updates from us, please let us know. Now that we are on the tail end of this pandemic, we want to ensure that we can come out of this stronger than we were before. The only way that we can do this is with an active and informed membership. You are the key to bringing this organization's mission to life. Thank you for everything that you do and continue to stay forever blue.
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Honors & Memorials In Honor of Charles Adami: National Council of Farmer Cooperatives In Honor of Thomas Thomsen: Julie and Shannon Davis
What will be your legacy to Wisconsin FFA?
In Memory of Deane Thomas: Philip & Carol Peterson In Memory of Donald Robinson: Dan Robinson In Memory of Doug Mueller: Meg Mueller In Memory of Floyd & Betty Doering: Barbara & George Groshek In Memory of Floyd & Betty Doering: Orwoll Hagen In Honor of Gilbert Bloom: Glenda Crook In Honor of Ginger Braml: Jeanna Burgan
We
In Memory of Harold Emerson: Michael & Patricia Knoll In Honor of Jill Braunel: Julie Wamser
believe in the future Agriculture.
of
In Honor of Jim Gutt: Laurie Ringquist
We believe in the over 21,000 Wisconsin FFA members.
In Honor of John & Terri Kuffel: Dave Kuffel In Memory of Kevin Kilstofte: Paul A. Larson In Memory of Logan Henthorn: Beth Kolodzinski
We believe in the power of the blue corduroy jacket.
In Memory of Lyle Mercer: Dave and Carole Fowles In Memory of Lyle Mercer: David & JoDee Sattler In Memory of Lyle Mercer: Gale & LuAnn Holt In Memory of Lyle Mercer: James Aho In Memory of Lyle Mercer: Richard and Rebecca La Roche
In Memory of Lyle Mercer: Susan Brennan In Memory of Lyle Mercer: Susan Conto In Memory of Lyle Mercer: Vernon and Judy Jordan In Memory of Lyle Mercer: William and Sharon Koenen In Memory of Matthew Anderson: John & Carol Anderson
In Memory of Ray Miller: Howard & Teresa Cameron In Honor of Raymond Krcma: Betty Krcma
You can show your support for agriculture, Wisconin FFA members, and the blue corduroy jacket by making a lasting gift to Wisconsin FFA in a matter of minutes. To make a gift today, simply return the enclosed envelope. To learn more about other giving options, contact John Hromyak, Executive Director, at jhromyak@wisconsinffafoundation.org or via phone at 608-831-5058 x3.
In Memory of Vicky Harter: Bonnie J. Peterson
Make a donation to Wisconsin FFA at wisconsinaged.org/foundation/donate or text WIFFA to 26989 to have a donation link sent directly to your phone. Scan the QR Code to follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on what is happening at the Wisconsin FFA Foundation. www.WisconsinAgEd.org
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WISCONSIN FFA FOUNDATION Invest in agriculture’s future. Support FFA.
1241 John Q. Hammons Dr, Ste 200 Madison, WI 53717
Thank you, WI FFA Foundation Industry Partners! Philanthropist CHS Foundation Compeer Financial Patron AgCountry Farm Credit Services Andis Foundation Culver Franchising System, Inc Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association GROWMARK, Inc. Kerry Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative Renk Seed Rural Mutual Insurance Co. Benefactor Alliant Energy Foundation American Foods Group Armor Animal Health Bio-Vet, Inc. Blain's Farm & Fleet Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin GreenStone Farm Credit Services Hansen Foods Investors Community Bank Kalscheur Foundation Minntex Citrus, Inc. - Iowa Russ Davis Wholesale/Crazy Fresh Produce Seneca Foods Corporation Wisconsin Agri-Business Association Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation
Connect with Us WI FFA Alumni & Supporters Association Scan the QR Code to follow the Wisconsin FFA Alumni & Supporters Association on Facebook to stay up to date on what is going on.
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