Thursday, February 21, 2008

Cancellations…

The Newark FFA has decided to cancel the Barnyard Zoo Friday February 22, 2008 and the Greenhouse Open House Saturday, February 23rd 2008 due the Newark Lady Norsemen playing in the State Tournament in Bloomington. The Greenhouse Open House has been rescheduled for March 1st, 2008 from 1-2:30 p.m.

Newark FFA celebrates 2008 National FFA Week, February 16-23

The Newark FFA Chapter will celebrate National FFA Week Feb. 16-23, 2008. Blue Jackets, Bright Futures is the theme this year and it embodies all the best about FFA members, from the most recognizable symbol of the organization, the blue corduroy jacket, a symbol of pride and tradition, to the bright future of agriculture and the traditions of leadership and hard work. More than half a million members around the nation will participate in National FFA Week activities at the local and state levels.The focus of National FFA Week is to tell America about the great opportunities available for all youth. From its beginnings in 1928 as the Future Farmers of America, the National FFA organization todays reaches out to all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. FFA is committed to developing character and leadership skills and preparing members for a lifetime of civic leadership and career success.As part of National FFA Week, Newark FFA members are planning the following special events:Sunday- Members will go on a Ski trip to Alpine Valley Ski resort in East Troy, Wisconsin.
Monday- Plans are to go sledding and Cheer the Newark Lady Norsemen to victory in super sectionals in Rockford
Tuesday-Members are serving their annual porkburger lunch and have a bowling night in Morris.Wednesday-Blue and Gold Day (all members are encouraged to wear National Blue and Corn Gold) and also Greenhand day (all first year members have their hands dyed green) Members will also go the grade schools and make ice cream and talk about the importance of Agriculture.
Thursday- Drive your tractor to school day. Students have a chance to complete in an Ag Olympics during homeroom. Members will also go the Jr. highs and talk to and recruit future FFA members.Friday-Muddiest Truck Day and Barnyard Zoo (zoo is open to public from 9-1:30 in the ag shop) and the day will conclude with the Kiss a Pig contest for the favorite teacher. All money collected in votes will go to charity.
Saturday- The greenhouse is now completed and we would like to invite everyone to our Open House, Saturday, February 23rd from 1-2:30pm. Refreshments will be served.Newark FFA members are the leaders of tomorrow. They are well-mannered, perceptive and willing to help others through service. They are success-oriented students who are driven to achieve their career goals. FFA gives many young people an important push to consider their futures-what kind of people, citizens and professionals they intend to be. FFA builds leaders and leaders impact the future.National FFA Week is sponsored by Case IH as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. The Foundation is the fundraising arm of the National FFA and supports programs by working with sponsors to raise funds for scholarships that are awarded to outstanding members.

Newark FFA Proficiency Awards

On Saturday, February 9th, eleven people from the Newark FFA Chapter competed in Proficiency Awards at the Section level at Seneca High School. Participants had to complete their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) record books that they maintain throughout the year. Participants at the Section level include: Zeke Schmidt – Ag Mechanics Repair/Maintenance, Logan Rehberg – Diversified Ag Production and Fiber/Oil Crop Production, Joe Hanson – Diversified Crop Production, Hailey Rehberg – Diversified Livestock, Becky Doorn – Equine Science, Alison Monkemeyer – Floriculture, Brandon Cihak – Nursery, Skyler Hagen – Poultry, Kim Monkemeyer – Swine, and Kyle Testin – Swine. Those that competed at Section, won in their division, and will be moving on to Districts on March 5th at Joliet Junior College are Steve Nichols – Dairy Production Placement , Skyler Hagen – Forage Production, Kyle Testin – Swine Production Placement, and Dan Doeing – Vegetable Production. Congratulations to all those who participated and best of luck to those moving on to District Competition!

Thanks to Greenhouse donors...

The Newark Community High School, Newark Ag Education Department, and the Newark FFA Chapter would like to thank all those who made monetary donations and time to make our greenhouse possible. The greenhouse is now completed and we would like to invite everyone to our Open House, Saturday, February 23rd from 1-2:30pm. Donors include Vulcan Materials Company, Dr. Ethan and Lynn Hagen & Family, Illinois State Board of Education Grant, Facilitating and Coordinating Ag Education Projects Grant, Newark FFA Alumni Association, Verda Electric, T4 Construction, Josh and Jenna Johnson, Terry Seggebruch, William Schmidt and Family, Joe Steffen Family, 36 Cents Club, Central Limestone, S & K Excavating, Bruce Hintzsche - Hintzsche Trucking, Kendall Hill Nursery, Philip D. Young & Associates, Newark Farmers Grain, Central Sod Farms, Inc., Total Body Fitness, Thanepohn Farms, Ed Thompson Family, Martin Plumbing, Grainco FS – John Scheffer, Phil and Carmen Nelson, Scott Larson Family, Bicksler Excavating, William Eisenbrandt, Winding Creek Nursery, National Tractor Parts, Richard and Lisa Anderson, Tom and Cheryl Tesdal, Clarence Toftoy, Castle Bank, Kendall County Farm Bureau, Yorkville NAPA, Joe Bregar, Oswego Excavating, Illinois Truck & Equipment, Kendall County Record, Max Armstrong, Ashton Farms – Bill and Darlene Ashton and Sons, L & B Bols Farm, Countyline Hauling, Bob and Sharon Friestad, J-M Transports, Johnson & Associates – Ronald Johnson, Mike Lee, Lowell and Van Mathre, Doug Ness, Oswego Excavating, LLC, Robert Toftoy - Monsanto Seeds, Robert and Diane Pottinger, Jalapeno Paint Werx, Service Gas, Steve Scalf – Pioneer Dealer, Daves Auto, Village Peddler, Tri County Stockdale, B. W. Properties, Illinois Truck Maintenance, Burk Brothers Drywall, Gil and Lois Blankenship, D.K. Trailer & Tractor Sales and Service, Robert Morel, Viking NAPA Auto Parts, Wesley and Becky Johnson, Quantz Small Engine Repair Shop, Raoul and Kathy Seidlitz, Plano Farmers Grain, Richard Sjolund, R Tree Service, Newark Body Shop, Friestad Farms, Sandwich Grain, Dekane Equipment Corporation, K R & G Excavating, Mc Dowell Truck Parts, Richard and Kay Carlson, Rich Dunn, Steve Johnson, Roth Jorstad Insurance Agency, Joan Knutson, Law Office of Daniel J. Kramer, Robert and Patricia Brummel, Apple Butter, Laurie’s Beauty Shop, Claussen, White & Associates, Anna Mae Testin, Lisbon Locker, John Wayne, Undesser Turkey Farm, Plainfield Signs, Ormiston Farms, Narvick Brothers Ready Mix, Old Mill, Mr. And Mrs. August Corneils, Millbrook Insurance Associates, Darald Nelson, Roger and Nancy Ness, James and Lori Updike, R & S Distributing, Inc., Westbrook’s State Farm Insurance, Douglas and Roberta Doeing, Jim Wheeler, Dave Elmore, Tom Richards, Terry and Nancy Larson, Randy and Karla Seggebruch, Kevin and Wendy Bernard, Windy Hill Boat & RV Storage.

Newark FFA Chapter

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Greenhouse Open House

The Newark High School Agricultural Department and the Newark FFA Chapter are proud to announce the completion of the Newark Ag Department /Vulcan Materials Greenhouse. They will host a ribbon cutting ceremony with refreshments during the open house. The Open House will be Saturday, February 23rd, from 1:00 p.m.- 2:30 p.m. at the new greenhouse. The public is invited.

Illinois Agricultural Education Students Move Ahead with Move to Online Business Records

RANTOUL, IL – Illinois agricultural education students now have the opportunity to use online technology to maintain their real business records for various entrepreneurial projects – projects ranging from agricultural product sales to turf management, and projects that contribute millions of dollars to the Illinois economy each year.

“Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) projects are an integral part of agricultural education, and allow students to gain valuable work experience, explore career opportunities and make money for college and living expenses,” says Jay Runner, coordinator, Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education (FCAE). “In 2005, the 9,905 students in Illinois that had an SAE project, earned a cumulative $9.6 million.”

Jim Craft, Illinois FFA executive director, says the move to online record books this year from the previous CD-ROM version allows agricultural education students and instructors to spend more time strategizing business and marketing plans and managing the projects rather than passing paper copies back and forth for corrections.

“You can adjust errors, pull data out and place comments directly in the records. The whole process is interactive and of great benefit to students and teachers,” says Craft. “The big picture benefit for Illinois agricultural education in 2006 will be our ability to quickly determine the financial impact these students have on various economic sectors.”

Craft says by the latter part of 2006, agricultural education officials will be able to access aggregate records and summaries of specific data related to student SAE programs. For example, officials will pull up the number of statewide beef production projects, and be able to gather such information as pounds of beef produced statewide, student profits and hours worked, while keeping student names and personal information confidential.

“We will be able to calculate the economic impact in every SAE area, including not only production agriculture, but urban agriculture projects that include horticulture, landscaping, food science and other businesses. It will be dynamic data, and something we can share with interested industries,” he says.

An Early Beginning in Business
Elisa Bentz, Cullom, Ill., was one of 10 students from across the country who received the National Agri-Entrepreneurship Award last fall at the National FFA Convention. The award program recognizes young people who start or are planning to start businesses.

Bentz owns and operates EZ’s Butterfly Boutique, an enterprise that processes agricultural products into personal care items, including lip gloss, scented soaps and bath salts. Bentz started her business when she was in the seventh grade. She grew the business through advertising and attending craft shows in Illinois and surrounding states to market her products. She also sells through local craft stores and her own website.

“Throughout the years, I have worked to increase my production and the enterprise’s profitability,” she says. Bentz is a freshman at Black Hawk Community College, where she is pursuing two degrees in equestrian and horse science.

Jared Lee was awarded the National Agricultural Proficiency Award for entrepreneurship in turf grass management. Lee started a lawn mowing business in fourth grade. He has expanded the business to nearly 80 lawn contracts, manages several employees and repairs his own equipment. The Seneca Township High School graduate is pursuing a degree in turf management, landscape design and installation at Joliet Junior College.

Lee’s high school agriculture instructor, Jeff Maierhofer, says managing such businesses online helps students and instructors alike to spend less time on accounting and more time on analyzing businesses. “Students are more comfortable in what they are doing with these records, and the interaction enhances their learning experience,” he says.

With more than 22 million people working in more than 300 careers in science, business and technology, agriculture is the nation’s top employer. About 25 percent of the civilian workforce in Illinois is employed in agriculture. Roughly 69 percent of Illinois’ job growth is related to agriculture, and nine percent growth is projected in the next decade.

The statewide agricultural education team includes the Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education (ILCAE), the Governor-appointed Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education (ICAE), the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Illinois FFA and its associated groups, Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers (IAVAT), Illinois Association Community College Agriculture Instructors (IACCAI), University Council, Partners For Agricultural Literacy, and FCAE.
The team works to help ensure a successful social, economical and environmental future for the state with
K-adult education programs in support of Illinois’ largest industry, agriculture.

For more information, visit www.agriculturaleducation.org.