Vita Plus Loyal and Vita Plus Kennan Name Agriculture Scholarship Winners (May 2017)

Posted on May 9, 2017 in Company News
(Loyal, Wis.) – Vita Plus Loyal and Vita Plus Kennan have proudly selected eight high school seniors as recipients of the 2017 “Our Future is Agriculture” scholarships.  This program recognizes deserving students with long-term career interests in agriculture.  Students must plan to enroll in an accredited vocational/technical institute, community college or four-year college or university that offers an academic major in a field related to agriculture.  The $500 scholarships may be applied toward tuition, room and board, or other expenses.  This year’s recipients of the Vita Plus Loyal scholarship are Krista Krultz, Neillsville High School; Morgan Lindner, Loyal High School; Amber Miller, Owen-Withee High School; Deveni Rowley, Loyal High School; Nick Rueth, Loyal High School; Mitchell Schroepfer, Antigo High School; and Katelyn Zimmerman, Spencer High School.  This year’s recipient of the Vita Plus Kennan scholarship is Wyatt Lebal, Flambeau High School.

Krista Krultz, Neillsville, is the daughter of Scott and Barb Krultz.  She has been active in the Neillsville FFA Chapter, the school’s fine arts club and National Honor Society (NHS), and as a leader on the school softball and volleyball teams.  Krultz has also been involved in her local church, 4-H, recreation department and other community organizations while working as a part-time milking technician.  In the fall, Krultz will attend the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to major in dairy science.  She said, “Providing quality dairy products for consumers is important and it is something that I would like to be a part of.”

Morgan Lindner, Loyal, is the daughter of Mitch and Holly Lindner.  Lindner is highly involved in the Loyal FFA Chapter, the FFA dairy judging team and NHS.  She fills her free time before and after school working for her family farm, where she cares for all youngstock, delivers vaccinations and assists the herd veterinarian by preparing herd health records.  This fall, she will attend Mid-State Technical College and complete the two-year farm operation program with the goal of running her family’s dairy farm in the future.  Lindner said, “I grew up on a family farm in Loyal, Wisconsin and plan on using the skills I develop at school to help operate and manage it.”

Amber Miller, Withee, is the daughter of Perry and Sharon Miller.  Miller has been a leader in the school’s choir and theater programs, student council, and athletics.  Her leadership extends into the community, where she has coordinated the Taylor County Special Olympic events, volunteered for the Owen-Withee Lions Club and served as Miss Withee in 2014.  She plans to attend UW-River Falls in the fall to major in animal science and then the Madison Area Technical College to become a certified veterinary technician.  She said, “Through my training, I could work in the dairy industry and do nutrition work for cattle and cows.”

Deveni Rowley, Loyal, is the daughter of Donnie and Brenda Rowley.  For the past eight years, Rowley has worked for her family farm, learning what it takes to run a dairy business.  She is currently the calf manager on the farm.  In addition, Rowley has been active in the Loyal FFA Chapter, where she served as vice president and as a member of the dairy judging team, and 4-H.  She plans to attend the UW-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course and major in diversified agriculture operations.  “Growing up on a small dairy farm has given me responsibility and has inspired my love for dairy cattle to grow into a passion,” she said.

Nick Rueth, Loyal, is the son of Rick and Pam Rueth.  Rueth has developed strong leadership skills through his involvement in sports, NHS, 4-H, the Loyal FFA Chapter and his local church.  He also works for his family farm and has learned how to run several areas of the farm.  In the fall, he will attend the Chippewa Valley Technical College to major in farm operations with the goal of one day running the family farm with his brother.  “I want to share my knowledge with others and help educate farmers on new technologies and changes occurring in the field of agriculture,” Rueth said.  “Through my education, I hope to improve the quality of life for others.”

Mitchell Schroepfer, Birnamwood, is the son of David and Jolynne Schroepfer.  He has been highly involved in the dairy showring and the Antigo FFA chapter, where he served as vice-president this last year and as a dairy judging team member for the past three years.  Additionally, he has dedicated a large amount of time to the Langlade County 4-H program and the Wisconsin State Fair, where he has been responsible for the educational half of the state fair dairy herdsmanship display.  Schroepfer will attend UW-Madison in the fall to double major in dairy science and agriculture systems management.  “I look forward to the unique challenges that this industry may face and solving any issues that may occur,” he said.

Katelyn Zimmerman, Spencer, is the daughter of Mark and Cheryl Zimmerman.  She grew up on her family’s beef cattle operation where she has worked as the assistant herd manager.  In seventh grade, she started Zimmerman Dairy Goats, which has grown to 18 Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats.  Zimmerman has been highly involved in the Spencer FFA Chapter as chapter president, NHS and 4-H, while also volunteering at her local church.  She plans to attend Iowa State University in the fall to major in agriculture and life science education.  She said, “Since I have always been an advocate for agriculture, I plan to stay active in agricultural advocacy and help correct agricultural misconceptions in the world.”

Wyatt Lebal, Kennan, is the son of Jody and Deb Lebal.  At school, Lebal has been involved in the Flambeau FFA Chapter as the chapter president, NHS, student council and history club.  In the community, he has dedicated his time to 4-H, training fair animals and he is also the club’s treasurer.  He grew up on his family farm feeding and milking cows and performing routine maintenance around the farm, and he even started his own beef herd when he was eight.  In the fall, Lebal will attend UW-River Falls and major in animal science.  He said, “I think the agriculture industry is very important and I believe more people like me need to get involved for it to prosper.”

The employee owners at Vita Plus Loyal and Vita Plus Kennan recognize that supporting students in their pursuit of agricultural careers is essential to developing the next generation of leaders and innovators in the agriculture industry.  “As the agriculture industry continues to evolve, the world will rely on these leaders to continue to provide a safe, nutritious and abundant food supply,” said John Every, Vita Plus Loyal general manager.  “The education these students will receive will help ensure the success of the industry for years to come.”

Vita Plus Corporation is an employee-owned company headquartered in Madison, Wis. Vita Plus has been serving livestock producers since 1948. More than just a feed supplier, Vita Plus consultants offer the latest cutting-edge technology, nutrition and management information. For more information about the organization, call 1-800-362-8334 or go online at www.vitaplus.com.

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