Vita Plus Loyal and Vita Plus Kennan Name Agricultural Scholarship Winners (May 2021)

(Loyal, Wis.) – Vita Plus Loyal and Vita Plus Kennan have proudly selected five high school seniors as recipients of the 2021 “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 an agriculture-related field.  The $500 scholarship may be applied toward tuition, room and board, or other expenses.  This year’s recipients of the Vita Plus Loyal scholarships are Jesse Groell, Osseo-Fairchild High School; Ashlee Piskow, Granton High School; Andrew Morrow, Greenwood High School; and Sara Snortheim, Auburndale High School.  The recipient of the Vita Plus Kennan scholarship is Rebecca Poetzl, Chequamegon High School.

Jesse Groell, Osseo, is the son of Marty and Jody Groell.  Groell grew up on his family’s beef and crop farm and works on two other dairy farms.  He grew up showing market goats, sheep and dairy with the Russell Corner Badgers 4-H Club.  He is an active community volunteer, a youth church leader and the president of the Osseo-Fairchild FFA.  His hard work in high school band earned him the opportunity to be a member of the Wisconsin State FFA Honors Band.  After graduation, Groell plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to study agricultural engineering technology and hopes to work for an agricultural company as a designer or field service engineer.  He said, “I aim to make the most of this opportunity to continue to make a difference in the lives of others inside and outside of the agricultural industry.”

Ashlee Piskow, Granton, is the daughter of Sandra Piskow.  She participates in the Granton Area School District’s youth apprenticeship program and receives school credit for working on a local dairy farm.  She is an active leader and volunteer through Granton FFA, and has been a dedicated cross country athlete, student council and Spanish club leader.  After graduation, Piskow plans to attend Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to major in farm production-dairy science with the goal of becoming a lead herdsperson on a Central Wisconsin dairy.  Piskow said, “I hope to help younger generations learn about agriculture and encourage them to go into the field.”

Andrew Morrow, Greenwood, is the son of Tim and Wendy Morrow.  He has gained on-farm experience working first as a volunteer on a local dairy and then as an employee.  He’s also worked for a local custom harvester doing custom field work and assisting with machinery repair.  At Greenwood High School Morrow is active in FFA, football and the advance manufacturing program.  He currently works at a local farm implement dealer.  These experiences within agriculture helped define his career goals.  Morrow plans to attend Chippewa Valley Technical College in the diesel technician program.  He plans on starting his own business to do custom manure handling, barn cleaning, and offering equipment maintenance and repair services.

Sara Snortheim, Arpin, is the daughter of Dan and Cindy Snortheim.  Snortheim fell in love with animals at an early age and has worked on a handful of local farms as a calf raiser and feeder.  She currently working as a relief milker at a local dairy as part of the animal pathway program through the school’s youth apprentice program.  Snortheim has been president of the Kountry Kids 4-H Club and the Auburndale FFA Chapter and is an active county fair exhibitor.  After graduation, Snortheim plans to attend Northcentral Technical College to study dairy science and hopes to work in herd management at a local dairy.  Snortheim said, “I want to work with the agricultural professionals who work directly in the dairy industry towards my goal of improving dairy production and animal well-being.”

Rebecca Poetzl, Park Falls, is the daughter of Timothy and Jodi Poetzl.  Throughout her high school experience, Poetzl has balanced work and school.  She is known for her hard work ethic and the ability to stay focused while juggling competing demands.  She has been active in sports and the Fifield American Legion Auxiliary along with working on a handful of different farms and the Crex Meadows State Wildlife Area.  Poetzl plans to attend Northcentral Technical College studying dairy science and to get her CDL.  After completing her degree, she wants to work on a dairy farm as a herd manager.  She said, “I never want to leave the agriculture industry, it’s what I know and love.”

The employee owners at Vita Plus Loyal and Vita Plus Kennan recognize supporting students in their pursuit of agricultural careers is essential to develop the next generation of leaders and innovators in the agriculture industry.  “The agriculture industry will always require leaders to innovate and adapt 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 consultants offer the latest cutting-edge technology along with practical, customized strategies to help farms achieve their unique goals.  Vita Plus Corporation is an employee-owned company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, serving livestock producers since 1948.  For more information about the organization, call 800.362.8334 or go online at www.vitaplus.com.