MADISON, Wis. — FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative announces its 2013 scholarship recipients, awarded a total of $28,000. The cooperative presented 24 scholarships to high school and collegiate students throughout the Midwest pursuing a post-secondary education.

This year’s recipients include, from the Farm World region: Taylor Granquist of Powers, Mich., Jordan Hammerand of Sherrill, Iowa, Jennifer Huhe of Cresco, Iowa, and Tiffanie Meyers of Bark River, Mich.

“FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative is proud to award these 24 scholarships to the sons and daughters of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative members. These young individuals are destined to be future leaders and we are pleased to assist in their continuing education,” said Dennis Donohue, general manager of FarmFirst.

Scholarship recipients were selected based on leadership, scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, essay responses, their future plans and career goals. All members of FarmFirst and their children attending four-year universities, two-year technical programs or short courses and high school seniors planning for post-secondary education were eligible to apply for the scholarships.

Established in 2013, FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, based in Madison, Wis., is the largest dairy marketing cooperative in the Midwest. Dedicated to its family farm members, the cooperative represents more than 5,000 farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana through policy bargaining, dairy marketing services, laboratory testing opportunities and industry promotion. Learn more by visiting: www.FarmFirstDairyCooperative.

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PAULDING, Ohio — On Saturday, April 20, the Paulding FFA Chapter retired their Officer Team at the 85th annual Paulding FFA Banquet. The retiring officers were Kara Burak (President), Dalton Thomas and Bailey Zeller (Vice Presidents), Patrick Troyer (Secretary), Justin Carnahan (Treasurer), Taylor Dangler (Reporter), Jacob Luderman (Student Advisor), Tyler Fry (Chaplain), Tiffany Spangler (Historian) and Adam Deatrick (Sentinel). The 2013-2014 Paulding officer team was then announced. The members of the new officer team are Justin Carnahan (President), Bailey Zeller, Olivia Cramer and Tiffany Spangler (Vice Presidents), Alexis Howell (Secretary), Kaitie Carnahan (Treasurer), Emily Albert (Reporter), Tyler Fry (Student Advisor), Bailey Combs (Chaplain), Taylor Dangler (Historian), Adam Deatrick (Sentinel). 

Five Paulding students received the State FFA Degree, the highest award Ohio can bestow on an FFA member. This year, Tiffany Spangler, Taylor Dangler, Bailey Zeller, Olivia Cramer and Justin Carnahan have all been awarded the State FFA Degree among nearly 700 across the state. 

Taylor Spangler is the daughter of Jeff and Melinda Spangler of Oakwood. Her SAE consisted of raising and showing market goats, market steers and dairy feeders.  Spangler is the daughter of Scott Dangler and Jen and Michael McMichael of Cecil.  Her Supervised Agricultural Experience consisted of raising and showing market chickens and geese. She also raised and sold market hogs and eggs from the chickens. Bailey Zeller is the daughter of Troy and Cathy Zeller and Sherry Zeller of Cecil. Her SAE included working on her family livestock farm raising donkeys, cattle, goats, turkeys and chickens. She also raises and sells eggs and shows geese at the Paulding County Fair. Olivia Cramer earned her State FFA Degree by working on her family hog farm and a local dairy farm. 

She has also raised and showed market hogs, market lambs, dairy feeders and rabbits at the Defiance and Paulding County Fairs. Cramer is the granddaughter of Pat Johnson of Paulding. The final applicant was Justin Carnahan, who is the son of Doug Carnahan and Deanna Carnahan of Oakwood. His SAE consisted of raising and showing market goats and raising forage crops.