Wauseon FFA takes top honors at district dairy foods
EDGERTON, Ohio — The District 1 FFA Dairy Foods contest recently took place near Edgerton on the Reihle Farm.

The focus of the Dairy Foods Career Development Event (CDE) is on achievement of high quality raw milk, federal milk marketing orders and attributes of selected products of milk. The student takes a written test and then distinguish esmilk quality and safe milking equipment. They also identify dairy byproducts and determine real and unreal milk products.

The top team went to Wauseon FFA, with Meg Boyers as their high point individual. Second place went to Elmwood FFA, with Conlan Varty as their high point individual. Third place went to Delta FFA, with Cody Keller as their high point. Fourth place went to Genoa FFA, with Kala Murawski as their high point. Fifth place went to Otsego FFA, with Megan Bundy as their high point. Sixth place went to Fairview FFA, with Morgan Virick as their high point. Seventh place went to Oak Harbor. Eighth to Fayette. Ninth to Anthony Wayne. Tenth to Pettisville. Other teams competing included: Evergreen, North Central, Holgate, Edgerton and Woodmore
High individuals were: first, Meg Boyers, Wauseon; second, Chad Burkholder, Wauseon; third, Jessica McKenzie, Elmwood; and fourth, Josh Nutter, Elmwood.

Sally Yon named Miss American Angus
  LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sally Yon of Ridge Spring, S.C., was crowned Miss American Angus, Monday, Nov. 16, during the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE).

Yon was among five young Angus women competing for the title, which also included: JanLee Rowlett, Hurricane Mills, Tenn.; Lindsey Grimes, Hillsboro, Ohio; Kelli Retallick, Glen Haven, Wis.; and Hannah McCabe, Elk City, Kan.

Yon was crowned just prior to the announcement of grand champion bull during the Super-Point Roll of Victory (ROV) Angus Show at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center (KFEC).

  The annual Miss American Angus contest is sponsored by the American Angus Auxiliary and provides one Angus junior an opportunity to promote the breed both inside and outside the showring. As an Angus ambassador, Miss American Angus assists with shows, educational events, field days and additional activities to educate others about the breed and the benefits of Angus beef.
Each year, five young women are chosen as candidates for the position through the Auxiliary's scholarship program. Each completes a written test, delivers a prepared speech, completes an interview and answers impromptu questions from a panel of judges.
   Yon was the winner of the fourth-place, $1,400 Auxiliary scholarship awarded earlier this year during the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS). She lives with her parents, Kevin and Lydia, and brothers Drake and Corbin, at Yon Family Farms near Ridge Spring, where the family raises approximately 800 head of Angus cattle. Yon is involved in state and national junior Angus associations, where she shows cattle and participates in other activities.

  She succeeds the 2009 Miss American Angus Katie Gazda of Athens, Ga.

USDA National Scholars Program applications available
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that USDA/1890 National Scholars Program applications for the 2010 academic school year now are being accepted. Aspiring high school seniors and rising college sophomores and juniors are encouraged to apply before the Feb. 1, 2010 deadline.

"This program furthers the Obama Administration's goal of promoting and encouraging America's young men and women to consider careers in agriculture and public service," said Vilsack. "Under this terrific partnership college-bound students benefit from an outstanding educational opportunity and USDA benefits from the knowledge, talent, diversity and skills that they will one day bring to our organization."

The scholarship program is a partnership initiative between USDA and the 1890 Land Grant Universities and Tuskegee University. It is designed to expand diversity in USDA through the recruitment of talented students into public service in agriculture and related fields, including food sciences, natural resource sciences and agricultural sciences.

Since the inception of the National Scholars Program in 1992, USDA has funded scholarships for over 500 students. Through this partnership, USDA also hires these graduates into career positions. USDA/1890 scholarship recipients receive full tuition, fees, books, use of laptop computers and printers, software, employment and employee benefits for each of the four years they pursue a bachelor's degree. For each year of the scholarship, students receive room and board provided by the partnering institutions. Students are required to work one year at USDA for each year of their scholarship.

The mission of the Land-Grant system is to teach, conduct research and provide outreach. The system was initiated by President Abraham Lincoln with the passing of the Morrill Act of 1862. A second Morrill Act was passed in 1890 to grant freed slaves and African Americans access to Land-Grant institutions in Southern States. The passage of this bill brought educational opportunities in technical, military and agricultural sciences to the general working class population who had no other access to higher levels of learning.

For more information about the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program, contact Carl Butler, Program Manager, USDA/1890 National Scholars Program, at 202-720-9238 or by e-mail at: 1890init@usda.gov or to access the application, visit  www.ascr.usda.gov/1890programs.html