MYLSF scholarship application deadline set for May 15

LANSING, Mich. — Since 2000, the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund (MYLSF) has awarded $491,000 in scholarships and educational awards to outstanding youth who have exhibited at the premier livestock events in the state of Michigan.

New in 2018, a select number of applicants may be offered an opportunity to be interviewed for an up to $5,000 scholarship prior to the Sale-Abration. The MYLSF scholarship committee will choose the top scholarship applicants in June to come back for an interview prior to the Sale-Abration.

To be eligible for either the MYLSF general scholarship or the statewide scholarship, the applicant must be a resident of Michigan and a graduating high school senior or a high school graduate continuing their education at an accredited institution in the year in which they are applying.

For the general MYLSF scholarship, the applicant must be a youth exhibitor at the Michigan Livestock Expo, the Michigan Dairy Expo or the former Michigan State Fair, for a minimum of three calendar years prior to the year of application.

For the statewide scholarship, an applicant must be a youth exhibitor at a local, county or statewide exhibition for a minimum of three years prior to the year of application.

Specific proceeds from the Michigan Livestock Expo Sale-Abration auction as well as charitable donations help fund the scholarships. Applications and qualification requirements for the MYLSF and the statewide scholarship can be obtained at www.michigan.gov/mda-mylsf

Applications must be postmarked no later than 5 p.m. on May 15. If you have any questions, call Jeff Haarer, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s producer security section manager, at 517-284-5642, or Ernie Birchmeier, Michigan Farm Bureau’s livestock & dairy specialist, at 517-679-5335.

Farm Credit: ‘Pay it forward’ for FFA Leadership Center

TRAFALGAR, Ind. — As part of a “pay it forward” campaign, Farm Credit Mid-America, a long-time Indiana FFA partner and agriculture lender, has pledged up to $30,000 in matching funds to the Indiana FFA Foundation and is challenging businesses, FFA alumni and others to follow their lead.

The goal of the campaign is to retire an original loan on the Indiana FFA Leadership Center in Trafalgar, and aims to raise $60,000 by June.

Since the first camp was held in 1971, more than 100,000 FFA members have taken advantage of the unique leadership center. With the Indiana FFA Foundation recently investing close to $550,000 in facility capital projects and improvements, the center has been a place of growth and stability for FFA members across the state.

Any additional funds raised will be used to set up an endowment for the Center. If you would like to donate to the campaign, visit www.inffa.org/foundation or contact Foundation Executive Director Lisa Chaudion at 317-878-4178 or lchaudion@inffa.org