Agri-Business Club awards college scholarships

The Jefferson County Agri-Business Club during its April meeting honored 11 students with scholarships, according to a recent news release.  

During the meeting, the recipients received their scholarship awards and were treated to a catered meal at the Fairview Sports Bar and Grill in Jefferson. 

According to the release, the Jefferson County Agri-Business Club annually awards scholarships to students who are pursuing careers in agriculture through post-secondary education. Scholarships are financed through year-round fundraising activities, which include the food stand at the Jefferson County Fair and a cheese sale held annually prior to the Christmas holiday, the release continued. 

Students applying for scholarships were asked to submit a letter of recommendation. Each candidate was also asked to answer questions about their school and leadership activities, work experiences, and write two essays about agriculture. The recipients this year include three students currently enrolled in college, the release noted. 

“We had a very successful Jefferson County Fair food stand and holiday cheese and meat sale, so we are able to make $7,750 available to 11 local youth in the form of college scholarships,” scholarship subcommittee chairman Leigh Cheesebro was quoted as saying in the release.

During the meeting, each of the scholarship winners provided a short presentation, which included details about their agricultural activities and future plans. 

The 11 scholarship winners are: 

Andrew Dettman 

Andrew Dettman, a senior at Watertown High School, plans to major in agronomy and return to the family farm. He operates the farm alongside his father and grandfather, and contributes by doing chores such as field work, caring for the animals, and machinery repair and maintenance.

During his high school career, Dettman has participated as a cross country runner and is a member of the Watertown High School band. 

As a member of the Watertown FFA,  he has participated with the agricultural mechanics team and competed in the agricultural sales event. Dettman also competed in FFA quiz bowl at the state level.

Dettman is a member of the Farmington All-Stars, where he has exhibited at the county and state fair. He presented projects in dairy, sheep, and rocketry. Dettman also was a member of the county meats judging team and the county dairy quiz bowl team.

Liam Bos 

Liam Bos is a senior at Fort Atkinson High School. After graduation, he plans to study construction management technology at Fox Valley Technical College. Upon completion of his degree, he hopes to join Bos Design Builders.

As a member of the Fort Atkinson FFA, Bos earned the Wisconsin State FFA Degree and chaired the pancake breakfast and the holiday parade. His Supervised Agricultural Experience projects included making maple syrup, started a firewood business, and a dairy cattle project which has been exhibited at the Jefferson County Fair since 2014. Bos also was an  exhibitor at the Wisconsin State Fair.

During his high school career, Bos was on the volleyball and baseball teams and participated in Archery Club. Bos earned the Coach’s Award for Baseball as a freshman. He earned the Fort Atkinson Optimist Club Youth Leadership Award in his sophomore year.

Bos also is a Vacation Bible School counselor and a Sunday School teacher’s assistant.

Bos has worked at the Jefferson County Agri-Business Club food stand at the Jefferson County Fair since he was 11 years old. He has also served as a volunteer for Feed My Starving Students and Feed Your Soul.

As an employee at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm, Bos’ work includes feeding cows and young calves, cleaning barns and equipment maintenance. Bos is also employed at Warm Belly Farms where he cares for the hydroponic strawberries and works in the apple orchards.

Hailey Besch 

Hailey Besch will attend Texas Tech University to study animal science and would like a career in the equine industry. 

At Fort Atkinson High School, she her extracurricular activities include basketball, volleyball, and golf. She placed third at state for junior varsity golf.

She is also a member of the National Honor Society.

As a member of the  Jefferson FFA, Besch has served as vice president and club reporter. She has been a member of the horse judging team, and has participated in a speaking contest, including Creed. 

Besch placed first in creed speaking in 2019 and prepared speaking in 2020. Her Supervised Agricultural Experience project included caring for and training horse. Besch works at the Whitewater Animal Clinic where she assists with examinations and prepares equipment for use in exams and surgeries. She also works at Jellie’s Market where she picks produce, assists customers, and works at the farm stand.

Besch is a 12-year member of 4-H and is a member of the American Paint Horse Association. She is also a 2020-2021 equine ambassador.

Marnie Draves 

Marnie Draves will study Natural Resources and Conservation Management at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She assisted with the Jefferson County Fourth-Grade Farm Tour.

At Fort Atkinson High School, she played volleyball and was in the orchestra. Draves is a member of National Honor Society and earned an academic letter.

Draves has participated in FFA speaking contests and career development events. She was a Section 10 Quiz Bowl finalist and earned her State FFA Degree. Draves was also a Star in Agricultural Business. Her Supervised Experience Program involved maple syrup production. Additionally, she processes cherry, pear, apple, blueberry, raspberry, wild raspberry, and strawberry jams.

Draves works at Johnson Health Tech North America where she handles clerical duties and works in the warehouse. She also is employed at Gracie’s Berries where she works both in the fields and as a cashier, handling customer service.

Nicholas Fischer 

Nicholas Fischer is a senior at Jefferson High School. After graduation, he plans to major in Animal Science – Meat Animal at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He has been gaining valuable experience as an employee at Heritage Meats. He is a member of National Honor Society.

As a member of the Jefferson FFA, Fischer earned Star Greenhand and participated in district Career Development Events. His Supervised Agricultural Experience involved equine science placement. He has worked at Whispering Pines and Farmington Express Percherons. He assisted with training, feeding, and caring for their horses. He exhibited and was top youth at several shows throughout the Midwest. Fischer received the Jerry Hitchcock Memorial Trophy for top youth draft horse showman at the Jefferson County Fair. 

In 4-H, Fischer has served as president, vice president, club reporter, and secretary. At Jefferson High School he was in Jazz Band and played saxophone. Fischer has been an active member of Future Business Leaders Association and was a state qualifier in the Agribusiness sector.

Michelle Stangler 

A graduated from Watertown High School, Michelle Stangler and is a sophomore at the University Wisconsin-River Falls, where she is majoring in ag marketing, and communications and journalism with an ag business minor. In her career, she hopes to share the positive story of agriculture. Stangler is on the Dean’s List, and a member of the Dairy Club and Sigma Alpha Agricultural Sorority.

Stangler made use of her agricultural communication skills when she chaired the 20-page FFA section in the Watertown Times for FFA Week and served as a broadcast desk news intern at National FFA Convention. Stangler has also served as an ag teacher working with elementary school-aged students. 

Additionally, she worked with Pam Jahnke at Mid-West Farm Report Network interviewing guests, and has used her skills working several  hours a week performing social media tasks for GENEX.

Stangler has earned the American FFA Degree, and was a member of the State FFA Honors Band, and served as Wisconsin FFA state vice president. 

Her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program was working at Shel-Valley Dairy, a family-owned operation, where she was responsible for feeding and milking. Furthermore, she works part-time at Farm and Fleet.  She also had a Poultry Entrepreneurship SAE, where she raised a flock of chickens. Stangler earned high individual honors in state for poultry judging and Watertown FFA team placed second in the state. Her 4-H projects of photography and cake decorating were exhibited at the Jefferson County Fair.

Luis Avila Vette

Luis Avila Vette is senior at the Watertown High School and is listed on the school’s High Honor Roll. 

As a member of the Watertown FFA, Avila Vette participated in Creed Speaking, Parliamentary Procedure Team, and Soil Judging. He earned Star Greenhand and served as chapter sentinel and reporter. He also took first-place recognitions in Parliamentary Procedure and Employment Skills contests. 

Avila Vette’s Supervised Agricultural Experience projects explored and grain forage production, which was supervised by  his FFA, as well as vegetable production where he maintains a garden and sells to local customers. 

He carried several projects in the Lebanon Luckies 4-H Club and played youth baseball. 

Additionally, Avila Vette is active in his church with projects and serving as a confirmation mentor.

Avila Vette feeds cattle at his grandfather and uncle’s farm and helps out during planting and harvesting of corn, oats, alfalfa, and wheats by operating the machinery. He will major in crop and soil science at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

Emily Zilisch 

Emily Zilisch is a senior at Jefferson High School. She carries a 4.05 grade point average (GPA) and is a member of National Honor Society. She milks cows and feeds calves at Magritz Dairy, LLC. After graduation, Zilisch plans to study agronomy.

Zilisch has served as the Jefferson FFA president, twice, and as chapter historian. 

During her high school career, Zilisch played volleyball for four years, gymnastics for three years, and track and field for four years. She  earned her varsity letter in all three sports.

In her free time, Zilisch volunteers at St. Vincent’s de Paul thrift store and at her church’s fall festival. 

Anna Koehler 

Anna Koehler is a senior at Jefferson High School. As a member of the Jefferson FFA chapter, she served as an officer and was on the Livestock Judging Team. She has a small Angus herd and her FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience was is in beef production. 

Koehler has been a regular Jefferson County Fair exhibitor. 

In high school, she played golf for four years. 

Koehler works at Koehler’s Riverview Farm where she cares for livestock and is involved with spring and fall field work. She will major in agricultural business with a minor in animal science. Koehler is planning for a career in agricultural marketing and sales with the possible inclusion of farm management. 

Maryann Gudenkauf 

Maryann Gudenkauf graduated from Watertown High School and i a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she is studying dairy science. 

Gudenkauf has served as the Watertown FFA president, treasurer and sentinel. Her first FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) was in Dairy Production Placement. She started feeding calves and milking cows and advanced to mixing feed. 

Gudenkauf earned a Gold for her FFA Dairy Production project. Her second SAE involved swine research. She has been working through a youth apprenticeship program at the UW-Madison Swine Research and Teaching Center since May 2021. She has been preparing college research projects as well as caring for 1,200 head of swine. This project has expanded her knowledge and makes her excited to learn more about the agriculture industry, she said.

Additionally, Gudenkauf participated in several FFA speaking contests. She placed second in the district and third in the section in the FFA Creed Contest in 2019. She placed second in the district in extemporaneous speaking and her team won the district Parliamentary Procedure contest for three years. 

Gudenkauf  has also been involved in sports, playing varsity volleyball and earned First Team All-Conference, Most Valuable Player, and Senior Team Captain. 

Other activities included Watertown FFA Trap Shooting Team and Watertown Forensics. 

Gudenkauf  works at Gudenkauf Farm, where she has participated in such activities as feeding cattle, milking cows, and field work.  The operation is family-owned. She also worked at Riverview Watertrap as a bartender/server and at The Pinecone Restaurant where she was a waitress and worked in the deli. 

Signe Kind 

Signe Kind is a graduate of Fort Atkinson High School. During her high school career, she was active in soccer, golf and basketball. She was also a member of National Honor Society and served as a student representative on the school board. 

Kind is studying biology at Wisconsin Lutheran College with plans to attend veterinary school. She is on the college women’s soccer team and volunteers as a youth soccer coach. She has volunteered her time at the Fourth-Grade Farm Tour for four years. 

Kind has served as FFA treasurer for two years and vice president. Her FFA project was in beef production, where she earned her State FFA Degree. After numerous years as a Jefferson County youth exhibitor, Kind earned Grand Champion Steer and Grand Champion Lamb in 2021. As a member of 4-H, she served as president, vice president, treasurer and swine and beef youth leader. In addition to working on the family farm, Kind also works part-time at BKS Dental and Patty Coughlin’s Irish Pub.

About the Jefferson County Agri-Business Club

According to the release, the mission of the Jefferson County Agri-Business Club is to promote an active interest in agribusiness and be a resource to take Jefferson County  into the future. The club’s goal is to promote the agribusiness community to the local and state population. This is accomplished through education, media, visits to local agribusinesses, fundraisers utilizing agricultural products, offering scholarships toward ag careers, and offering funds to organizations that promote the ag community. To learn more about this organization visit www.jeffersoncountyagribusinessclub.com.