KSU senior receives Forrest Bassford Award

Nicole Lane, a senior majoring in agricultural communications and journalism at Kansas State University, was awarded the 2015 Livestock Publications Council (LPC) Forrest Bassford Student Award sponsored by Alltech. Lane was presented a $2,000 scholarship and a plaque during the Ag Media Summit (AMS) held in Scottsdale, AZ, this week.
The daughter of a schoolteacher and a forester in John Day, OR, Lane found her way to farming on her own, when she begged for a sheep at the age of nine. Soon, that single sheep turned into 30 breeding ewes and a passion for 4-H, and later the decision to enroll in Kansas State University to follow her passion of agriculture.
“Agriculture has the most incredible stories to tell and I’m so excited to tell them,” Lane said after accepting the award. “Food is what connects us all. It means so much to be recognized by the people I look up to in this field and the people whose articles I clip out of magazines. Being a kid from Oregon and going so far to pursue this dream in Kansas, this award really means so much. It’s validating.”
Lane serves as president of both the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and the professional agricultural sorority Sigma Alpha. Lane works at the Kansas Department of Agriculture on the Marketing and Advocacy team as an intern and as the graphic communications specialist for K-State Research and Extension’s News and Media Team.
2015 marks the 30^th year for the Student Award Program. The Forrest Bassford award honors excellence, professionalism and leadership among students. Each year, following a competitive application process, the program presents four young people travel scholarships to attend AMS.
“There has never been a better time for young, excited journalists to write about and examine agriculture. Every day, consumers are trying to better understand where their food is coming from and are interested in the process,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “There are just so many stories to tell. We certainly need more passionate young people telling those, which is why we are proud to support this award.”
In addition to Lane, this year’s travel award winners were Kendall Herren, University of Illinois; Kaitlin Morgan, Kansas State University, and Jamie Keyes, Utah State University. While at the meeting, the four finalists’ portfolios were reviewed and each was interviewed by a panel of professionals.
The name of Forrest Bassford, a founding member of LPC, was added to the LPC Student Award in 1992 in honor of his contribution to LPC, and his particular interest in furthering the award. Alltech has co-sponsored the award since 2012.

Innovacyn announces winners of Vetericyn College Scholarship Award

Innovacyn, a leader in developing innovative medical devices and solutions in the human and animal health industries, has announced the recipients of the company’s annual Vetericyn® Future Innovators of Agriculture College Scholarship Award. The scholarship was open to any high school senior who exhibits a passionate commitment to the agriculture industry through academic and leadership positions.
This year’s winners, Alexis Pedrow from Anderson County Jr/Sr High School in Garnett, KS and Brendan Register from T. Dewitt Taylor Middle-High School in Seville, FL will each be given $4,000 towards his or her pursuit of higher education.
More than 24 high school seniors submitted applications for this year’s scholarship awards. Applicants are judged on written answers to multiple essay questions demonstrating commitment and knowledge of the agriculture industry through education, academics, volunteer work and life experiences.
“Innovacyn is dedicated to supporting the animal care community through numerous grants and charity events and this scholarship award is particularly special to us as we recognize the future leaders of our industry,” said Innovacyn CEO Bob Burlingame. Burlingame, a former FFA member, launched the Vetericyn Scholarship Program in 2013 after memorably engaging with a group of passionate FFA student members at the organization’s annual convention. “We are honored to be able to help these active students continue to gain footing as they head off to college and pursue their interests,” Burlingame added.
About the Winners
Alexis Pedrow is this year’s class Valedictorian and will attend Kansas State University where she will pursue a career in veterinary medicine. She is an extremely motivated and dedicated student, FFA member president, athlete and employee. Alexis has competed in the Milk Quality and Products CDE contest, winning at the state level and placing fourth in the country in individual scoring and second in team competition. She is currently employed at the Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Garnett, Kansas where she did her work-study program.
Brendon Register has grown up on his family’s multigenerational farm in Seville, Florida where he now manages 18 head of cattle and more than 12 acres of foliage for the cut floral industry. Brendon is actively involved in the FFA and 4H, winning multiple local and state contests and competing at the national level for FFA Prepared Public Speaking. He represented Florida at the National Youth Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., is a member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club and is this year’s Salutatorian for his senior class. Brendon will study at University of Florida’s Agriculture and Life Sciences as the foundation to an agriculture law degree.
The purpose of this award program is to identify and encourage talented and thoughtful students to become leaders in the agriculture industry. Each year these scholarships are granted to incoming college freshmen to be allotted in even increments over the course of their college career. 

Students visit 15 US cities learning about agriculture industry

Students from the 2013 North American Ag Tour, sponsored by Evonik, were chosen from an initial group of 50 agriculture students.

During the summer of 2013, 10 students from some of the world’s top agriculture schools were chosen from a group of 50 to participate in a three-week program called the North American Ag Trip. The program, sponsored by Evonik, took the students – who represented five continents – to 15 cities in the U.S. to learn about agriculture.
The group visited such companies such as Cargill, Tyson, Fieldale Farms, Gold’n Plump, Koch Foods, Foster Farms, Chick-Fil-A, Pond Hill Dairy, RP Feed Components, JS West, Nuwest Milling and agricultural universities. During the trip, the students also attended the Poultry Science Association meeting in San Diego where two of them presented their research to industry experts and peers.
The tour gives students the opportunity to ask questions of successful organizations and renowned nutritionists. They then share their experiences with the world through blogs, videos and photos which are posted to a facebookpage as they travel.
The program also offers Evonik insight into prospective talent. "Our markets keep growing and changing. We not only want to keep up with these changes, but also hope to play an active role in shaping them. Highly qualified and motivated employees are our most important assets, and we are always interested in new talent," says Dr. Alfred Petri, sales and marketing manager for bioproducts and methionine in Evonik’s Health & Nutrition Business Unit.
In 2012, Evonik sponsored a similar program throughout Europe, and the company plans to continue the annual program in other regions, as well. 

World Ag Expo Forage Challenge announces winners

A total of $18,000 in cash prizes was awarded on February 12, 2013, to winners of the 2013 World Ag Expo Forage Challenge, presented by Mycogen Seeds. Finalists were chosen from more than 90 entries submitted from the Western U.S. The competition challenged farmers to enter and see who produced the highest-quality forage in the West. Samples of the finalists' entries will be on display in World Ag Expo's Hospitality Center on East Greenbelt and Median Street.
Lallemand Animal Nutrition North America sponsored $18,000 in contest awards and prizes. First place winners in all three categories received $3,000; second place winners were awarded $2,000; and $1,000 was given to third place winners.
Farmers and ranchers from 11 Western states were invited to enter the competition. Entries were judged in three categories: alfalfa hay, standard corn silage and brown mid-rib, BMR, corn silage. Cash prizes were awarded based on forage lab analyses, along with a visual evaluation of the entries by experts in dairy nutrition and forage production.
2013 World Ag Expo Forage Challenge winners:
Alfalfa Hay

• 1st Place - David Hinman, Hardrock Farms Inc., Wheatland, Wyo.
• 2nd Place - Daryl Tiltrum, Dipper Tree Sheep LLC, Wheatland, Wyo.
• 3rd Place - Rick and Kim Perigo, Valiant Penny Hay Co., Lun, Nev.
Corn Silage BMR

• 1st Place - Jake Bosma, Bosma Milk Co. Tipton, Calif.
• 2nd Place - Mike Barcellos, Monster Dairy, Newman, Calif.
• 3rd Place - Tony Louters, Tony Louters Dairy, Merced, Calif.
Corn Silage Non-BMR

• 1st Place - Dino Giacomazzi, Giocomazzi Dairy/Farms, Hanford, Calif.
• 2nd Place - Kelly Callahan, Royal Turf Farms, Royal City, Wash.
• 3rd Place - Bert Weststeyn, Weststeyn Dairy, Linden, Calif. 

Pfizer promotes cattle veterinary practice with 'Commitment to Veterinarians'

Pfizer Animal Health's Commitment to Veterinarians externship program promoted an interest in livestock animal medicine to 112 students in 2010.
The program, which gives first- and second-year veterinary medicine students hands-on training, has expanded after two years to veterinary schools all across the U.S. “We have students who were not previously considering practicing in rural communities and certainly not working with food animals,” said Dr. Mike Nichols with Beef Veterinary Operations at Pfizer. “After their externship, the response they give is that this is an area of practice they were previously unaware of. They are appreciative of the opportunity and are now strongly considering entering that type of practice.”
In addition to the externships, the Commitment to Veterinarians program provides scholarships to third-year college students preparing to enter the work force. “We want to be there to support them with scholarships to help offset educational expenses,” said Nichols. “The cost of veterinary education is enormous. This year at the 2010 AABP Convention, Pfizer Animal Health awarded $147,000 in scholarships to 29 students from across the U.S. specifically pursuing bovine practice. These veterinary students are now in their final year of studies and will become practicing veterinarians after graduating next spring.” Pfizer has also partnered with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation to establish a national scholarship program that will provide $2 million in its first three years.

USPOULTRY contributes $5,000 to FPSA scholarship fund

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) recently contributed $5,000 to the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA)'s scholarship fund.
The money, which was presented at Chicago's Process Expo 2010, was a contribution to the Association's Meat Industry Supplier's Alliance foundation scholarship fund. "Our association shares the common goal of bringing more talented student scientists and leaders to our common industry," said USPOULTRY President John Starkey. The money will go to students pursuing careers in related industries.

Land O’Lakes Purina Feed offers undergraduate scholarships

Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC announced it will award five $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors who demonstrate scholastic achievement, leadership in agriculture, and a perceived ability to contribute to agriculture in the future.
The First Step Swine Creep Feed scholarship program is available to high school graduates pursuing a two- or four-year degree in animal science with bias in swine nutrition and management, or closely related fields.
To qualify for the program, a student must:
*Be a high school senior, graduating in spring of 2010.Demonstrate leadership abilities and academic performance.
*Complete an application.
*Write essays describing why he or she is interested in a career in animal science with a focus on swine nutrition and management.
Applications are available on the Purina Pig Starter and UltraCare Feed Web sites. All applications must be postmarked by June 14, 2010. Winners will be notified by mail on or before July 31, 2010.