By Logan Bernstein

News Enterprise 

During the fourth week of October, Triton High School sent several members of its FFA chapter to the National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Among these was Tim Marquardt of rural Dodge Center, who was to be recognized for his commitment to the FFA by being awarded a national degree, the highest honor the FFA offers. Tim is the son of Rodney and Georgine Marquardt.

Marquardt, who graduated from Triton in 2008, has always been deeply involved with the FFA. During high school, he served as an officer every year culminating in his tenure as president in his senior year. Marquardt was also involved in band, choir, theater, student council, jazz band and NHS.

At the event, which was held at Lucas Oil Stadium, students involved in the FFA got together to participate in workshops on career building, communication skills and technical skills.

The participants also toured a dairy farm with more than 30,000 dairy cows and took in a Toby Keith concert while they were there. Marquardt was honored in front of a live audience of 54,000 in a nationally televised ceremony where he received a golden American FFA Degree key and a frame to commemorate the achievement.

Marquardt attended a year of college at Mankato and returned to the family farm, where he grew up with his parents and his two sisters. Marquardt is the fourth generation to farm there, where he works as a herdsman, and he currently works the farm with his father, grandfather and uncle.

The farm consists of 900 acres of corn, soy beans, alfalfa and oats, 550 Holstein dairy/beef cows, and 2,000 head of hogs.

In addition to his duties as a herdsman, which includes ensuring the care and well being of animals, Marquardt does whatever else is needed around the farm as well as a lot of mechanical work on the farm's equipment.

Marquardt plans to continue working the family farm and hopes, one day, to make partner there.

News Enterprise serves Claremont, West Concord and Dodge Center. To subscribe, call (507) 527-2492.

There are 0 comments - Display All Comments