AMES, Iowa — The 2008 Stars Over Iowa were announced last week at the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference in Ames.
Twenty finalists were introduced. The star awards recognize students who have developed outstanding agricultural skill and competency through their career development programs, demonstrated outstanding management skills, earned the Iowa FFA Degree and met other agricultural education, scholarship and leadership requirements.
Star agricultural placement finalists were Dakota Hoben of the Louisa-Muscatine FFA Chapter, Michael McEnany of the Colo-NESCO FFA Chapter, Jamie Negus of the South O’Brien FFA Chapter, Levi Powell of the Iowa Mennonite FFA Chapter, Matthew Price of the North Linn FFA Chapter, and Cheryl Smith of the Tri-Star FFA Chapter.
Matthew Price of the North Linn FFA Chapter at Troy Mills was named the Star in Agricultural Placement.
Price’s supervised agricultural experience consists of over 4,000 hours worked on an 1,800-acre farm.
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He has gained skills in the areas of animal nutrition, Global Positioning System technologies, agricultural marketing, and management.
He plans to attend Kirkwood Community College and major in Agricultural Global Positioning Systems and Geographic Information Systems.
Star finalists in the area of Agriscience included Amber Connett of the Diamond Trail FFA Chapter, Dan Faber of the Sioux Center FFA Chapter and Brandon Wilson of the West Central Valley FFA Chapter.
Wilson, of the West Central Valley FFA Chapter at Stuart, was named the Star in Agriscience.
His SAE program comprises many research projects, including looking at the effects of population density on grain quality as well as finding the point of diminishing return in corn yield
as affected by nitrogen.
This year his project looks at how nitrogen and phosphorus affects grain quality and yield. Wilson plans to major in agricultural education at ISU.
Star in Agribusiness finalists were Travis Garlow of Tri-Star FFA Chapter, Justin Hoover of the Atlantic FFA Chapter, Dani Jo Lange of the South O’Brien FFA Chapter and Brandon McCulloh of the DeWitt FFA Chapter.
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Garlow was named the Start in Agribusiness.
Garlow is a member of the Tri-Star FFA Chapter. His SAE consists of selling fuel wood, collecting and selling scrap iron, cleaning old machinery and vehicles, and marketing dairy steers raised from birth.
He learned how to conduct a successful business and market his products, as well as ensuring high quality products to his customers. He plans to expand his business after graduation, along with taking over his family farm.
Star finalists in the area of Agricultural Placement included Ryan Augustine of the North Mahaska FFA Chapter, Hannah Gesing of the Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon, Daniel Gradert of the Sioux Center FFA Chapter, Kellie Morris of the Algona FFA Chapter, Dan Olsen of the Atlantic FFA Chapter and Casey Tanner of the Orient-Macksburg FFA Chapter.
Augustine, of the North Mahaska FFA Chapter at New Sharon, was named the Star in Agricultural Production. His SAE program has grown over the years to today’s 137-head beef herd.
He also co-managed 35 acres of corn and soybeans. He plans on attending ISU to major in agricultural studies.
