Breakfast celebrates students planning career in agriculture with former scholar Eli Klokkenga as speaker

[March 23, 2018] 

LINCOLN

The 19th Annual Logan County Ag Breakfast was held Thursday, March 22 at Lincoln College’s Jack Nutt Arena. The breakfast, which focuses on scholarships, was started by the Ag Committee of the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce and takes place during National Agriculture Week.

This year the Logan County Farm Bureau took over hosting the event and has made a goal to put more money from local sponsors into agriculture career scholarships.

Logan County Farm Bureau Manager Jim Drew thanked everyone for coming, Lincoln College for providing the space, Abby Coers for all her help, and the many sponsors who made the breakfast possible. Drew said the Farm Bureau felt it was important to keep the program going to showcase agriculture and provide scholarships to high school seniors headed to college to pursue a career in agriculture.

One goal of the scholarship program is trying to make the scholarships more meaningful and the other is that 90 percent of funds get back to the students. He said both goals have been accomplished.

Four scholarship recipients were named at the breakfast with a total of $15,000 in scholarships awarded.

2009 scholarship recipient and Logan County Farm Bureau Young Leaders Chairman Blair Bruns introduced scholarships recipients and presented one bronze, one silver, and two gold level scholarships.

The bronze level scholarship for $2,000 was presented to Griffin Jodlowski of Olympia High School. Griffin is the son of Ed and Colleen Jodlowski and plans to study agriculture at Iowa State University.

The silver level scholarship for $3,000 was presented to Corey Beccue of Mount Pulaski High School. Corey is the son of Jean and Jeff Beccue and plans to study Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Champaign.

Griffin Jodlowski, Corey Beccue, Cierra Crowell, and Jacob Kirgan.

The gold level scholarships for $5,000 each were presented to Cierra Crowell and Jacob Kirgan, both of Lincoln Community High School. Cierra is the daughter of Jerry and Lotis Crowell and plans to study Equine Science with a minor in Agronomy and Agribusiness at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Jacob is the son of Rich and Melissa Kirgan and plans to study agricultural education at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

This year’s keynote speaker was Logan County farm native Eli Klokkenga of Wyffels Hybrids.

Klokkenga is a two-time recipient of agricultural scholarships and thanked everyone for helping celebrate Logan County agriculture.

Klokkenga’s address focused on the topic of adversity, which he said came to mind as he thought about agriculture. The agriculture has gone through and will continue to go through days filled with adversity.

To the farmers in the room Klokkenga said “You are sitting in the county with the highest cash rent in the state all amidst a period with less than stellar commodity prices.”

To young people in the room who aspire to be in agriculture, Klokkenga said, “You are about to embark on a new chapter in your life, go to college, and find your niche in the world.” Others from this country and this area want whatever degree you seek, and if you apply for a good job or career, you will not be the only candidate, he said.

To those who produce or eat food products, Klokkenga said, “The agricultural industry produces food that feeds the world. We live in the most prosperous and peaceful time in the history of mankind.” Those who have a steady income may analyze and overanalyze where food comes from. Some living in urban areas who buy non-GMO and organic foods may not know much about where the foods come from and average consumers may assume conventional food is bad. Many do not know about GMOs, he said.

Klokkenga said the agricultural industry is under scrutiny from underinformed people. He said people in agriculture need to meet these challenges head on, be diligent in educating others about agriculture, be intentional in increasing ag awareness, and tell [their] story. He said, if those in agriculture are not willing to “go to bat” for agriculture, who will?

Klokkenga said it seems like a huge challenge ahead and then shared an Abraham Lincoln quote. Lincoln said, “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of the cause we believe to be just.”

Klokkenga said when you are passionate about what you do in agriculture, you need to “harvest that passion” and “communicate it to others in your own way with your own spin.” People don’t care about what you do or how you do it as much as they care about why you do it and if your why is in line with their why. When consumers trust you, they trust the food you raise.

Klokkenga said he was proud to serve with the Farm Bureau Young Leaders on National Ag Day March 20 as they hosted about 150 Logan County fourth graders and teaching them about agriculture.

Klokkenga was especially proud his nine-year-old daughter attended. He said if a girl whose dad, grandpa, and great grandpa have all been farmers does not know some of the basics of agriculture, she is one convincing Twitter post away from losing all trust.

Klokkenga said, “We must educate others about agriculture before it is too late. Those of us in agriculture need to meet these challenges [and] this diversity head on.”

Abraham Lincoln once said, “give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Klokkenga said the point was that you must do your homework and think about your story before telling it. Know the facts, but don’t get lost in the figures.

Klokkenga said it is about why, and the fact you care, that others are interested in.
He closed with a quote from Abraham Lincoln, “Adhere to your purpose, and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution and will regret it all your life.”

Also during the morning’s presentations, Logan County Farm Bureau President David Opperman (right) presented Drew with a plaque for 40 years of service. Opperman said Drew is a wealth of information and huge asset to the Farm Bureau.

Lincoln College President David Gerlach also spoke briefly about the renaissance of Lincoln College, which is boldly moving back to where it came from as it expands its bachelor’s degree programs. The college has experienced a 20 percent growth in enrollment the last two years and will be joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes for sports. Gerlach said it would not be possible without community support.

At the breakfast, Lincoln Daily News distributed hard copies of its Spring Farm Outlook magazine and more copies can be found in your local ag businesses and at grain elevators.

The online version of the magazine and each story in it will be featured daily in Lincoln Daily News for the next month and then stored for future reference in the “magazine” rack found on the right-side bar of TOP STORIES in Lincoln Daily News online.

The Lincoln Daily News Farm Outlook magazine is published twice a year. In the spring it is both online and in print and in the fall, it is online only.

Past information on this event and any reported topic can readily be found in the LDN Archives or Googled.

The staff of Lincoln Daily News would like to recognize and extend our thanks to the Logan County Farm Bureau for hosting this event and for all Farm Bureau does for the Logan County agriculture community.

[Angela Reiners]