School: Granton - Future Farmers (Honors - 1980)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Dix, Richmond, Fish, Jennings, Winter, Lemons, Garbisch, Kleckner, Wolf, Rollins, Drinsinger, Bletsoe, Olson, Pescinski

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 5/22/1980

Granton Future Farmers (Honors - 1980)

The Granton Future Farmers highlighted their year with an awards program Thursday evening at the Granton High School. Rodney Dix, Town of Fremont farmer, received the progressive Dairyman’s award in recognition of his modern dairy practices. His heard averages over 60 pounds of butterfat per cow.

Winning the Chapter Star Farmer Award was Marvin Richmond, who is a senior this year and president of the Granton FFA. J.C. Fish, a senior, won the Hewitt Packing trophy given annually to a student who excels in livestock production. He has won blue ribbons and championships on his beef and sheep at the state fair, county fair and Junior Livestock shows since he was ten years old.

The Lynn Dairy presented the chapter leadership award to Larry Jennings. Kevin Winter won the Chili Milk Pool trophy for the best herd testing job. The trophy winner in the Hoard’s Dairyman contest went to Larry Lemons.

Marvin Richmond, Kevin Winter, and Larry Jennings were recognized as Wisconsin State Farmers, and they will receive their charms in June at the state FFA convention. Kevin Winter was presented an all expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., by the National FFA Alumni Association to attend a leadership conference. He is one of the eight winners and will represent northwestern Wisconsin there this summer.

Marvin Richmond was also recognized with a gold pin from the state FFA Association for his dairying accomplishments. Junior Dairyman trophies were presented to Cheryl Garbisch and Kevin Kleckner: who are one of the five state finalists in the demonstration contest. Jay Parker was recognized for having been selected at the official state organist for the FFA convention to be held in June at Green Lake.

The top salesman award went to John Wolf, who was presented a calculator. Dave Rollins was named the Star greenhand and Larry Lemons was named the Star Agribusinessman.

New officers were also installed for the 1980-81 year. They are Larry Jennings, president; Kevin Winter, vice president; Kevin Kleckner, secretary; Dale Drinsinger, treasurer; Mike Bletsoe, sentinel and Greg Olson, reporter.

A program preceded the Awards program in which a number of members presented their award-winning speeches. Marvin Richmond gave his retiring address, as president and Larry Jennings outlined his program for the next year as president. Dave Pescinski, student teacher in agriculture at Granton this year, gave his views of the future in the field of agriculture. A dairy lunch ended the evening’s program.