National Farmers’ Farm Kids for College announces three top scholarship winners

     AMES, IOWA (April 22, 2010)—National Farmers’ Farm Kids for College national youth scholarship has named its top three award recipients for 2010. Three high school students earned $1,000 each — Brian Furrer, Monroe, Wash., Karl Kerns, Clearfield, Iowa, and Amelia Martens, Orion, Ill.
     “The Farm Kids for College national judging panel selected three top farm kids to receive $1,000 scholarships each,” said Farm Kids for College Scholarship Coordinator Helene Bergren. “We’re proud to help these outstanding youth representing rural America achieve their goals, gain an education and secure a strong future in one of America’s most important industries, agriculture.”
     Furrer, a senior at Monroe High School, Monroe, Wash., is the son of Scott and Vicki Furrer of Monroe. He plans to major in agricultural business and technology systems at Washington State University, Pullman, Wash. He wants to own and operate a diversified beef and crop enterprise, developing a butchering facility for his own brand of grass-fed wholesale beef. He also intends to open his farm to agricultural tourism, making it an educational center. He is the 2010 First Vice President of the Monroe High School Future Farmers of America chapter and the 2009 Department Scholar for Technology Systems at MHS. He is the 2009 animal grant recipient in the Washington Junior Holstein Association and is active in 4-H and Pacific Northwest O-Mok-Sees. O-Mok-See is patterned horse racing, and is promoted through the National Saddle Clubs Association. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, he showed the Grand Champion Guernsey cow at the Evergreen State Fair.
     Kerns, Clearfield, Iowa, is a senior at Mt. Ayr High School, Mt. Ayr, Iowa. He is the son of Steve and Becky Kerns of Clearfield. He plans to attend Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, to major in animal science, his interest lying in reproductive physiology. Kerns also wants to attend graduate school in biomolecular engineering and work on medical uses for swine. He is vice president of the Mount Ayr High School Future Farmers of America chapter, and is active in 4-H, band, Academic Decathalon and many other pursuits.
     Martens, a senior at Orion High School, Orion, Ill., is the daughter of Patrick and Annette Martens of Orion. She plans to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to major in agricultural communications. Martens also hopes to work to educate the public about farming, and attend law school focusing on agricultural concerns. She is serving her second term as president of the Orion High School Future Farmers of America chapter, is FFA Section Three president serving on the state officer team, and is vice president of the OHS chapter of the National Honor Society.
     The national scholarship competition is open to high school seniors committed to pursuing college degrees in agricultural fields. The Farm Kids for College competition is based on students’ academic achievement, extracurricular activities, character and future contribution to agriculture.
     National Farmers provides professional marketing and risk management services for grain, livestock and dairy commodities, as well as farm financial services for producers nationwide. “It’s a natural extension of National Farmers’ goals that we would encourage and help young people pursue their goals in American agriculture,” Bergren added.