Star in Agriculture Placement Finalists

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Star in Agriculture Placement award will be presented during the Stars over Illinois ceremony June 15.

The following FFA members have been selected as district winners.

Benjamin Bremmer

District: 1

Chapter: Pearl City

FFA Adviser: Kristen Gallagher

Parents: Chad and Deborah Bremmer

SAE Project: Benjamin Bremmer works on his family farm where they grow 2,750 acres of corn and soybeans. In addition, the FFA member works with the family dairy operation where they raise 600 replacement heifers each year for two local dairy operations. The FFA member also manages a popcorn business. He grows a half acre of popcorn and sells it at local businesses.

Aidan Harner

District: 2

Chapter: Flanagan-Cornell

FFA Advisers: Jessica Collins and Carley Zimmerman

Parents: Michael and Abby Harner

SAE Project: Working on his family farm, Aidan Harner helps plant, apply anhydrous ammonia and harvest the crops in the fall. He also performs preventative maintenance and in-field repairs on the farm equipment. The FFA member also works for Prairie State Tractor as a high school technician apprentice. Through his projects, Harner has learned about the importance of record keeping and time management.

Tiffany Hediger

District: 3

Chapter: Highland

FFA Advisers: Claire Geiger, Amelia Brink and Jenna Offerman

Parents: Scott and Cindy Hediger

SAE Project: Highland FFA member Tiffany Hediger has several FFA projects including working for Syngenta where she sorts seed packets into plot order for shipping to the company sites. She works for a small farm that has horses, dogs and cats. Her responsibilities at the Dr. Meldi Farm include feeding and watering the animals, cleaning dog runs and horse stalls and administering medications. Hediger works at two beef farms. For the Scott Hediger herd, she completes daily chores of feeding, watering and checking on the herd’s health. For N3 Cattle, the FFA member started by feeding and watering the cattle and her responsibilities have grown to include administering shots, processing calves and learning how to AI.

Briar McLaughlin

District: 4

Chapter: Taylorville

FFA Advisers: Sue Schafer, Katie King and Lori Parks

Parents: Chad and Kelly McLaughlin

SAE Project: During the past four years, Briar McLaughlin has worked more than 2,050 hours at Schafer Stock Farm. At the farm, he works with the 100 head cow/calf operation, as well as with show pigs and the meat hog production business. The FFA member also works with the Christian County Fair Association for his project.

Loren Pribble

District: 5

Chapter: Goreville

FFA Adviser: Jeff Robison

Parents: Jeremiah and Dana Pribble

SAE Project: Loren Pribble is involved with two farms for his FFA project located near Goreville and Thompsonville. The FFA member is responsible for 100% of the labor for both of the farms and 95% of the decisions for the operations. Last year, Pribble grew 95 acres of corn, 61 acres of soybeans and harvested about 300 round bales of hay.