Star in Agriscience finalists

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Star in Agriscience award will be presented during the Stars Over Illinois ceremony on Wednesday, June 12.

The following FFA members were selected as district winners.

Kylie Neisler

District: 3

Chapter: Lincolnwood

Adviser: Monty Elvidge

Parents: Greg and Dee Neisler

SAE Project: Kylie Neisler is focused on finding unbiased, meaningful animal science information through her agriscience projects. When choosing a project, the Lincolnwood FFA member designs scientific tests that will benefit others, as well as herself. Her projects have included testing hair content in dry dog foods, doing fecal worm counts in goats, evaluating the effectiveness of show feed additives and testing the effects of swine show conditioners on body temperature.

Olivia Shike

District: 4

Chapter: Tolono Unity

Adviser: Rich McCabe

Parents: Daniel and Jennifer Shike

SAE Project: From doing her three FFA projects, Olivia Shike has found a passion for agriscience research. Shike has evaluated the effects of an injectable trace mineral on the conception rates of artificially inseminated beef cows and embryo transfer recipients. Her second project was a survey of junior high and high school students about Generation Z meat preferences and she followed that with a social science study on the impact of experiences on leadership capacity with a survey of adults who are in agricultural careers.

Lainie Clark

District: 5

Chapter: Fairfield

Advisers: Curt Robbins and Samantha Smith

Parents: Wes and Rhonda Clark

SAE Project: Four agriscience projects have taught Lainie Clark about safe and efficient farming practices. Her projects have focused on testing the effect of seed depth on soybeans and the effect of chlorinated water on soybean growth. She has also evaluated whether rivers and streams near fields have any detectable amounts of chlorine and her last project measured if water sources near fields have any detectable amounts of nitrogen.