|
On Thursday, March 26, 2026, the
Logan County Farm Bureau held its ninth annual Ag Scholarship
Breakfast at the American Legion in Lincoln. The scholarship
winners, sponsors, and guests were welcomed by Jim Drew, who thanked
the sponsors, then turned the program over to Logan County Farm
Bureau President Jeff Jones.
Jones offered a prayer and then
invited attendees to enjoy breakfast. Breakfast was a buffet of
biscuits and gravy, casserole, hash browns, bacon, sausage, fruit
salad, and assorted pastries.
After the meal concluded, Jones
continued with the program, thanking sponsors and announcing that
this year, they were awarding a total of $26,000 in scholarships. In
their nine years of awarding scholarships, the Logan County Farm
Bureau has awarded $206,000 to local students.
This year, there were five
recipients. Three recipients were from Lincoln Community High
School, advised by Molly Schemp. Morgan Sheley received $4,500.
Morgan plans to attend the pre-veterinarian program at Monmouth
College. Alec Schmidt will attend Parkland Community College’s Case
New Holland Technical training program. He also received a $4,500
scholarship. Arrington Mauhar received $5,500. She plans to major in
Environmental Science and Conservation.
[to top of second column] |
Two students from
Mt. Pulaski High School received scholarships. Courtney Matheny
is the Ag advisor for Mt. Pulaski. Luke Martin received a $4,500
scholarship, and he plans to attend Heartland Community College,
majoring in Agriculture Business. Eric Cooper received the
$7,000 Blair Hoerbert Memorial scholarship. Cooper plans to
major in agribusiness but has not yet decided on a college.
Before introducing the last
scholarship, Jones explained that this was the inaugural year for
the award, which honors the late Blair Hoerbert, who passed away in
December of 2025. Jones gave a heartfelt tribute to Mr. Hoerbert, a
longtime member of the Logan County Farm Bureau and a great
proponent of Logan County farmers.
After the scholarship presentations, Adam Campbell, Dean of Career
and Technical Education at Heartland Community College (HCC), gave a
presentation on the innovations HCC is making to meet industry needs
and provide hands-on training for its students. Campbell explained
that HCC is revolutionizing workforce training through its Advanced
Manufacturing Center, State Farm Electric Vehicle Lab, and
Agriculture Complex. These newly opened features provide HCC
students with opportunities to learn in classrooms and cultivate
their skills in the lab. They have a regional center in Lincoln that
now offers an HVAC program. Campbell also stressed to the youth the
need to be prepared for the competitive workforce, as well as to
fill the gap in technical skills. He encouraged students to develop
a wide range of skills and be ready to adapt to employer’s needs.
After the presentation from Dean
Campbell, Jones turned the program over to Jackie Jones, Farm
Bureau’s Director for Member Engagement. She provided an overview of
programs available to Farm Bureau members, focusing on those geared
toward youth for leadership and development. The event concluded
with President Jones thanking sponsors, FFA advisors, and Ag
teachers.
[Joli Boerma w/photos by Angela Reiners]
 |
