Vita Plus awards annual ‘Our Future in Agriculture’ scholarships

Vita Plus Loyal and Vita Plus Kennan have selected five high school seniors as recipients of the 2021 “Our Future is Agriculture” scholarships. This program recognizes deserving students with long-term career interests in agriculture. Students must plan to enroll in an accredited vocational/technical institute, community college, or four-year college or university that offers an academic major in an agriculture-related field. The $500 scholarship may be applied toward tuition, room and board, or other expenses.

This year’s recipients of the Vita Plus Loyal scholarships are Jesse Groell, Osseo-Fairchild High School; Ashlee Piskow, Granton High School; Andrew Morrow, Greenwood High School; and Sara Snortheim, Auburndale High School. The recipient of the Vita Plus Kennan scholarship is Rebecca Poetzl, Chequamegon High School.

Ashlee Piskow, Granton, is the daughter of Sandra Piskow. She participates in the Granton Area School District’s youth apprenticeship program and receives school credit for working on a local dairy farm. She is an active leader and volunteer through Granton FFA, and has been a dedicated cross country athlete, student council and Spanish club leader. After graduation, Piskow plans to attend Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to major in farm production-dairy science with the goal of becoming a lead herdsperson on a Central Wisconsin dairy. Piskow said, “I hope to help younger generations learn about agriculture and encourage them to go into the field.” Andrew Morrow, Greenwood, is the son of Tim and Wendy Morrow. He has gained on-farm experience working first as a volunteer on a local dairy and then as an employee. He’s also worked for a local custom harvester doing custom field work and assisting with machinery repair. At Greenwood High School Morrow is active in FFA, football and the advance manufacturing program. He currently works at a local farm implement dealer. These experiences within agriculture helped define his career goals. Morrow plans to attend Chippewa Valley Technical College in the diesel technician program. He plans on starting his own business to do custom manure handling, barn cleaning, and offering equipment maintenance and repair services.

The employee owners at Vita Plus Loyal and Vita Plus Kennan recognize supporting students in their pursuit of agricultural careers is essential to develop the next generation of leaders and innovators in the agriculture industry. “The agriculture industry will always require leaders to innovate and adapt to provide a safe, nutritious and abundant food supply,” said John Every, Vita Plus Loyal general manager. “The education these students will receive will help ensure the success of the industry for years to come.”