Nearly $97,000 Awarded From Nebraska FFA Foundation Grant Program

Thirty-four Nebraska FFA chapters, agricultural classrooms or FFA members were awarded funds through the Nebraska FFA Foundation grant program with nearly $97,000 awarded in total grant funding. 

This grant program, in its seventh year, supports Nebraska agricultural education classrooms, FFA programs and individual student entrepreneurship Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE). Each year, funds are provided by the Nebraska FFA Foundation and its general fund donors. Many other generous supporters partnered this year and are listed below. This year we received 67 grant applications with 39 of those applications being for SAE projects and the rest for agricultural classrooms, FFA chapters or school based enterprises. 

"We are committed to growing support of FFA members innovative Supervised Agricultural Experiences are local FFA and/agricultural education classroom needs. Funding these needs are critical to building students' success toward career ready skills and our future workforce," said Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director. 

Many of these grant recipients will be showcased on the Nebraska FFA Foundation website and social media through the next couple of years. Applications for the 2024 Nebraska FFA Foundation Grant Program will open in April.

Nebraska FFA Foundation Grant Recipients:

Agricultural Classroom, FFA Chapter and School Based Enterprise:

• Perkins County, Animal Learning Lab
• Norris, Finishing Touches - Adding Color to Metal Projects
• Banner County, Greenhouse
• Weeping Water, Limestone Coffee Co Trailer School-Based Enterprise
• Central City, Welding Upgrades
• Gothenburg, Recycle Gothenburg
• Boyd County, Laboratory Updates
• Rock County, Shop Updates
• Plainview, FFA Winter Market

Supervised Agricultural Experiences:

• Ben Haschke, Wayne FFA Member, Mobile Coops, Poultry Production Entrepreneurship
• Alex Lechtenburg, Boyd County FFA Member, Lechtenberg Dairy Goat Production, Agricultural Processing Entreprenurship 
• Jacob Lind, Elkhorn Valley FFA Member, NEdrone.co, Agricultural Services Entrepreneurship
• Jacob Pekarek, East Butler FFA Member, J & M Flowers Wholesale Expansion, Diversified Horticultural Entrepreneurship 
• Bennet Flenniken, Summerland FFA Member, Shiny Solutions Detailing, Agricultural Services Entrepreneurship
• Keigan Kocian, East Butler FFA Member, Goat Facilities Expansion, Goat Production Entrepreneurship
• Kaden Van Winkle, Tri County FFA Member, KVW Outdoors, Agricultural Communications Entrepreneurship
• Isabelle Martin, Minden FFA Member, Flora and Foliage, Diversified Horticulture Entrepreneurship
• Henry Holtmeier, Tri County FFA Member, Minnow Production and Sales, Agricultural Sales Entrepreneurship 

Cooperative Producers, Inc. Grant:

• Superior, Greenhouse Renovation
• Blue Hill, AOK Freeze Drying 

Farmers Cooperative Grant:

• Fillmore Central, Plasma Cutting Table
• Norris, Finishing Touches - Adding Color to Metal Projects
• Beatrice, New Chapter Curriculum and Resources 

Central Valley Ag Grant:

• Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Greenhouse
• High Plains, Livestock Learning Lab Continuous Fencing Project 

Farmers Mutual of Nebraska Grant:

• Boone Central, Bovine Artificial Insemination Model
• Deshler, Greenhouse
• Lutheran High Northeast, Raising and Butchering Broilers

Constellation Energy Grant:

• Kaden Van Winkle, Tri County FFA Member, KVW Outdoors, Agricultural Communications Entrepreneurship
• Parker Person, Tri County FFA Member, Parker's Repair, Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Entrepreneurship
• Zach Spohn, Exeter-Milligan-Friend FFA Member, Vantage Pro2 GroWeather Cabled Sensor Suite Weather Station, Diversified Crop Entrepreneurship
• Noah Miller, Hampton FFA Member, Noah's Crickets, Agriscience Research-Animal Systems
• Fillmore Central, Plasma Cutting Table
• Holdrege, Duster Welding Upgrade
• Norfolk, Panther Sausage

Frontier Cooperative Grant:

The Frontier Cooperative grant results will be released in November 2023. To learn more about the grant if you are in their trade area go here. 

The Nebraska FFA Foundation Grant Program for Nebraska agricultural education programs is to provide funding for local agricultural classrooms, FFA programs, FFA member Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE) and school based enterprises, which have a clearly defined and describe need. The grant applications will open in April 2024 and close June 30, 2024. The grant requests may be any amount up to $10,000 for FFA programs, agricultural classrooms and school based enterprises, and up to $2,000 for member SAE projects. To learn more go to the resources tab in April or watch for our social media in the spring.