The Nebraska Golden Owl Award honors teachers for their exceptional commitment to students and dedication to agricultural education. This year, out of many nominations, six finalists were selected. Finalist, Dave Ference, from the Ord FFA chapter, works endlessly to create memorable, hands-on experiences for all of his students.
Born and raised on his large family’s small farm and ranch, Mr. Ference graduated from Loup City High School in 1982. He joined FFA and agricultural education right away in high school, and he felt like his agriculture program gave him a great education. So, he attended the University of Nebraska to study agricultural education; the rest is history.
Mr. Ference completed his student teaching at Schuyler, a place he hadn’t expected to be but is glad he had the opportunity to experience. During his second week of student teaching, he took over all the classes because his cooperating teacher was nominated for Ag Teacher of the Year and had to attend an awards ceremony. Mr. Ference embraced this challenge, and he found that it worked out quite well.
After finishing his student teaching, Mr. Ference worked in the welding industry for about six months. He was then approached by the superintendent of Pawnee City regarding an agriculture teacher position, which he applied for and received. He spent two years at Pawnee City before seizing the opportunity to move to the Ord FFA Program, which was closer to home for him and his wife. Mr. Ference has now been teaching for 36 years in Ord, a close-knit community that strongly supports its agricultural education program.
“Mr. Ference's positive attitude and professional demeanor have been an asset to all of Nebraska Agriculture Education. Mr. Ference is a tireless advocate for Agriculture and the FFA,” noted one nominator.
As an agriculture teacher, Mr. Ference believes that there are valuable opportunities for students to learn outside the classroom. Students in the Ord FFA Program have the opportunity to farm over 60 acres of land. Students do the planting and harvesting of crops, but they’re also in charge of the agronomic processes like crop scouting and applying precision agriculture techniques. “The land is a living classroom that teaches responsibility, sustainability, and the value of agricultural stewardship,” shared Ference.
Students in Mr. Ference’s agricultural mechanics class learn directly from community members in the industry by completing rotations through agricultural mechanics businesses. Ord FFA members can also learn in their greenhouse and aquaponics systems. “My top priority is to create a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment where students feel valued. When students feel supported, they are more likely to take risks, ask questions, and fully engage in education,” remarked Ference.
Some of Mr. Ference’s favorite memories in agricultural education include having eight state officers emerge from his program, two of whom are his children. Additionally, two of his children have become agriculture teachers themselves. He is also proud of the many Range Judging teams that have placed highly at both the state and national levels. Watching students receive State Degrees, American Degrees, and Star Awards is very gratifying for Mr. Ference. However, the most rewarding experience, according to him, is when students return to his classroom to say hello during Christmas break.
Mr. Ference’s advice for future agriculture teachers is to balance faith, family, and teaching. Don’t forget that your own kids and family need you too. He also encourages new teachers not to reinvent the wheel and to reach out to the agricultural education network for support when they need it.
Mr. Ference would like to express his gratitude to his wife, family, students, parents, faculty, administration, and the Ord community for their unwavering support. He congratulates his fellow Golden Owl finalists and is proud of their contributions to the field. Mr. Ference would also like to extend a special thank you to all of his co-teachers, acknowledging that they were always an essential part of his success.
The Nebraska Golden Owl Award is sponsored by the Nebraska Agriculture Educators Association, the Nebraska FFA Foundation, and Nationwide.
