Author Archives: Rita Pravecek

Four Winner FFA members attend retreat

The South Dakota FFA Association conducted its annual Leadership Retreat July 6-9, at Storm Mountain, Rapid City.  A total of 85 FFA members in grades 7 – 12 attended the Storm Mountain Camp from across South Dakota.

The Winner FFA Chapter had four members in attendance.  Those attending were Adam Bohnet, Clay Sell, Madaline Watzel, and Amanda Blare.

Winner received two special awards. They were named best represented at the retreat and Watzel received the Hype girl award for her positive and upbeat attitude.

The retreats centered on a survivor theme, focusing on teaching members how to “Learn, Lead and Succeed”.  FFA members developed and enhanced their leadership skills and self-confidence through interactive learning.  The program featured workshops that helped members discover the value of servant leadership, personal values, personal and team strengths, creating effective teams, Ag advocacy, positive mindset, and conflict resolution. They will use these new skills and ideas to benefit their local chapters and communities.   Retreat attendees also participated in a service-learning project helping with beautification projects at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City and attending the lighting ceremony at Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.

The retreats were directed by the 2021-2022 State FFA Officers:  President, Tessa Erdmann, Groton; Vice President, John Petersen, Sturgis; Secretary, Hadley Stiefvater, Salem; Treasurer, Paige Lehrkamp, Hermosa; Reporter, Alexis Hughes, Rapid City; and Sentinel, Trinity Peterson, Willow Lake.  Retreat staff also included Kayleigh Thill, Chancellor; and Kylie Harriman, Parker; SD FFA Ambassadors.

The retreat was sponsored by the CHS Foundation, Northland Ford Dealers, Farm Credit Services, Army ROTC, South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Bayer.  Retreat t-shirts were sponsored by SoDak Labs, SD Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers, Army ROTC, Plains Towing and Recovery, Hogemeyer Seed, Kibble Equipment, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, SDSU Farmhouse Fraternity and Tractor Supply Company. 

Scholarships for individuals to attend sponsored by: SD FFA Foundation, West River Electric Association, Sioux Valley Energy, Walt Johnson Memorial and Doland FFA Chapter.

South Dakota FFA Members discover their superpowers at summer leadership training

The South Dakota FFA Association conducted its annual Leadership Retreat July 6-9, at Storm Mountain, Rapid City. A total of 85 FFA members in grades 9-12 attended the Storm Mountain Camp from across South Dakota.

The Colome FFA Chapter had two officers in attendance. Those attending from Colome were: President, Morgan Gill; and reporter, Landi Krumpus.

The retreats centered on a survivor theme, focusing on teaching members how to “Learn, Lead, and Succeed.” FFA Members developed and enhanced their leadership skills and self-confidence through interactive learning. The program featured workshops that helped members discover the value of servant leadership, personal values, personal and team strengths, creating effective teams, Ag advocacy, positive mindset, and conflict resolution. They will use these new skills and ideas to benefit their local chapters and communities.

Retreat attendees also participated in a service-learning project helping with beautification at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City and attending the lighting ceremony at Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.

The retreats were directed by the 2021-2022 State FFA Officers: President, Tessa Erdmann, Groton; Vice President, John Peterson, Sturgis; Secretary, Hadley Stiefvater, Salem; Treasurer, Paige Lehrkamp, Hermosa; Reporter, Alexis Hughes, Rapid City; and Sentinel, Trinity Peterson, Willow Lake. Retreat staff also included Kayleigh Thill, Chancellor; and Kylie Harriman, Parker; SD FFA Ambassadors.

The retreat was sponsored by the CHS Foundation, Northland Ford Dealers, Farm Credit Services, Army ROTC, South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Bayer. Retreat t-shirts we’re sponsored by SoDak Labs, SD Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers, Army ROTC, Plains Towing and Recovery, Hogemeyer Seed, Kibble Equipment, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, SDSU Farmhouse Fraternity and Tractor Supply Company. Scholarships for individuals to attend sponsored by: SD FFA Foundation, West River Electric Association, Sioux Valley Energy, Walt Johnson Memorial and Doland FFA Chapter.

Dallas crop and cattle producers Hank and Melissa Wonnenberg were selected to participate in the 2021 Farmers Union Enterprise Couples Leadership Program.

“Ever since we learned about the program a few years ago, we were hoping we’d have the opportunity to participate,” says Hank, who also works off the farm as a banker.

Hank explains that the reasons the couple was eager to participate in the year-long leadership development program are many.

“We’ve been involved in South Dakota Farmers Union now for a while, and we are interested to learn more about the national organization, understand how other states’ Farmers Union organizations do things, learn about agriculture outside South Dakota and have the opportunity to network with other young producers.”

  This program provides all those opportunities and more, explains Doug Sombke, SDFU President and FUE President. “This program is designed to empower agriculture leaders and it includes producers from five states,” Sombke says. “It provides the family farmers and ranchers who participate with leadership and advocacy training through workshops, training and tours in the five participating states as well as D.C.”

Along with South Dakota, farm couples from the states of North Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin and Minnesota are also involved.

Sponsored by Farmers Union Enterprises, the organization which oversees Farmers Union Industries, throughout the year, the couples involved meet up for several sessions. The sessions begin with a summer family session where the participants and their families will meet for the first time. Couples will also meet up during one of the participating state’s annual conventions, attend the 2022 National Farmers Union Convention and participate in the National Farmers Union Washington, D.C., Fly-In.

“Farmers Union is good about providing members with opportunities that help us grow,” Melissa says. “When Hank and I joined Farmers Union, we were looking for a way to be involved outside our community because we both volunteer a lot in our community.”

 Actively engaged in South Dakota Farmers Union, Hank and Melissa have advocated on behalf of the organization’s grassroots policy in D.C. and in January 2020, Hank participated in World Trade Organization (WTO) Global Forum on Food and Agriculture held in Berlin, Germany, during International Green Week, the world’s largest agriculture and food exhibition.

“It was quite the eye-opening experience because I was there with farmers from around the world. So, it gave me a global perspective of agriculture – how we are different, but yet share many of the same challenges,” Hank says. “We think this experience will be similar in the fact that we will learn about what agriculture outside of South Dakota looks like.”

Hank and Melissa raise crops and cattle on Hank’s family’s farm near Dallas. Although their financials are separate, the family shares labor with Hank’s mom and dad, Steve and Joan, and his brother and sister-in-law, Andy and Aliza.

Since the beginning, they have focused on raising high performing genetics which exhibit strong maternal, as well as paternal, traits. The family sells breeding stock during their annual private treaty sale.

Hank adds that their herd is also known for a gentle disposition. “I think working around dairy cows all the time, us kids learned how to work cattle from a very young age – people are always impressed with how we move our stock cows,” he says.

Like Hank, Melissa also has a second job, but it’s one she can do from their farmhouse. She works part time, providing online English tutoring to Chinese students. And she is a full-time mom to their daughters, Elizabeth, 9, and Lydia, 8.

Their girls are active in softball and 4-H, so Hank and Melissa volunteer as coaches and club leaders. They are also advocates for agriculture education and Melissa helps organize the local Farmers Union day camp.

“Volunteers are the way you have activities that keep your community going,” explains Melissa. “If people aren’t volunteering it is tough to keep a small community going. And the same goes for Farmers Union, if we don’t have volunteers, it is tough to get things accomplished at the state and national level, so we get the help we need for our farms.”