“We are very proud of the scholarship program that has been established at FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative,” says John Rettler, President of the FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative Board of Directors. “As a cooperative, we strongly believe in supporting the next generation. Whether that means you are hands-on or in a supportive role in the agriculture industry, in both cases you are accomplishing work that needs to be done to make operations run more efficiently while improving the value and safety in our farms.”

“There are lot of changes taking place in the dairy industry, but one thing that won’t ever waver is our commitment to our youth. They are the future of dairy, and we want them to have the right resources for them to continue succeeding in the classroom, and eventually within their careers,” says David Cooper, general manager of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative.

This year’s scholarship recipients include:

Reba Gaul, daughter of Dale and Dee Gaul from Peosta, Iowa. Reba will be a sophomore in the fall while attending UW-Platteville and will pursue a degree in Elementary Education.

Cameron Goebel, son of Daniel and Theresa Goebel from Gilman, Wis. Cameron will be a freshman in the fall while attending St. Olaf University and will pursue a degree in Business.

Matthew Griebenow, son of Joel and Lisa Griebenow from Watertown, Wis. Matthew will be a freshman in the fall while attending Fox Valley Technical College-Appleton and will pursue a degree in Farm Equipment Service Technician.

Jennifer Hammerand, daughter of Jerry and Lois Hammerand from Sherrill, Iowa. Jennifer will be a sophomore in the fall while attending Northeast Iowa Community College and will pursue a degree in Agribusiness and Dairy Science.

Jonathan Herrig, son of Larry and Wendi Herrig from Bellevue, Iowa. Jonathan will be a freshman in the fall while attending Southwest Technical College and will pursue a degree in Farm Management and Operations Ag-Mechanics.

Emily Hutterer, daughter of Randy and Anne Hutterer from Manitowoc, Wis. Emily will be a junior in the fall while attending UW Colleges - Manitowoc and will pursue a degree in Dairy Science.

Jennifer Judd, daughter of Dale and Theresa Judd from Mount Horeb, Wis. Jennifer will be a senior in the fall while attending UW-Stevens Point and will pursue a degree in Elementary Education.

Kody Kleve, son of Dennis and Dawn Kleve from Dundee, Iowa. Kody will be a sophomore in the fall while attending University of Iowa and will pursue a degree in History with a minor in Sports and Recreation Management.

Brian Lash, son of Paul Jr. and Penny Lash from Mindoro, Wis. Brian will be a sophomore in the fall while attending Iowa State University and will pursue a degree in Veterinary Medicine.

Calissa Lubben, daughter of Cal and Char Lubben from Edgerton, Minn. Calissa will be a freshman in the fall while attending South Dakota State University and will pursue a degree in Dairy Production.

Morgan Lund, daughter of Chuck and Betty Lund from Mondovi, Wis. Morgan will be a senior in the fall while attending Carroll University and will pursue a degree in Exercise Science & Physical Therapy.

Amelia Manderfeld, daughter of Bernard and Anne Manderfeld from Faribault, Minn. Amelia will be a freshman in the fall while attending UW-River Falls and will pursue a degree in Biotechnology with Animal Science Emphasis.

Trevor Meyer, son of Tom and Tracy Meyer from Unity, Wis. Trevor will be a sophomore in the fall while attending Mid-State Technical College and will pursue a degree in Farm Operations.

Ashley Moore, daughter of Michael and Jolene Martin from Gratiot, Wis. Ashley will be a sophomore in the fall while attending UW-Madison and will pursue a degree in Pharmacy.

McKayla Nigon, daughter of Marting and Kathleen Nigon from Greenwood, Wis. McKayla will be a freshman in the fall while attending UW-Lacrosse and will pursue a degree in Therapeutic Recreation-Child Life.

Daniel Obert, son of Steve Obert from Orangeville, Wis. Daniel will be a junior in the fall while attending Illinois State University and will pursue a degree in Agriculture Communications & Leadership.

Jenna Pancratz, daughter of Randall and Diane Pancratz from Zwingle, Iowa. Jenna will be a freshman in the fall while attending University of Northern Iowa and will pursue a degree in Business & Entrepreneurship.

Rose Paul, daughter of Mark and Tracy Paul from Edgar, Wis. Rose will be a freshman in the fall while attending UW-Stevens Point and will pursue a degree in Pre-Physical Therapy or Physical Education.

Brittany Rennhack, daughter of Russell and Nancy Rennhack from Watertown, Wis. Brittany will be a sophomore in the fall while attending UW-Platteville and will pursue a degree in Agricultural Education.

Deveni Rowley, daughter of Brenda and Donnie Rowley from Loyal, Wis. Deveni will be a freshman in the fall while attending UW-Madison and will pursue a degree in Diversified Agricultural Operations.

Kara Rudolph, daughter of Robert and Wendy Rudolph from Medford, Wis. Kara will be a freshman in the fall while attending UW-Oshkosh and will pursue a degree in Nursing.

Alyssa Seitz, daughter of Dean and Debbie Seitz from Seymour, Wis. Alyssa will be a freshman in the fall while attending UW-Madison and will pursue a degree in Dairy Science.

Kaitlin Twardokus, daughter of Dale and Kathryn Twardokus from Mayville, Wis. Kaitlin will be a freshman in the fall while attending Fox Valley Technical College and will pursue a degree in Agribusiness Dairy Technician.

Sheila Weninger, daughter of Ken and Mary Weninger from Rubicon, Wis. Sheila will be a freshman in the fall while attending Fox Valley Technical College and will pursue a degree in Agribusiness and Science Technology.

Kenneth Wesle, son of Timothy Wesle from Stetsonville, Wis. Kenneth will be a freshman in the fall while attending UW-Milwaukee and will pursue a degree in IT-Management.

Scholarship recipients were selected based on leadership, scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, essay responses and their future plans and career goals. All members of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative and their children attending four-year universities, two-year technical programs or short courses and high school seniors planning for postsecondary education were eligible to apply for the scholarships.

FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative was established in 2013 and is based in Madison, Wis. Dedicated to its members, the cooperative represents farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana through policy bargaining, dairy marketing services, laboratory testing opportunities and industry promotion. Learn more about FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative by visiting: www.FarmFirstDairyCooperative.com.