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Yankton Area Chamber Of Commerce Provides Financial Assistance For The Future Of Agriculture
By Lisa Hare
lisa.hare@yankton.net
The agribusiness committee of the Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce recently designed a program to invest in the future of the community, supporting area youth seeking careers in agriculture with scholarships.
P.A.Y. (Promoting Agricultural Youth) Scholarship program will award a $500 scholarship to a graduating high school senior in the Yankton area that wants to pursue post secondary education in the related fields of agriculture.
“We had a reception with area producers and it was agreed that we wanted to do something to support the youth,” said Jeff Pravecek, 2008 Yankton Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Committee chairman. “So we launched a campaign with the idea of doing something that would help bring the young people back to the farm.”
The announcement of the scholarship program was recently made at the 2008 Beef & Wine Gala.
“Some of the proceeds from that event went toward the scholarship,” Pravecek said.
“Agriculture is vital to this community and we’re trying to promote that fact,” he added.
Pravecek said that establishing incentives for youth to stay in to their home community is key to economic stability.
“In the past, we’ve lost too many of our young people to the big cities, but I see that changing now,” he said.
Pravecek said that the nature of farming and the perception of what agriculture is, is changing.
“Today’s producers are business managers more than laborers,” he said. “People (in agriculture) still have to work hard, but it’s not really the sweat and blisters work with a pitchfork that it used to be — It’s a better lifestyle today, so that is more appealing to our young people.”
Fellow Chamber Agribusiness committee member and Wells Fargo banker Justin Wagner said being successful in agriculture requires more education than it used to.
“We see a need for education in agriculture — it’s more important now than it’s ever been before,” he said.
Wager said from a banking standpoint, lenders look at education more than they used to.
“Education level can make a difference in the (individual’s) credit rating,” he said adding that farming isn’t customarily a family-run operation anymore.
“To be an efficient operator, you have to know how to market,” he said. “It’s really not much different from other businesses in town now.”
Pravecek said young people used to get bored with farming. “Today it’s changing and evolving and the technology keeps them fascinated,” he added.
Pravecek said scholarship packets will be made available to area high schools so that upcoming graduates will be aware of the opportunity.
The scholarship recipients will be selected by the P.A.Y. Scholarship Committee members through an application process.
Eligibility for applicants is based on the student’s intention to study an agricultural-related major at a two- or four-year college, and he or she must reside in Yankton, Bon Homme, Clay, Turner or Hutchinson county. Nebraska applicants must be from either Knox, Cedar or Boyd county.
“This differs from your typical academic scholarship in that we’re not necessarily just interested in the students’ GPA,” Wagner said. “We’re looking for those all-round good kids that have their heart set on working in agriculture.”
Pravecek added that when making the decision, the agribusiness committee needs to be convinced that the student’s focus and drive is to get an education in something that is ag-related.
“There are many facets to agriculture,” Wagner said, adding that it isn’t just for kids who want to farm.
“There are ag-related jobs in sales, banking and marketing,” he said.
Other examples of ag-related degrees acceptable to the P.A.Y. program are animal science, biochemistry, diesel mechanics, pre-veterinary medicine, grassland ecology, insect science and plant biology, and many others.
“We’re looking for young people that have their eye on a specific job here at home — those people will have (the committee’s) attention,” Pravecek said.
The first award will be presented at the 2009 Beef & Wine Gala.
“The money is already in place for the first award,” Wagner said, adding that right now, the fund is just a one-time, $500 award.
“But our goal is to grow that fund to an endowment of $25,000, so it’s self-supporting,” he said.
Wagner said that the committee is looking into some fund-raising activities and will also be asking area businesses for their support.
“This will benefit the whole community,” Pravecek said. “There are people who don’t realize the bulk of the community dollars here are funneled through the agriculture sector.”
Wagner added that by helping area youth with continuing education in agriculture the community is investing in its own future.
“We want to keep this local to the Yankton area,” he said. “We want to see these kids stay around and build their lives and raise their families here.”
P.A.Y. (Promoting Agricultural Youth) Scholarship program will award a $500 scholarship to a graduating high school senior in the Yankton area that wants to pursue post secondary education in the related fields of agriculture.
“We had a reception with area producers and it was agreed that we wanted to do something to support the youth,” said Jeff Pravecek, 2008 Yankton Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Committee chairman. “So we launched a campaign with the idea of doing something that would help bring the young people back to the farm.”
The announcement of the scholarship program was recently made at the 2008 Beef & Wine Gala.
“Some of the proceeds from that event went toward the scholarship,” Pravecek said.
“Agriculture is vital to this community and we’re trying to promote that fact,” he added.
Pravecek said that establishing incentives for youth to stay in to their home community is key to economic stability.
“In the past, we’ve lost too many of our young people to the big cities, but I see that changing now,” he said.
Pravecek said that the nature of farming and the perception of what agriculture is, is changing.
“Today’s producers are business managers more than laborers,” he said. “People (in agriculture) still have to work hard, but it’s not really the sweat and blisters work with a pitchfork that it used to be — It’s a better lifestyle today, so that is more appealing to our young people.”
Fellow Chamber Agribusiness committee member and Wells Fargo banker Justin Wagner said being successful in agriculture requires more education than it used to.
“We see a need for education in agriculture — it’s more important now than it’s ever been before,” he said.
Wager said from a banking standpoint, lenders look at education more than they used to.
“Education level can make a difference in the (individual’s) credit rating,” he said adding that farming isn’t customarily a family-run operation anymore.
“To be an efficient operator, you have to know how to market,” he said. “It’s really not much different from other businesses in town now.”
Pravecek said young people used to get bored with farming. “Today it’s changing and evolving and the technology keeps them fascinated,” he added.
Pravecek said scholarship packets will be made available to area high schools so that upcoming graduates will be aware of the opportunity.
The scholarship recipients will be selected by the P.A.Y. Scholarship Committee members through an application process.
Eligibility for applicants is based on the student’s intention to study an agricultural-related major at a two- or four-year college, and he or she must reside in Yankton, Bon Homme, Clay, Turner or Hutchinson county. Nebraska applicants must be from either Knox, Cedar or Boyd county.
“This differs from your typical academic scholarship in that we’re not necessarily just interested in the students’ GPA,” Wagner said. “We’re looking for those all-round good kids that have their heart set on working in agriculture.”
Pravecek added that when making the decision, the agribusiness committee needs to be convinced that the student’s focus and drive is to get an education in something that is ag-related.
“There are many facets to agriculture,” Wagner said, adding that it isn’t just for kids who want to farm.
“There are ag-related jobs in sales, banking and marketing,” he said.
Other examples of ag-related degrees acceptable to the P.A.Y. program are animal science, biochemistry, diesel mechanics, pre-veterinary medicine, grassland ecology, insect science and plant biology, and many others.
“We’re looking for young people that have their eye on a specific job here at home — those people will have (the committee’s) attention,” Pravecek said.
The first award will be presented at the 2009 Beef & Wine Gala.
“The money is already in place for the first award,” Wagner said, adding that right now, the fund is just a one-time, $500 award.
“But our goal is to grow that fund to an endowment of $25,000, so it’s self-supporting,” he said.
Wagner said that the committee is looking into some fund-raising activities and will also be asking area businesses for their support.
“This will benefit the whole community,” Pravecek said. “There are people who don’t realize the bulk of the community dollars here are funneled through the agriculture sector.”
Wagner added that by helping area youth with continuing education in agriculture the community is investing in its own future.
“We want to keep this local to the Yankton area,” he said. “We want to see these kids stay around and build their lives and raise their families here.”
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